TOP GEAR'S STIG REVEALED AS BEN COLLINS

The BBC has lost a legal fight to stop publication of a book which reveals the identity of Top Gear's driver The Stig.


The High Court in London refused to grant the BBC an injunction blocking the publication by HarperCollins of an autobiography of former Formula Three driver Ben Collins.

The book, called The Man In The White Suit, claims Mr Collins is the mystery driver on the BBC Two show.

The Stig is famous for his racing overalls and dark-visored helmet. His identity has long been a closely-guarded secret on Top Gear - one of the BBC's most popular shows in the UK and around the world.

Last week, HarperCollins said it would "vigorously defend" its right to publish the book, adding it was "disappointed that the BBC has chosen to spend licence fee payers' money to suppress this book".

However Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman attacked the publisher, writing on the Top Gear website that the BBC had a right to protect Stig's anonymity "from a bunch of chancers" who were "hoping to cash in on it".

Source: BBC

THE 571G

Top Gear fan Rick Fusari won the race to buy THE 571G during the climax of DVLA Personalised Registrations� three-day auction at the Haycock Hotel in Wansford, Cambridgeshire. Over a dozen people were bidding for the THE 571G registration due to its obvious link to the mystery race-ace and hugely popular figure from the Top Gear TV show. The winning bid reached �10,690 for the unique plate (more than 26 times its �400 reserve!).

LICENSED TO THRILL IN OCTANE

Fantastic feature in Octane Magazine's latest issue! the largest number of genuine 007 cars ever photographed in one location! The classic and performance motoring magazine, dedicates 19 pages of its November issue (on sale September 24) to feature nine of the actual cars that have helped to define Bond over his 46 years of cinematography.

Quantum of Solace, set for release in cinemas on October 31, is the 22nd film in the 007 series and sees the return of Daniel Craig as the spy with a licence to kill in his Aston Martin DBS.



The full list of bond cars in the magazine feature are as follows:



Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965)

Toyota 2000GT from You Only Live twice (1967)

Aston DBS (1960s) from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Lotus Esprit S1 from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Lotus Esprit Turbo from For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Citro�n 2CV from For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Aston Martin V8 from The Living Daylights (1987)

Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day (2002)

Aston DBS from Quantum of Solace (2008) and Casino Royale (2006)



It doesn't get much better than cool cars in the movies..



Heres what Octane said about the Veloce book Motor Movies � The Posters! By Paul Veysey.

"This book will most definitely liven up a coffee table but it will also fill a niche for those who love obscure trivia or those late night movies". Review from Octane, October 2007

ALSO! BOOK OF THE MONTH - Top Gear magazine Nov '07 ... AND No.6 Channel4's 4Car Top 10: car books for Christmas 2007









click here for more info about the book

TOP GEAR LIVE!

MPH 08 presents long awaited world premiere of Top Gear Live!



Top Gear Live brings the popular TV format to life and offers fans the opportunity to get closer to their favourite TV presenters; Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond & James May.

For eight days at two venues - [30 October - 2 November] at London�s Earls Court and [13-16 November] at Birmingham�s NEC - Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow will host Top Gear Live at the MPH The Prestige and Performance Motor Show.



During 10 separate performances at each venue more than 95,000 car fans can watch the team unleash automotive mayhem during each 75-minute live action show. Even The STIG will be putting in an appearance.



This year�s MPH event is scheduled to feature an A-Z of automotive supercars from the likes of Alfa Romeo, Ariel, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Caparo, Farbio, Ferrari, Gumpert, Jaguar, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Pagani, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Shelby, Spyker, and TVR.

Book of the Month in TopGear Magazine!

Forza Minardi! by Simon Vigar is making a big impact in automotive circles. It has been reviewed in this month's top gear magazine and awarded Book Of The Month! see the review below...



Forza Minardi! by Simon Vigar published by Veloce Publishing



Features

- THE inside story!
- Exclusive interviews with Alonso, Ecclestone, Minardi, Stoddart, Martini, Nannini, Fisichella, Webber, and many more
- How Minardi became F1's best-loved survivor
- Why Ferrari was determined to kill Minardi
- Why Minardi failed to capitalise on success
- Minardi's skill as a talent-spotter

Description

If you want to know what it's like to negotiate with Enzo Ferrari, chase Ron Dennis with a hammer, score points when everyone knows you shouldn't, and bring a Grand Prix promoter to his knees, read this book! In an increasingly grey, corporate paddock, where people were scared of their own shadows, Minardi harked back to a better time. Minardi, Stoddart, Ecclestone, Walker, Martini, Nannini, Campos, Fittipaldi, Mansell, Badoer, Fisichella, Gene, Alonso, Webber, Yoong, Wilson, Bruni and Albers are among the contributors, and that's before we get to fascinating insights from engineers and mechanics. This is the one and only inside account, with exclusive, comprehensive interviews with bosses, drivers and engineers. 145 unique photos complete this revelationary tale.

click here for more info about the book

Book of the Month in TopGear Magazine!

Motor Movies � The Posters!
BOOK OF THE MONTH - Top Gear magazine Nov '07 ... AND No.6 Channel4's 4Car Top 10: car books for Christmas 2007

By Paul Veysey


Features

� The first book ever devoted to movie posters featuring cars
� Posters from worldwide cinema
� Star rating system for rarity of poster
� NO tedious and opinionated plot dissection!
� Many posters not even enthusiasts will have seen
� Simple explanation of poster terminology
� All illustrations are of originals, not reproduction posters
� Star rating serves as investment guide
� Wonderfully nostalgic � a real feel-good book
� Movie posters bring colour, beauty, memories, and serious investment potential - this is THE guide
� Never before has the car in cinema been so vividly brought to life
Description

From the late 19th century the progress of the movies has paralleled that of the motor car. Now, for the first time, these developments are chronicled through the medium of the movie poster. This book celebrates the progression from the simple and crude, through the functional, the ambitious, and the barking mad, right up to today�s high-tech, computer-generated, often soulless examples of both cinema and automobile. By charting the poster art of the movies chronologically, the book takes you on a journey through the 20th Century in black and white, sepia, hand-colouring, stone-litho, and glorious technicolour, and shows the obsessively accurate, the artist�s impression, the photographic and the wildly imaginative depictions of the automobile. With 250 pictures of rare originals, and a star rating system for rarity, this is a beautiful book to browse, as well as valuable investment guide.

Click here for more info