The Abarth A112 is a small car that was made to be quicker and more fun than a normal version of the same basic model. Abarth is known for tuning cars for performance. The podcast is mentioning a specific year because collectors and fans often care about those details.
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a sporty compact hatchback. The “Mark V” is one generation of it, and they’re debating whether this version felt strong or kind of weak compared to an earlier one.
The Jaguar E-Type is a famous old-school British sports car. Here they’re talking about how its rear wheels sit in a way that some people find odd or less “right” looking.
The Ford Fiesta is a small car that’s easy to drive and park. Some versions, like the Fiesta ST, are tuned to feel more sporty. The podcast is saying it works well overall, especially compared with another car they’re talking about.
“Inboard” means pushed toward the middle of the car. They’re saying the E-Type’s wheels sit in a way that looks or feels unusual compared to other cars.
The Honda S2000 is a sporty Honda roadster that’s famous for revving high and feeling very “driver” oriented. The speaker is saying it doesn’t pull strongly at low engine speeds, so you have to keep it in lower gears and rev it more to enjoy it.
Torque is the engine’s “pulling power.” If a car has low torque, it can feel weak when you’re not revving the engine high, so you often need lower gears or more throttle to get moving.
Term
too low gear
A “too low gear” is when you’re in a gear that’s lower than you really need for your speed. That makes the engine spin faster than it should, which can be necessary in some cars to make them feel lively.
Term
swap ends
“Swap ends” is a way of saying the car’s back end gets loose and swings around. The speaker is saying the S2000 felt like it wanted to rotate in a way that didn’t feel comfortable or predictable.
The classic Mini is a small car with a very recognizable shape and layout. People often have strong opinions about it—either they love it or they don’t. The podcast is mentioning the classic Mini because the speaker is explaining their own preference.
The Hillman Imp is a very small older car. It’s known for being light and easy to drive because it’s compact. The podcast is saying they’d rather have a small car like that than some other options mentioned.
Car
NSU Prince Sprint
The NSU Prince Sprint is an older small German car. It’s the sort of obscure, compact classic that people like when they’re talking about the charm of tiny cars.
The AMG One is a very extreme Mercedes-AMG supercar meant for maximum performance. It’s built to showcase advanced technology and how fast it can be. The podcast is basically saying it’s an unusual, interesting kind of Mercedes.
The Mercedes G-class is a famous, rugged luxury SUV with a very recognizable, old-school look. The point here is that Mercedes could make it better in some ways, but they keep it the way it is so it still feels like a G-class.
Audi’s “RS” models are the high-performance versions of certain Audis. Here, the hosts are about to talk about why they think Audi’s RS cars may not be what they want.
The RS e-tron GT is an electric Audi designed for fast, sporty driving. It’s meant to be comfortable for longer trips while still feeling quick. The podcast is bringing it up in the context of how people talk about different versions over time.
The Lamborghini Aventador is a very loud, high-power supercar with a big V12 engine. Here, the hosts are saying the car’s gearbox/transmission felt bad to drive, which made the whole experience less fun.
A “single-clutch” gearbox uses one clutch to transfer power from the engine to the transmission. The host is basically saying it can make the car feel jerky or intense when it changes gears.
The McLaren W1 is a very expensive, top-tier supercar from McLaren. People pay attention to it when reviews come out, because it’s meant to be a “big deal” car.
The Allegro is an older British car that was made for everyday family use. People often have very different opinions about it—some love it and some don’t. The podcast is mentioning it because the speaker is defending their liking for the car.
The Skoda Yeti is a small SUV/crossover that’s popular because it’s surprisingly practical. The hosts mention it can fit bikes easily, but they also warn that rust—especially on the suspension—can be an issue.
Term
engine was gutless
“Gutless” just means the engine doesn’t feel strong—like it doesn’t accelerate very well. In this case, the host is saying the Yeti’s smaller 1.2-liter engine felt a bit too weak for them.
Suspension rust means the metal parts that help the car handle bumps are corroding. That can become a safety issue and can also make repairs harder and more expensive later.
Wishbones are parts of the suspension that hold the wheel in the right position as the car moves. If they rust badly, replacing them can make the car handle properly again.
Car
Yeti
The Škoda Yeti is a small SUV. Here they’re discussing how much used ones cost and what you might pay depending on the car and condition.
EV just means an electric car. Instead of using petrol, it runs on electricity stored in a battery, and the host is talking about how convenient it is if you can charge it at home.
This is Kia’s electric version of the Soul. The hosts are talking about how practical it is for everyday errands—like carrying a bike—because the interior space is easy to use.
The Renault Zoe is an electric car. The point being made is that it has a big trunk (especially with the seats folded) so it’s practical for hauling things like a bike.
A salvage car is one that was badly damaged and the insurance company decided it wasn’t worth fixing at the time. The host is saying you might still find a salvage EV where the damage is mostly cosmetic, so it can be a cheaper way to get a practical electric car.
The Subaru Outback is a rugged car that’s designed to handle bad weather and rough roads. Here, the host is saying older Outbacks can be a budget-friendly choice if you want to tow things and go camping.
“Full-time four-wheel drive” means the car is always driving all four wheels. That usually helps it grip better on wet, snowy, or muddy roads—useful if you’re going off the beaten path.
The Honda Element is a Honda that’s famous for being really practical inside. It’s the kind of car where you can fold the seats down and load bulky stuff like bikes more easily than most cars.
JDM stands for Japanese Domestic Market. It refers to cars that were originally sold in Japan, and enthusiasts often associate JDM models with specific trims, right-hand-drive layouts, and different equipment than what was sold elsewhere.
The Toyota Alphard is a big Japanese family van. The hosts are talking about it because it’s spacious and can be set up to carry bulky items like bikes, and they’re also discussing older ones as a cheaper way in.
“Petrol” is the UK term for gasoline, meaning these Alphards are discussed as internal-combustion vehicles rather than hybrids or EVs. In this context, it’s part of the reason they’re being considered as a “car future” alternative to electrification.
The Toyota Previa is a minivan designed to carry people and luggage comfortably. When someone says “naughty Previa,” they usually mean a version that’s more fun or different than the typical family-focused one. It’s still fundamentally a practical people-carrier.
The Toyota RAV4 is a small SUV from Toyota. Here they’re describing the early, first-generation ones—especially the older 3- and 5-door versions—and why the shape makes them useful for hauling when you fold the seats down.
“Three door” means there are fewer doors for getting in and out—usually two side doors and then the back hatch. It’s a layout you’ll see on some older SUVs and it can feel more compact.
The Land Rover Freelander is an older 4x4 SUV. Here they’re talking about the first version (Mark 1) and how it can still work as a real four-wheel-drive car instead of being changed to drive only the front wheels.
A reduction gear is a set of gears that makes the drivetrain “geared down” for more control and pulling power at low speeds. If it fails, the car may not be able to run its proper 4x4 system anymore.
A “Special Edition” is a version of a car that comes with a particular set of extras or a unique look. It’s usually meant to feel different from the regular model.
A “barn find” is a car that’s been sitting in storage for years. People get excited because it might be rare or original, but it usually needs repairs before it can drive again.
The DeLorean is a weird-looking sports car from the 1980s that’s famous for its stainless-steel body. It’s also the car from the “Back to the Future” movies, so people recognize it instantly.
The “flux capacitor” is a made-up part from the “Back to the Future” movies. It’s not something you’d find in a real car—here it’s just part of the time-travel story.
A “spark check” means verifying the ignition system is actually making spark at the spark plugs. It’s a quick way to see if the engine has the basic electrical ignition it needs to start.
Taking out the spark plugs lets you inspect them and helps with starting/diagnosing an engine. It’s often part of getting an older engine ready to run again.
Term
bores lubed
“Bores lubed” means adding lubrication inside the cylinders. If an engine has been sitting, this can help prevent extra wear when you first try to turn it over.
The Opel Astra is a compact car meant for normal driving. The podcast mentions it in a racing context, because someone like Derek Bell drove an Astra in competition. That’s why it’s being brought up beyond just being a regular car.
Term
product development director
A “product development director” is a senior manager who oversees how a new car gets planned and built. They help coordinate the people working on the design and engineering work.
MG Rover was the UK automotive company that owned the MG brand and produced cars under the MG and Rover nameplates. The host mentions it because Rob Oldaker’s role there connects him to the development of MG-era vehicles.
Longbridge is the famous MG Rover/Rover production site in the UK, historically associated with large-scale car manufacturing. Mentioning it places the guest’s career in the context of UK mass car production.
André Citroën was an early car maker in France who helped influence how cars were built and marketed. The hosts mention him here because they’re talking about early design choices like front-wheel drive.
Front-wheel drive means the front wheels do the work of moving the car. It can change how the car feels and handles compared with cars where the rear wheels drive.
The Porsche 356 was the first car Porsche made for customers. It matters because it’s the start of Porsche as a company, so the hosts are using its launch to talk about how people responded at the beginning.
The Porsche 911 is a sports car made by Porsche that’s been around for a very long time. People often have strong opinions about it, especially when new versions come out. The podcast is touching on how those opinions can shift once you understand the car better.
Front-wheel drive means the front wheels are the ones that push the car forward. It can change how the car steers and feels compared to cars where the back wheels do the pushing.
John DeLorean was the person who helped create the DeLorean car company. When people talk about the DeLorean’s big introduction, they often mention him because he was the driving force behind it.
The butterfly effect means tiny changes can lead to big, unexpected results. In stories about changing the past, it’s the reason one small action could completely change everything that happens next.
The Pontiac GTO is a famous old American performance car. People call it a “muscle car” because it was built to be fast, usually with a strong V8 engine, and it became a big deal in car history.
LIVE
I'm Richard Porter. I'm Johnny Smith. And this is On the Other Side of Things, the Smith and Sniff spin-off in which we answer your questions.
Art, song, art, song.
Hello. Welcome again to On the Other Side of Things, our Friday Q&A show. You don't have to listen to it on a Friday. It's just when we put it out.
I always sing the song, is it Tom Jones' Sex Bomb, which I think is a terrible song with Moose T, but I sing Otter Sot to that.
Ah.
Otter Sot.
Moose T.
Well, hang on, wasn't that, yes.
It's when Tom Jones was trying to rekindle his career.
Yes.
With mixed results. I like Tom Jones, can I just say that? I think he's very cool.
I'm not sure that era was a good era for him, is what I'm trying to say.
Well, he was trying something.
He was trying.
Let's dive into some questions. We're starting with one from a listener called Nick. Nick says,
Hello, you pair of highly polished quad exhaust pipes. It's a nice one, isn't it?
Yeah, that is.
Some people are a bit more insulting, but that's...
No, I like that one.
It says, I've just attended the Market Harbour Classic Car Show.
Okay.
And following on from your choice of an also-be-anchie for Richard, Johnny, just your car and classic pick a couple of weeks ago, isn't it?
Lo and behold, there was a 1979 Abarth A112 being displayed.
Nevertheless, my question to you, Karn or Sirs, is...
Actually, that was just preamble. There's nothing to do with the question.
Nick says, my question to you is, what cars do you dislike, contrary to popular opinion?
For me, I hate the E-Type with its weedy inset rear wheels and the Mark V Golf GTI,
which I found to be rather anemic in terms of performance and not confidence inspiring in corners,
in contrast to my Fiesta ST, which is a fabulous all-rounder,
apart from the teeth-rattling suspension on pothold roads.
Well, that's a good one.
I mean, my brother hates the inboardiness of the wheels on an E-Type.
He thinks the E-Type's beautiful, but he thinks in its weird how inboard the track is.
Yes.
And I think one of the reasons those eagle speeds look so good is because they've taken the track out of it.
Push it out, yeah. You're wrong about the Mark V GTI, though.
I'm going to have to just pull you up on that.
I think you're getting mixed up with the Mark IV. The Mark V was not anemic.
It never felt that.
No.
The Mark IV was fat and slow.
I'm wondering if Nick's driven a Duff one because it was absolutely not my memory of the Mark V Golf.
It was full of vigor.
And bizarrely, I was actually stuck in some traffic on the M4 a couple of days ago,
and a Mark V GTI driven by an older couple would have kept passing me and me passing them.
And it was an Edition 30.
Oh.
Silver, three-door.
And it was so immaculate and I was so excited.
I was frantically looking for paper in my car so that I could write my number and my name on it.
And if I could get close to them, I'd go, you probably don't want to sell it,
but if you do, I love your car.
It is a note, but I didn't. I didn't get a chance to.
There was just a little bit too quick for comfort to do that.
They had really good wheels on them, didn't they? The Edition 30.
They did.
Nice.
Yeah.
It's just a fantastic car. I would love to own one of those cars. I still would.
It's one of those cars I must own.
There's quite a few.
And I don't want to upset people.
I've never understood the S2000 Honda.
I think the...
It doesn't have any torque, which when they were new,
it irritated the living shit out of me.
So you've got to drive it.
You seemingly drive it like a fake policeman everywhere in a too low gear.
Slightly too low gear, yeah.
And that annoyed me because I don't like cars with no torque.
I just don't see the point.
And I didn't particularly like the way it handled.
I thought it was just always trying to swap ends,
and it just didn't feel very friendly and interesting.
And I also don't like the look of them.
So although it is a legend to many people,
I'm not that bothered about the S2000.
Sorry.
I totally agree with you except about the way they look.
I really like the way they look.
And then every time I see one, I go,
oh, look at that.
And they go, oh, wait, no, they were disappointing, weren't they?
There's no two ways about it.
They were, for the reasons you mentioned, they were disappointing.
It's not for me.
It's just not an engine for me.
I would pick many other engines.
I don't like the any derivatives of the Mark III Escort.
I do not like the RS Turbo.
I do not like the XR IIIi.
I'm sorry.
I always thought they were horrible,
and I still don't like them.
And they just bring back memories of the type of person
that drove them when I was a kid.
So there's my prejudice.
And I don't particularly like the classic Mini,
which I know people will spit and hate me for,
but I just don't.
I'm not that bothered about the Mini.
I'm sorry.
I'd rather have an auto Bianchi or a Hilman Imp
or many other small cars,
like an NSU Prince Sprint or whatever they call it.
I would, I like those,
but I love an old Mini as well.
So I'm not going to agree with you on that one, but...
I know.
I say, what am I not like?
I mean...
I feel bad, everybody.
Look, there's lots of my cars,
which I know people don't like.
I think a lot of our colleagues in car journalism
get an enormous excitement on
for modern Mercedes G-classes.
And I just don't get it.
Like, they're sort of amusing the AMG ones, I mean.
They're kind of amusing and interesting,
and, you know, they sort of do look cool,
but there's...
Well, I'll be apart from the others,
they're exclusively driven by bell ends, I would say.
They are now.
They're not as good as the real roof gutter versions, are they?
No, well, that's it.
And I think Mercedes could make that car better,
but then it wouldn't feel like a G-class, so they don't.
So it's sort of willfully compromised,
and it's just something...
I always think car journalists
who rave about any AMG G-class
but then also get all strokey beard
and tilamony about handling,
you have to go, well, your opinions are now irrelevant
because those G-classes don't handle very well at all,
and you seem to like them,
so you're admitting that handling's not as important
as you sometimes claim.
Anyway, that's one of my...
There are quite a lot of dislikes.
Yeah, there's a lot of...
There's actually a lot of cars I don't...
I mean, there's a lot of...
There's a lot of fast Audi's I'm not interested in
that have been made in the last five years.
Yeah.
I think the problem with Audi RSs,
and to a point now, BMWs,
is besides the fact they've got uglier,
they've got too overtly, like, macho,
manasphere-looking...
They are!
Manasphere styling, you're right.
The styling's too manasphere,
and although the power of the car has gone up and up and up,
the weight, as we know, and the physical width
of the car has gone up and up and up,
so they're not as good as the car that came out, in my view,
10 years ago.
They're 10 to 15-year-old version.
I looked at an Audi RS for the other day,
and I can never remember the B numbers,
but it was a probably 15 to 16, 17-year-old version,
and it looked so classy and understated,
and it was still fast, and it was manual,
because you could still buy it manual.
And I was like, that looks so much better
than the current Audi RS for.
So much better. Looks classy.
Now it's just plastic cladding everywhere.
It's just manasphere with plastic cob pieces,
and it's like, seriously, this isn't classy.
This isn't cool.
Speaking of manasphere cars,
another car that I don't like,
and I think probably a lot of people do,
but perhaps that's because they haven't had the chance
to drive one, is the Lamborghini Aventador.
Yeah.
I didn't enjoy it.
It's like, all the drama in the theatre,
but it's actually not a very good car.
It had bloody awful gearbox on it.
I just couldn't.
I remember the gearbox being aggressive,
really aggressive.
Yeah, but in a way, it was a single-clutch thing.
Back in the day, I drove a Merci Lago,
and I just thought that was fabulous,
but that was manual, and it just had
everything you'd want and expect from a big Lamborghini.
It was just sort of drama and ridiculousness,
and just loads of power, and it was just great.
But yeah, the Aventador, I thought,
not even half as good.
I really didn't like it at all.
At the time, I think it was rightly about it,
the best way to enjoy an Aventador is from another car.
Yes.
Because when you see one on the road, you go,
wow, look at that, it's so cool.
But when you drive one, you just go,
oh, no, this isn't enjoyable.
I think a lot of supercars are like that
after more than one day.
Probably, yeah.
Yeah, probably.
I don't want to be down on it,
but I like a lot of new supercars
that I'm not massively interested in,
because I think the bar isn't being moved
that much further ahead,
and it's more just for board collectors
than anything else.
People have already got the other five,
and they just want another one.
Also, I don't dislike this car.
I'm just sort of not interested in it,
and I'd forgotten it even existed is the other week,
the reviews of the McLaren W1 came out,
and I genuinely went,
oh, God, I've completely forgotten about that.
And here it is,
and they're letting people drive it.
When I started reading reviews,
I thought, oh, mate, Jason Barlow has written
a very good review of it,
but I was reading it and just going,
I'm not sure I'm that bothered.
Just fine, whatever, great, good.
And I'm sure,
well, in fact, reading Jason's words
is clear, it's a technical achievement,
it's amazing, but I'm just sort of not
that interested.
Yeah, I know what you mean,
but I don't know whether that makes...
Look, we're probably going to get lots of hate for this,
and I'm apologising because everyone has their opinion.
Come on, I like Austin Allegro's.
Don't listen to me.
Exactly, so do I.
Opinions are like arseholes,
you can see a lot of them on the internet,
so if we should just move on to another question,
maybe.
OK,
I've...
I've got...
I've got a question here
from...
I'll just check whether I'm allowed to say his name.
Yeah, John Tyg.
How are you, pair of plumps?
Long time patron here and attendee
of a good few live events, big love.
I live in a rural area now,
taxis aren't really a thing,
maybe for bigger pre-planned trips,
but to go a few miles from village to village
involves them driving a long way from the nearest town,
which makes it all pretty unviable.
The only way of enjoying a few pints
in the not-that-local pub is to drive
to the pub and then walk home, or occasionally
I throw an old pub bike
no-name-for-suspension
in brackets in the boot, and I pootle
on my way back through a bridleway
or a lane.
Overall, I actually enjoy this
to be fair, I didn't have two young kids
meaning I don't get to
leave the aforementioned pub after the
bedtime, and I'll happily walk
to the pub as well.
There's a lot in brackets going on here, but time is obvious.
This is a common thing in the area,
and I guess many rural areas. So the problem is
if I take the family car there,
then often an immediate pressure
to go and retrieve it the next day, and I have
to wrangle the car with
seats etc to get the bike in.
I was daydreaming about having
an additional car, which is happily
I will leave in the pub car park
or side street nearby for a few days
if need be.
I'll pick that up at some point next week
I say to myself. It feels very liberating.
This started one of
these odd set of criteria car
searches that you pair are so fond of.
Mine are
must be cheap, although if it's a few
grand more than minimum
it will hold its value, so maybe that's fine.
Must be capable of having a
bike chucked in the back easily with no
bike wheel removal necessary.
Mustn't draw too much attention when parked.
However, this is the rub.
It's an additional car, and I'm a car
addict, so it must have something about it.
You know, if you know
type of quality that sets it apart for us
enthusiasts. It must be petrol
as often it's cold when driving to
from pub, and it needs to heat up
fast. I hate being cold.
And the last point, I'd quite like
it to be fun to drive and maybe
even venture towards
photo territory, although maybe the
specific current age criteria is a bit
much of a constraint, and I might
guess that at some point it might roll forward
to include slightly newer vehicles.
What have you got guys?
Cheers mate, thanks mate, bye.
John.
This is okay.
So basically, I want to be able to drive to
the pub, get battered, and cycle or walk
home on a bridal way.
That's the headline, yeah. But I want to be able to fit
a full-size bike in without removing a wheel.
And I quite like
something that's rare, but nobody cares.
Photo type
thing. Yeah, now so I
think that this year
photo has eased the
boundary forward a little bit.
Oh. It's 2001 now.
Oh, and what was it before?
2000.
So they're just sort of keeping it rolling
on a 25-year basis, I think.
But it's still locked to
1970. Anyway, so what we're
saying, really, to be
fully festive of the unacceptable
Yes.
eligible, that would have to be a 25-year-old
car, which sort of feels like that then may
be counter to some of the
other things that John needs. So what
I was going to do, my first, now I know
this is not rare that nobody cares, although
they are sort of, I think, a bit of a
cult car in a way
is a
Skoda Yeti.
Oh, yeah, they are.
I think you could get a bike with a
seat down. Certainly you could just chuck
a bike in the back there.
Yeah, my other half had a Yeti
for a while
and she didn't really like it
because she thought the engine was
gutless. It was one of the 1.2s.
But there's
no denying how capacious
it was. And yes, I fitted two bicycles
in it without
having to remove any parts of the bicycles.
They are good.
They rust. Be carefully
rust.
Specifically the suspension rust.
I don't think the body does, but the
suspension is the same as golf
and other Skodas.
They're notorious for rusting, so I know this
sounds a bit weird, but when you replace
things like wishbones, actually rust-proof
them.
As
John hasn't
specified a budget, he just said
cheap, but he may go higher
than cheap. I think
I want him to say
just like a two grand or something.
OK, well, the cheapest
Yeti I can see here is $1,750
for a petrol Yeti.
Yes, OK.
If John was prepared to spend a bit more, there's a
bright red one here for three grand.
And I remember
my brother telling me that
someone that we both know
got a bright red Yeti
as a company car
and everyone in the
office just called them Postman Pat.
Really?
So tread carefully there.
So Yetis,
there seem to be plenty of
petrol Yetis kicking around
for the three
and a bit mark.
That's always an option.
If it's I'm thinking of the bike
the bike chucking inability is the
sort of bike chucking inability.
Yes, definitely.
But can we
be more interesting than that?
Yes, we can.
I do also now
John said it gets cold
sometimes on the way to the pub. You want a car
that warms up quickly? Yes.
He said petrol, but
Yes.
EV Yetis tend to warm up very quickly.
This is true.
And if this is predominantly a car just for running
down to the pub in one direction at a time.
Oh.
It just costs you buttons to do that
in an EV. If you can charge at home
that's a bit heavy I suppose.
But then also
can you get a bike into it?
Here's the thing.
Kia Soul EV
where are they up to?
I had one of those for a year
and you can definitely get bikes in those
and I had a Zoe for a year
and you can definitely get a bike in it.
Zoe's got a huge boot with the seats down.
Huge.
Zoe's can be had from very little.
In fact, this could be good territory
to recommend getting
a salvage car
because you can have something like a Kia Soul
with a gashed front wing
or sometimes
a bumper that's slightly hanging off
but doesn't look all that bad
and you can get like four grand off the car.
And mechanically
it's still the same
as it ever was.
There are two
Soul EVs here
both with about
70,000 miles on them.
Both in that nice blue colour with the white roof
which I always thought were quite jolly.
That's what I heard.
One is just under three grand
one is £2,590
so they're both sub three grand cars.
Wow, really?
That's cheap.
It is cheap, isn't it?
It depends.
I don't know if John also wants to be able to
suddenly drive hundreds of miles
in which case that might not be the car for the job
but if it really is just a local runabout
mostly transporting a bicycle to the pub
so that you can cycle home
when you've had a few pints.
I'm going to suggest
this is a good rich territory
for a large petrol engine vehicle
that's probably not that desirable
at the moment
but it could be good for this sort of thing.
I'm thinking maybe
Subaru Outback, older one
you can get them for under
£1,500
that's manual or auto
full time four wheel drive
often come with the tow bar
so if you want to do some, I don't know,
trailering to the tip
or some trailer work
or maybe some outdoorsiness
or some camping where you can go
drink riding elsewhere
in the wilderness
so I'm thinking you could
use a Subaru Outback
or a Forrester.
I'm thinking about
it's one thing to have a car where you can just
get the bike in the back with the seats down
lying flat
but what about cars where you could
put the bike in upright?
Oh, my Honda Element was amazing
at that incredible level.
There you go, you see, you're ahead of me here
I was thinking JDM and I'm thinking
Alphards
because they're petrol
they're certainly
roomy, they're unusual
you can get older Alphards
there's one here for £3,000
which is like a 2,000
it's a 99 car actually
I don't know, obviously
JDM stuff tends to rot
by the power of Alphard
Alphard
so there's
you're going to be heading
towards £4,000 it seems
to get into more recent Alphards
What about a naughty Previa
we've talked about Prevs before
or even
our friend
Paul Harding
who I featured his car cave before
on The Late Brake Show
Paul is a fan of early first generation
Toyota RAV4s
which you can get in 3 and 5 door
and the thing about those RAV4s
is they've got really
jazzy 90s interiors
they're quite frugal on petrol
and but the back
is very squared off so they're a good
van car with the seats down
and there are photo
accepted I would say
Right
and they're often owned by people of a certain
age who just use them and then
they fail the emoji on something relatively minor
and they go oh well I've had it for
22 years I've had a good innings
and you can buy it off them for £110
so
I would say early RAV4
We've recommended them before haven't we
I think we've recommended
we should do a little RAV4 search
but
cap it at 2001
I don't know what the, is that what it is
2001 I'm on car and classic
I'm going to have a photo
Well I'm going on the photo basis so
I mean car and classic they're definitely
sort of you know people would consider them to be
classics now wouldn't they but there's
there are some there's a
there's a few here for not big
money three grand seems to get you quite
tidy 90 late 90s
Yeah
or there's a three door
spout
£1750
I think I'm
warming to them more and more because although
initially I didn't take too much notice
of them I've realised that for the size
of the car you can fit loads in them
and they're quite a
happy car they often come in happy
colours and happy patterns
they are a modern classic now
so do you know what mate
I would go for that
I'd drive that
to the pub do you know what I mean
If you're feeling bold and I'm not suggesting
John should but
what about Mark 1 Freelander
with the
three door with the removable roof
Yes
That might be quite bike friendly
That's a really and also I think the
we said this before I think the kids
are gravitating towards these now because
they're probably the only Land Rover that you can
afford to buy and run on a shoestring
Well
I met a chap the other week
who used to work
at Rover in Land Rover and he worked on
the Mark 1 Freelander
and he
one of like really earlier
it was a marketing or a press car
but really early one was coming up
for sale
and he just bought it years ago
and he still uses it as his daily driver
Does it?
He's an engineer so clearly he sort of knows his stuff
and he obviously looks after it well
but he said it's
really been no aggro he just sort of keeps on
top of things and it's also
and usually from those it's still four wheel drive
you know a lot of people because the reduction gear thing
fails so people just take it off
and have a front wheel drive Freelander
but now his is full functioning four wheel drive
everything works and he's like yeah you know
if you choose well
and look after them they don't necessarily
spell trouble
it was his view so you know
interesting
possible choice
What's this one that you've just shown me?
Oh my gosh a yellow one
Callahari Special Edition
Yeah for about two and a half grand
Two and a half?
Alright well there you go
I mean John if you fancy rolling the dice
then go and search
Land Rover Freelander Callahari on car and classic
and that will
It looks well in the yellow as well
It does look good actually
it looks very of its time
I do find them strangely appealing even though
I sort of think it could be heartbreaking
I don't know anyway
It might be awful I don't know
It might be but you just don't think
but what if it wasn't
What if it's
It was great
I'm going to move on to a question from
Mike who says
Johnny arrives at a barn find
shoot expecting to see an example of
Dunn Murray's notorious stainless steel
abomination the DeLorean
Steady on Mike
They look nice
After clearing away the obligatory rolls
of rotten carpet several streamers
and a worryingly damp box of vintage
gentleman's literature
and getting the car out
plugs are removed, bores lubed, spark check, fuel introduced
and the flux capacitor
is switched on
For yes this is in fact
a late break to the future time machine
one that can take you anywhere
and any when but only
in automotive history
So where and when
are you both going?
What historic automotive event
would you like to witness?
A particular motor race, a car launch
or perhaps you'd like to see the future of
motoring one trip each
What's it to be?
Mike what a question
What a question
You only get one go
because I think it's tempting to go well you know obviously
I want to go and see Sterling Moss
doing the Milimilia or something
just to see that sort of sheer
level of driver commitment
but would that be my one choice
or not or I'd love to go and
Well that's the thing, I'm thinking it would be nice to see
Folds beating Ferrari
at Le Mans
That would be Ace
but is that the one that I would definitely
definitely choose
Oh
There's all sorts of group B rally
The Hay Day of Group B rallying
which I did sort of see
as a kid, went to see Buxton the RXC rally
coming through town
and I did get to see those cars up close
and I got to see five time in a month
winner Derek Bell because he was competing
in an Astra one year
but so not that because
I have done that in real life
but then also car
launches or car in bits of car
history
Would you want to go back to like
I don't know
It's like the original
Mini or something
because you're not so keen
No but you know what I'm interested in the
engineering
and the way it changed
the landscape of cars with the Mini
I'm more interested in that
than I am the Mini
as a product
I haven't mentioned on the podcast
the couple of weeks
last week I went to
an event to celebrate 25 years
of the MG Z range
so ZRZS and T
because that's
amazingly 25 years since they came out
and there was this fabulous event
at the hotel in Cardiff
where the original press launch was staged
and they got together
some of the people who worked on that
including
a guy called Rob Oldaker
who was the product development director
at MG Rover
a fascinating bloke but I was talking to him
afterwards because I interviewed him on stage
part of this event but then afterwards we were just chatting
and I said so when did you start your career then
and he said oh I started out
what would have been BLMC in those days
in the late 60's
and I was working at
and he was working at Longbridge
I said you didn't work with this agonist did you
and he went yeah I did a little bit
and I was like oh my God
that's amazing really
because not everyone gets to do that
it's a fascinating sort of thing
so even just that
just go back to
hang out with Andre Citroen
or something as he kind of went
let's make it front wheel drive
I don't speak French very well
so I think that would be hard one to follow
you just sit there smiling and nodding a lot
maybe not that
the launch of the
356 Porsche would be interesting
because that was their first product
just to see whether
people really took much notice of it
at that time
or whether there was still a lot of prejudice initially
and the same with the 911 I guess
now knowing what we know
and the 911 still is here
it'd be very interesting
to go to the launches of it internationally
yeah well that's
why the Mini is appealing to me
because just the thought of
driving one of the first Minis
out on the road
seeing people's reactions to it
and
maybe sort of pulling into a petrol station
and getting into conversations with people
and explaining
what it was like
and how it's front wheel driving things
and watching them sort of quietly
boggle
I imagine that's the thing was it like that
or in fact did nobody give a shit
I don't think that's true
I think it was actually quite an amazing looking thing
because of its size and also it's just its look
but who knows love to find out
Is this question staring at us in the face
was it actually
the unveil at the factory
of the DeLorean with John DeLorean
well I mean that
and we should be there
so that we can actually be there in Belfast
to see them
the world
appearing at this car
who invented
by the bloke that kind of brought
the muscle car to the world
but then you get into this sort of
it's that classic thing where people go
if you had a time machine would you go back and kill Hitler
do you dare alter history
or in doing so is this kind of butterfly effect
that would have catastrophic consequences
but I think if you rained it into just car stuff
could you go back
and could you try and
steer the course of something like DeLorean
and just go so he goes
and here's my new car and you go John
just can I have just a word
let's talk about the Pontiac GTO in a minute
but first if you get invited to a hotel room
in Los Angeles to try and broker a drug deal
don't go
it won't end well for you
or maybe
you could say look if we speed this process up
I'm only here for a little bit
I can help you broker a new deal
or
I think I've got the right engine partner for you
yes we can do better than
I think I can make this happen
I'm going to
this is one that I'd like
the listeners to send
to us because I feel like
this could be a whole podcast of reading out their letters
yeah now remember you only get one
you only get one
so you've got to choose wisely
I'm so stuck I am tempted to go
mini just because it's sort of
not the birth of the modern car
I think that's too grand a statement but certainly
the arrival of something quite significant
that I personally really like
and I would love to just be there
in 1959 to see what the world
made of it as you drove around
in one and whether this is mind boggling
as I like to think it would have been
also you know it's in 1959
so you could get away with wearing
a brimmed hat
and smoking cigarettes endlessly
because those were both acceptable at the time
so what a trip
back in time that would be
if it was 59 could I fly
to your mini launch from America
where I've just watched Cadillac
launch their most outrageous
El Verado
yes
and maybe I've gone to the slightly
commercial arm
where I've seen the millimetre or ambulance
and hers versions as well
so I've ticked those off the list
and then I've flown to England and gone
oh look at this quite little car
well also I'm going to take the mini
I seem to remember
my memory says that the mini
the press launch for the mini was an older shot
I don't know how I remember that
so I'm going to go from there it's a long drive
but I am heading up to Liverpool
and I'm going to
go to the Cavern Club and go are there Beatles in yet
and they go who what
and then you have to wait
what a year or so for them to show up
get back from Hamburg
and you could go and see the Beatles playing
so that would be quite good
so I'm going to say I'm going back to the mini launch
in 1959
but you can do something different we don't have to go together
I think we each get a go
no we don't I've already kind of thrown my
I've gone maybe DeLorean
DeLorean is tempting
I mean I'm thinking about Citroen
Citroen DS
again just driving around
and people going what
because that car was so crazy
well it's France isn't it
so they'd be going quaaaaaap
but anyway it's
yeah it would be I don't know
there's so many to choose from
so yes if you've got any thoughts on what you would do with your one shot at time travel
hello at smithandsniff.com
it's the email address as always
I'm still thinking about
I'm still thinking about
I think we are at a time
or as I said get in touch hello at smithandsniff.com
if you have a question as well
just put otto salt at the start of your subject line
if you could be so kind it helps us to find the questions
and we'll be back doing this all again next Friday
normal show on Monday
until then goodbye
goodbye everybody
on the other side of things
on the other side of things
on the other side of things
on the other side of things
on the other side of things
gosh I'm still pondering this one
tough one
so many ways you could spin this web
About this episode
A listener’s classic-car show report kicks things off, then the hosts argue about hot-hatch generations, why the Honda S2000 feels wrong at low revs, and why some modern “AMG” hype doesn’t match real handling. The conversation turns practical: rural transport, second-car criteria (bike loading, fast heat), and budget used-car picks like the Skoda Yeti, EVs, and older Subarus. They also weave in car-history daydreams—Mini, DeLorean, and early Porsche—before ending on more Q&A.
In this week’s On The Other Side Of Things question answering show, Jonny and Richard discuss cars you dislike contrary to popular opinion, the ideal pub car, and which car or motorsport event you would visit if you could time travel.
