The Golden Age of the British Sports Car

Generally speaking, cars do nothing for me.  They have a wheel at each corner and they get me from A to B, but I found myself drawn to this documentary for a number of reasons: the  footage of the occasionally perilous rallying across Europe in the 1950s; the heroics of Pat Moss (Stirling's sister, who, I confess, I'd never heard of); the way manufacturers sought to meet the demand for affordable, speedy and stylish cars; the notion that we once had a motor industry, never mind one that could compete with others throughout the world. You'll have to tolerate Tamsin Grieg's narration, however.

You've got 14 days to watch it on BBC iPLayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01n8hl9/

Magnificent Machines: The Golden Age of the British Sports Car

Timeshift sets its rear view mirror to look back at the golden age of the British sports car. It's the story of how - in the grey austerity of the post-war years - iconic marques like Jaguar, Austin-Healey, MG and Triumph sparked a manufacturing frenzy that helped to democratise speed and glamour.

From the MG Midget, much loved by American GIs, through to the more affordable Austin Healey 'frog-eye' Sprite, and the E-Type Jaguar, seen by many as the ultimate sports car, this is a tale of how, for a brief time, Britain was home to two-seater heaven.

Narrated by Tamsin Greig and featuring contributions from Stirling Moss and Quentin Willson.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01n8hl9/Timeshift_Series_12_Magnificent_Machines_The_Golden_Age_of_the_British_Sports_Car/