A humorous and engaging discussion unfolds as Sy and Alan Robb delve into the quirks of urinal etiquette, the challenges of wearing superhero suits, and the unique experiences of being a paramedic turned Lamborghini club chairman. Alan shares thrilling stories from his time driving ambulances at high speeds, emphasizing the importance of skill and control. The conversation also touches on the camaraderie within car clubs, the nuances of supercar ownership, and the evolution of Lamborghini models. Listeners will enjoy the blend of light-hearted banter and insightful automotive anecdotes.
London once had an ambulance driver so fast he could outpace supercars — and after hearing these stories, you’ll never look at paramedics the same way again.
In this outrageous and unmissable episode of the BCG Podcast, I’m joined by Sy and Alan Robb, Chairman of the Lamborghini Club U.K. — and a former emergency response driver with tales that sound more like Hollywood than the NHS. If you enjoy supercars, mad stories, near-impossible driving feats, automotive culture, and pure banter, this one’s going to blow your socks off.
Alan reveals what it’s really like to pilot a 1990s ambulance (with a 3.0-litre Ford Cosworth V6) at high speed, drifting through London — including training, technique, controlled chaos, split-second decision-making, and the a record-breaking life-saving run that was so impressive, the nurse married him!
And then things get even wilder…
We dive into:
• The unspoken rules of urinal etiquette (you will never un-hear this).
• Why a certain caped crusader would genuinely struggle to pee.
• How grown men end up crying inside a Lamborghini Countach.
• Sy playing with his Iron-Man-ish helmet and light-saber like a big kid.
• The supercar world’s quirks, secrets, egos and pure joy.
• What it takes to drive fast — properly fast — in the real world.
This episode swings from hysterical to heartfelt, from nerdy car culture to life-and-death realities, and from superhero nonsense to the most astonishing true stories a paramedic has ever told.
It is easily one of the most entertaining, surprising and insightful episodes we’ve ever recorded — so don’t skim, don’t skip… dive in and enjoy the ride.
👉 WATCH to the end because Alan tells us something at the end that had all of us with our jaws on the floor.
👉 COMMENT below with your craziest driving experience or favourite part of the show.
👉 LIKE & SHARE if you want more unfiltered car-guy conversations like this.
👉 SUBSCRIBE to stay ahead of the petrolhead curve.
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Turbo diesel means a diesel engine that has a turbocharger, which helps it run more efficiently and produce more power. This is useful for heavy vehicles like ambulances.
Turbo diesel refers to a diesel engine that is equipped with a turbocharger, which increases the engine's efficiency and power output. This technology is often used in commercial vehicles, including ambulances, for better performance and fuel economy.
"...the EU regulations came in to state that an ambulance had to withstand an impact for a patient properly..."
EU regulations are rules made by the European Union to keep people safe and protect the environment. Here, they are about making sure ambulances can handle crashes to keep patients safe.
EU regulations refer to the laws and standards set by the European Union to ensure safety and environmental protection. In this context, they dictate the requirements for ambulances to withstand impacts, ensuring patient safety during transport.
"things like the at the time it was the 850 T5R and we were using vector GSIs as training vehicles"
The Volvo 850 T5R is a sporty version of a family car made by Volvo. It has a powerful engine and is designed for better performance while still being practical for everyday use.
The Volvo 850 T5R was a performance-oriented variant of the 850 series, known for its turbocharged engine and sporty handling. It gained popularity for its combination of practicality and performance.
Drifting is when a driver makes a car slide sideways while still controlling it. It's a popular move in car racing and can look really cool when done right.
Drifting is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing the rear wheels to lose traction while maintaining control of the vehicle. It's often used in motorsports and can be a thrilling way to drive.
"...they had three liter v6 yeah manuel gearbox twin rear axle used to use to drift them for days..."
A V6 engine is a type of engine that has six cylinders arranged in a V shape. This design helps the engine produce more power while still being relatively efficient.
A V6 engine is a six-cylinder engine arranged in a V configuration, which provides a good balance of power and efficiency. It's commonly used in various vehicles, including larger vans like the Ford Transit.
"...they had three liter v6 yeah manuel gearbox twin rear axle used to use to drift them for days..."
A manual gearbox is a type of car transmission where you have to change the gears yourself using a stick and a pedal. Some people like it because it gives them more control over how the car drives.
A manual gearbox, also known as a stick shift, allows the driver to manually change gears using a clutch pedal and gear stick. This type of transmission is preferred by some drivers for greater control over the vehicle's performance.
"...the way i i got a reputation for driving is because and this is one of the reasons why you drive on blue lights..."
Blue lights are the flashing lights on police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. They help signal that the vehicle is responding to an emergency and needs to get through traffic quickly.
Blue lights are used on emergency vehicles to indicate that they are responding to an emergency situation. They allow these vehicles to navigate through traffic more easily and are often accompanied by sirens.
"...very critical injuries and we decided we were in phantom at the time and the hospital st mary's in padding..."
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a very fancy car that is known for being super luxurious and comfortable. It’s often seen as a status symbol for wealthy people who want the best of the best.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a luxury sedan known for its opulence, craftsmanship, and powerful V12 engine. It represents the pinnacle of automotive luxury and is often associated with high status and exclusivity. The Phantom is frequently discussed for its unmatched comfort and advanced technology, making it a favorite among affluent buyers.
"...that's a v8 ambulance that's one of our ldv ambulances but that's me i was going to say that's not a transit so that had a v8 so which v8 did that have in it..."
An LDV ambulance is a type of emergency vehicle used to transport patients. LDV is a brand that makes various types of vans and commercial vehicles.
The LDV ambulance is a vehicle used for emergency medical services, known for its reliability and functionality. LDV, a British manufacturer, produces commercial vehicles including vans and ambulances.
"...so that had a v8 so which v8 did that have in it..."
A V8 is a type of car engine that has eight cylinders. It's known for being powerful and is often found in larger cars and trucks.
A V8 engine is a type of internal combustion engine with eight cylinders arranged in a V configuration. This design provides a balance of power and smoothness, making it popular in performance and luxury vehicles.
"...rover v8 yeah wow yeah and it never broke down oh that one broke down a lot that was a good i mean it was a good engine..."
A V8 engine is a type of car engine that has eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. It's known for being powerful and is often found in sports cars and trucks.
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder engine configuration where the cylinders are arranged in a V shape. This design is known for providing a good balance of power and smoothness, making it popular in performance and luxury vehicles.
"...were you into cars when you were when you were a kid yeah well um shazid said said that uh you know the cannonball run..."
The Cannonball Run is a famous car race where drivers try to get from one side of the country to the other as fast as they can, often breaking traffic laws. It's known for being very exciting and a bit dangerous.
The Cannonball Run is an unofficial, illegal cross-country car race in the United States, known for its emphasis on speed and the ability to evade law enforcement. It has become a part of automotive culture and inspired various films and events.
"...rs for newman has and at the time the cannonball kuntash was owned by the owner of hawaiian tropic and we ..."
The Lamborghini Countach is a famous sports car that looks very unique with its sharp angles and doors that open upwards. It was popular in the 80s and is still admired today for its design and speed.
The Lamborghini Countach is an iconic sports car that was produced from 1974 to 1990, known for its distinctive wedge shape and scissor doors. It played a significant role in shaping the supercar genre and remains a symbol of 1980s automotive culture. The Countach is often discussed for its design and performance, as well as its influence on future Lamborghini models.
"...i now know the owner i'm involved with hageti um on their on their 10 out of 10 bull run..."
Hagerty is a company that helps people insure their classic cars and also organizes events for car lovers to enjoy and learn more about cars.
Hagerty is a company that specializes in insurance for classic and collector cars. They also provide resources and events for car enthusiasts, including car shows and auctions.
"...once you get over the intimidation factor once you get over the pedals the setup learn how to heel and toe on it that car is wicked..."
Heel and toe is a way of using your foot to press the brake and gas pedals at the same time when you shift gears in a car. It helps keep the car stable and makes the shift smoother.
Heel and toe is a driving technique used in manual transmission cars to match engine speed with wheel speed during downshifting. This technique helps to maintain stability and smoothness while braking and shifting gears.
"...i picked up a db9 from Gayden that was being tested at the time as a development car..."
The Aston Martin DB9 is a fancy sports car that was made for driving long distances in style. It has a powerful engine and looks really nice.
The Aston Martin DB9 is a luxury grand tourer that was produced from 2004 to 2016. It is known for its elegant design, powerful V8 engine, and a focus on performance and comfort.
"...one of the traffic lights literally um I think it was a super that came up alongside of us super from that era and he was revving the engine..."
The Toyota Supra is a fast sports car that many people love for its speed and ability to be customized. It's popular in racing and car shows.
The Toyota Supra is a sports car known for its performance and tuning potential. It has a strong following among car enthusiasts and is often associated with racing and modification culture.
"...i went there in a golf gti and one of the things i realized when i drove his car and again..."
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a fun and fast small car. It's known for being sporty and is a favorite among people who like to drive.
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a sporty hatchback known for its performance and practicality. It features a turbocharged engine and is popular among driving enthusiasts for its agile handling.
"...the theater the noise yeah the noise the fact that that engine you can it's literally like that engine is behind you..."
Engine noise is the sound you hear when a car is running. Some cars have a nice sound that makes driving more exciting, while others might be quieter.
Engine noise is the sound produced by a car's engine during operation. It can vary widely between different vehicles and can contribute to the overall driving experience, often enhancing the feeling of performance.
"...and i thought it's gonna be ever since the first supercar special..."
A supercar is a very fast and expensive sports car. They are known for their speed and fancy features, and are often seen as the best of the best in the car world.
A supercar is a high-performance sports car that is typically characterized by its extreme speed, advanced technology, and high price tag. These cars often feature powerful engines and cutting-edge design.
Tesla is a company that makes electric cars. They are known for being very advanced and environmentally friendly.
Tesla is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company founded by Elon Musk and others. It is known for producing electric cars that have gained popularity for their performance and technology.
"...if you saw one i'd still lose it but the well what i mean to say is like today if you walk around london and you see a supercar latest Ferrari latest lamborghini whatever it's really..."
Ferrari is a famous car brand from Italy that makes fast and luxurious sports cars.
Ferrari is an iconic Italian sports car manufacturer known for its high-performance vehicles and rich motorsport heritage.
"...i remember like we were at the nc show and i was telling sai we were on the deta maso stand and i said the first time i saw one of these cars was in jeddah and my dad was driving in our old honda accord..."
The Honda Accord is a well-known car that many people use for everyday driving because it's reliable and comfortable.
The Honda Accord is a popular midsize car known for its reliability, comfort, and practicality, making it a favorite among families and commuters.
"...if you saw one De Tomaso Pantera on this high road here in Kingsbury I would just lose it..."
The De Tomaso Pantera is a sports car that was made in Italy. It has a powerful engine and is known for its stylish design and performance.
The De Tomaso Pantera is a mid-engine sports car produced by the Italian manufacturer De Tomaso from 1971 to 1992. It combines Italian styling with American muscle, featuring a Ford V8 engine, which contributes to its performance and appeal.
"...to give a shout out to darinah 377 because he says i had my Charade GTTi there..."
The Daihatsu Charade GTTi is a small car that has a turbo engine, which makes it faster than regular versions. It's a fun car that many enthusiasts enjoy because it's light and easy to handle.
The Daihatsu Charade GTTi is a sporty version of the Charade, a compact car produced by Daihatsu. The GTTi variant is known for its turbocharged engine and lightweight design, making it a fun and agile car to drive.
"your gtti and i did lose it because that is a little legend of a pocket rocket that we hardly see anymore..."
A 'pocket rocket' is a small car that is very fast and fun to drive. It's like a little sports car that can surprise you with how powerful it is.
A 'pocket rocket' refers to a small, lightweight car that offers high performance and agility, often surprising in its speed and handling for its size. These cars are typically favored by enthusiasts for their fun driving experience.
"...for for when i was running ferrari was the rimac nevera um you know to test it outside a hat field write ..."
The Rimac Nevera is a super-fast electric car that can go from 0 to 60 mph in just a couple of seconds. It’s one of the fastest electric cars ever made and shows how powerful electric vehicles can be.
The Rimac Nevera is an all-electric hypercar that boasts impressive performance figures, including a top speed of over 250 mph and rapid acceleration. It is significant as one of the fastest electric cars in the world, showcasing the potential of electric vehicle technology in the high-performance segment. The Nevera is often discussed for its groundbreaking engineering and innovation in the automotive industry.
"...what he was doing was he was using the weight balance of the car to he wasn't using the power he was literally balancing the car upsetting it at just the right point..."
Weight balance is how the weight of a car is spread out. If it's balanced well, the car handles better, especially when turning or drifting.
Weight balance refers to the distribution of a vehicle's weight across its axles and corners, which significantly affects handling and stability. Proper weight balance allows for better control during maneuvers like drifting.
"...'m going to give it to mel i'm going to drive the ford transit luggage van don't try and keep up with me and th..."
The Ford Transit Custom is a big van that businesses use to carry tools, equipment, or even people. It's known for being reliable and useful for many different jobs.
The Ford Transit Custom is a versatile van designed for commercial use, offering a spacious interior and practical features for businesses. It is significant for its reliability and adaptability, making it a popular choice among tradespeople and businesses needing a dependable vehicle. The Transit Custom is often discussed for its functionality and efficiency in transporting goods and people.
"...ve an event at all and you might have a Maserati Bora yeah you know or an old Ferrari yeah you're not g..."
The Volkswagen Bora is a small car that is easy to drive and good on gas. It’s known for being reliable and a great choice for people who need a practical vehicle for daily use.
The Volkswagen Bora, also known as the VW Jetta in some markets, is a compact sedan that combines practicality with German engineering. It is significant for its reliability and efficiency, making it a popular choice for everyday drivers. The Bora is often discussed for its balance of comfort, performance, and affordability in the compact car segment.
"poster car when he was a kid he would love to buy one he's wondering what the prices are like should he consider buying one well they're going up now diablo's are going up they're the last of the sort of modern v12 mostly lago and diablo the market's still very soft for them but they're"
The Lamborghini Diablo is a really fast and flashy sports car that people loved in the 90s. It's known for its cool looks and powerful engine, and now many collectors want to buy one, which is making its price go up.
The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance sports car that was produced from 1990 to 2001. It is significant for its striking design and powerful V12 engine, making it a symbol of luxury and speed during its production years. The Diablo has become a collector's item, with prices rising as enthusiasts seek to own a piece of automotive history.
"... was talking to the guy that had the sx uh lotus s3 i asked him the same question like the annual run..."
The Audi S3 is a sporty version of a smaller Audi car called the A3. It’s designed to be fun to drive while still being comfortable and practical for daily use.
The Audi S3 is a high-performance version of the Audi A3, offering a sportier driving experience with enhanced power and handling. It is significant for combining luxury features with sporty performance, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts looking for a compact yet powerful car. The S3 is often discussed for its balance of everyday usability and thrilling performance.
Select text to request an explanation
I've actually ordered a part of the Mandalorian suit as well so that's
it's easier to go to the toilet in a Mandalorian suit. So anybody tuning in right now has tuned
into the bit about it's easier to go to the toilet in a Mandalorian suit. It's true, Mandalorian comes
in two or three pieces it's got a zipper. Batman suits don't have zippers so you really can't go
to the toilet so you have to take off the entire top bit stand up your rhinos you know with the
others and just hold the suit like that while you do it. I'm so glad it was a formal dinner
that I met you outside because if you'd have come up to me at the urinals dressed like that.
We met yes we met we didn't even met years ago. Ferrari owner's club dinner
in the in the in the bowl in the globe and you just approached me at the urinals if you'd have
been dressed as Batman mate I would have just thought what the hell's going on. I'm some of my best
mates in the toilets. Okay right I know I said therapy session we're gonna need some serious
therapy after this I'll tell you that. I have a famous people that you've walked past in the toilets.
There's people you met in the toilets don't you know the golden rule of toilets?
You don't talk to people in the urinal you never talk to the other person. You don't talk to them
while you're standing next to them but you know when you say. At all. At all. I had a friend of mine
who was standing at the urinals at Brooklyn so you know you know as as man they're standing up
blah blah blah and I said oh how are you doing I'll mention his name and he turns around and he
cuts me in the back and is dirty him. Oh dude come on that is not a reason not to not to talk to
people in the men's toilets and yet you did. And the other thing about the urinal rules is that when
you go into your urinal if there's only one person there you're supposed to go to the urinal at the
extreme other corner. I don't understand the people that come and stand right next to you.
Go over there. That's good you scared someone. I'd like to do that. Stand right next to them.
In your back man's suit. He knew my name and he just sidled up the side of me at
her and I'm like what. You know there's a saying there's a famous film somebody famous I remember
reading about it and he goes I was given one bit of advice by this really big celebrity
a very famous guy he gave me one bit of advice and the interviewer goes what was that he goes
what the guy said to me the actor a very famous actor said to me make sure you never wear sweet
shoes always wear leather shoes and he's like why he goes when you're in a toilet at your urinals
when if you're famous well no the person next to you was saying look at you. I saw that coming
but that's actually that's what I actually it hasn't happened to me because obviously I'm not
gonna you know in the past it can't be the neck but you know it's this little day talking about that
I don't believe me it gets a little bit more serious no this is not really not not not much
Brooklyn's urinals are like 18 centuries though I don't know why they don't spend a bit of money
they're cold they're cold so you never put on a vest of shoes
is there like a Michelin star guide for urinals yeah I mean there should be really we shouldn't
there don't you think so there is one it's for the Michelin
because if there isn't then I think that's another project for the driver's union that you think so
yeah you know I don't mean that Milan actually go back way back because we're both members of the
FN the urinal club is it no no no but we're both members of the FNLN club okay you have to tell us
what that is now first name as the last name oh a few times I've actually called him Rob and
my last name got first name Ali yeah so you know nobody nobody nobody knows that
well what people do people still call me Ali they think it's Ali who called you Ali
other members of George Michael um Elton John Katy Perry Chris Martin Ryker you know when we're
in a steam company shake we are she's had shake you know the other day you know I always get I go
to events and nobody can spell my name right and literally I went to an event yesterday I went to
an MG event yesterday and they gave me a lanyard and they spelled my name both of my names they
spelled them wrong both of them not just one but both of them they spelled wrong but the funniest
one I went to an event this is years ago and you go there and you pick up your lanyard and I picked
up my lanyard they gave me my lanyard and it said and it said Shazam and I was like seriously
and I looked at that I said that's that's not correct that's not my and they're like oh we're so
sorry should we change it and I'm like no actually I think I'll be Shazam today I still have that
but when we at the NEC where we all last three of us were last sorry Trevor I was walking around
with Shazad and people just that tugging him on his arm come self with you and he's really like
he's like being with a celebrity yeah absolutely I don't know about that we've got Reza Reza is
joining us so I don't know who he's referring to Michael Kane and John Wayne and then we've got
Ibrahim uh don't not Michael not Michael Kane sorry no Kane
Michael Kane yeah yeah I can I could hear that I can see that
he says uh Ibrahim says don't don't talk to an important person in the toilets in other words one
of the big knobs that's very good they may have something very big to have to handle
but once we're in Calum with the toilet I was gonna say hello really I was walking in so
was he redesigning the urinals at the time yeah he was yeah yeah uh hooked on classics hello how you
doing uh and uh yeah they're just saying hello to each other so here we go we are definitely live
we're definitely on we are in the latest episode of the brown car guy therapy broadcast we've
already had some therapy here because we're talking about urinals and Mandalorian suits
and um there you go we've got a lightsaber so if there is any dark forces out there that
I don't know what I've let myself in for today I really don't you will enjoy this podcast you will
always subscribe to the brown car guy podcast you must subscribe oh my god it's not working is it
anyway so we have apart from uh the dark lord we also have Alan who's joined us kindly today
who's wondering what the hell he's let himself in for burnt out himself yeah thank you for having
me thanks very much yeah so tell us tell us tell us who you are live but tell us tell us about your
journey from being a paramedic to the chairman of the Lamborghini club UK um okay so I I wasn't
very good at school so um I left school and became a paramedic with sorry ambulance service because
at 19 you know I find that a little bit alarming right there that you left school and you weren't
very good and you decided to become a paramedic yeah well I like a challenge I wasn't I'm not
academically great so I like working with my hands because I always assume paramedics are
really smart people we are we okay it's just when you when it's something you want to learn about
then it makes it easy and at 19 there's not an awful lot of things that allow you to drive really
fast and meet nurses and I'll use the polite way so you drove you drove the ambulance oh yeah yeah
oh that was yeah yeah now it's all clicking now it's making sense yes so because you do 12 hour
shifts you do six hours of each so in the morning or in the afternoon you either drive or look after
the patient so if you do the driver you look after the the vehicle you look after all the equipment
and if you're the attendant then you look after the patient and that's it and and you swap halfway
through but um yeah I started when I was doing my driver training back then they did a lot of
even when I was doing my driver training my instructors would not limit me to do stuff I was
I'm a natural driver so for example when they were limiting other people in because we had unmarked
police cars to to hoon around the countryside on pre-planned routes and everyone would be
limited to like 90 miles an hour and I'd be doing overtakes at 120 130 pushing the limits of the
cars and actually showing people what they could do so hang on a minute so the driver training
you did that was with the police you have to do is it no they're they're they're police
undercover police cars so they've got blue lights fitted and they're higher spec cars we were using
things like the at the time it was the 850 T5R and we were using vector GSIs as training vehicles
full police spec um because you're you're you're you're training to push these cars as hard as you
can before you transfer to the sort of the three and a half ton ambulances and try and apply that
training and your qualification round to to be let loose on the road is actually a videoed drive
on blue lights through a nominated town and you've got to do a commentary to camera of what you're
doing and if you don't do it if you don't know what that sounds like fun it is it's great fun
there's no go pro so it would be like a big video can you understand yeah it was on a tripod stuck
with with sort of medical grade sticky tape to the back of the ambulance cab i mean this was
we're talking nearly 30 years ago but the ambulances we had they were cosworth three
liter v6s long wheeled in the ambulances yeah yeah oh yeah they were proper they were fiberglass
hang on so no hang on what what make were these ambulances then four they were transits but
they had three liter v6 yeah manuel gearbox twin rear axle used to use to drift them for days
you could go to strike place it was it was phenomenal there was nothing you couldn't do
with these ambulances you know images of carry-on movies are coming to my head where the patient
strapped to the trolley at the back and you're just drifting around the corner i absolutely
Kenneth Williams is just rolling down the thing on a serious note did you ever get
people blocking you when you're on your lights and your ambulance people not letting you go past
the thing is and and and the way i i got a reputation for driving is because
and this is one of the reasons why you drive on blue lights you're you're allowed to claim
an exemption from the road traffic act if you get it wrong if you're an accident
you're guilty until proven innocent so the risk lies with you but a lot of even under the lights
even under the lights yes still culpable that you know the limits of the law still apply but
you're allowed to be exempt if you if you can get away with it if you can justify and a lot
of my colleagues used to push through the traffic whereas i would say well i've got an exemption i
can literally go the wrong way down a one-way street i can go on the wrong side of the road
so in answer to your question so i know people didn't used to block me because i used to be on
the wrong side of the road most of the time allowing people to actually see where the emergency
vehicle was coming from rather than checking their mirrors and panicking thinking where is it where
i can't see it because it's a lot easier to make progress and this is this is the riskier though
it is but then the system of car control your torque so your your your torque mirror signal
maneuver when you pass your test roadcraft teaches you 14 separate additional items on that which deals
with every single hazard and it's it's drummed into you in such a state that in the last 35 years
of professional driving can rear i still apply it and once it's done and you qualify the statistics
you're 95% less likely to have an accident than if you haven't gone through that training
and and have there been um situations where you were like literally 30 seconds too late or 30
seconds in time um because that's well the the the story of how i met my wife sarah um is is in
answer to that question i did a uh a really nasty incident i won't go into the details but it was a
child ejected from a car who was suffering from very very critical injuries and we decided we
were in phantom at the time and the hospital st mary's in paddington had a specialist
neurosurgical department for um children waiting so what we did was we called the hospital because
you've got two-way communication and what we did was called a hot load so i said i was going to
drive into roll sorry county which sarah my wife was the senior nursing and i was going to pick up a
crash team a resus team effectively an anesthetist and a nurse and then we were going to take them up
to st mary's and st mary's told us that if from when we loaded up and anesthetized the patient
had half an hour to get from gilford to st mary's in paddington well and if it was any less
or any more rather the damage would be too great they would be able to rectify anything done now
to to to quantify the speed we did it at um when you when you turn on the blue lights on any
ambulance there's no fallacy that you're just going back to the the station you in the control
room you have a massive map with every ambulance available and they're either green blue the different
colors purple but when you turn your blue lights on your icon turns red because you then are taking
every legal step to cross the line of what you can and can't do so it's got to be recorded your route
for legal purposes but then there's also the element of fun in that because then they can time you
so the night i met sarah the record from roll sorry to st padding st mary's and paddington
was 25 minutes but on friday evening at nine o'clock i did it in 19 wow six minutes on six
minutes under the record and obviously 11 minutes under what the hospital told us to do and that was
with five people working on the patient in the back standing up and the patient's father sat next to me
in the in the in the cab because he's a child eight year old who isn't going to leave him behind
yeah so at that point first of all yes there are times when you turn around and go i've done a great
job because i've delivered and done everything i needed to do to save that give that child the best
possible thing but also in events like that you then realize that your driving is is different to
what everybody else expects you to be able to drive like because you know there's a lot of work going
on and even when my wife care when we when we stopped at the hospital sarah that's the first thing
she said to me she was like how the hell did you do that we were working you know and i was doing up
to 120 130 miles an hour up the a3 and in this four transit ambulance with the cosmos b6 in it
wow exactly and in answer to your question what are the the sigh about people holding you up
my view is you go through you know you're going through night's bridge to get st mary's pannington
up the edge railroad so i used to go the entire length of night's bridge past harrid's on the wrong
side of the road because it's a lot easier to push i would last weekend that's right
no i'm just i'm just picturing that road now that is spectacular yeah but it's a lot easy to just
to avoid an ambulance when you can see it coming towards you and try to push through that constant
flow of traffic in front of you because it's got nowhere to go it's no it's not the public
store where they panic they're here in ambulance here if siren they're gonna panic so you gotta
you gotta calm the whole situation down apply your 14 points of hazard control to every single
hazard you're gonna come to so every traffic light you're gonna approach the wrong way every
pedestrian has they seen you we've got the right the siren on have you got your have you are you
indicating correctly have you got your main beam on are you making that ambulance as physically
visible as possible they don't focus on drivers as good as you then or is there a varying rate
um there's varying rates a lot of people join because they're medical they're not the drivers
and i was lucky i was ready to be good at the medical side of it yeah but i was excellent at
the driving side of it so a lot of times i used to get called to go to incidents not for helping
the patient but for actually driving the ambulance that was going to be carrying that patient in
so take over from the crew and i mean on numerous occasions i was offered police escorts and i used
to refuse them and the police would be like well why and i said because you'll hold me up
there was that wasn't that that famous record that the police did one time was it in rover 35
hundreds when they had the liver the liver run yes yes do you remember that what was that about
that was what record that they achieved when they went from the top of the m uh they went from just
where the m25 meet the m1 to i think it was the cromwell hospital in something like 17 minutes
and it was a superb that is a superb demonstration of the driver training that emergency services
people go through um you know they they don't have the time on the money to do it as strictly
as we did it i mean it was three weeks intensive course 12 hour days including an overnight course
so you you know you'd even do a one day where you went out overnight and did 12 hours of driving
to make sure you weren't night blind and you could focus and do they don't do it as much now
because it's more staggered throughout your career but i was always the opinion that it was
better to what we called swoop and scoop so there's only two people this is in the days before you
had ambulance officers on the road you had hazard areas response teams i was always in the opinion
that it's better to get the patient to hospital quickly where there's could be 10 15 people
then waste time at the scene which is two of you disappearing up your own proverbial backside to try
and save someone get him in the ambulance get him in there tell the hospital you're coming
and that can make the difference it's that golden hour you want to make sure you get
the record that you did when was that what year was that oh gosh that was uh that would have been
1995 i think 1995 perfect that makes sense to me okay do you think you could have done that
today considering the road traffic situation no and also the all the cameras the speed calming
and all the rest of it no it's it's and the ambulance is now they're not they're not three
tons fiberglass they're five ton air suspension 1.9 litre turbo diesels from Mercedes there's no
longer the v8s there's no longer the v6s they're they're all designed i mean the EU regulations
came in to state that an ambulance had to withstand an impact for a patient properly
plus 45g so you know it's a case of now there's so much weight involved in it
that you wouldn't be able to do that these days you just wow which is why you have helicopters
why you have motorbikes why you have response cars because the targets haven't changed but the
ambulances have let me ask you as a driver as an ambulance driver what do you think of those people
that will move aside for the emergency services to pass and then immediately tuck in behind them
good luck trying to keep up
there's a special place in hell for them right there is there is and you know several occasions
i used to i used to just slow right down to a crawl with blue lights on and embarrass them
you know and just and make them stand at be in the middle of the road doing three four
miles an hour when we knew it wasn't something that was life-threatening we were going to
if it was serious just so i was making an idiot of them but again you know i defied anybody to
keep up with me and i used to take new recruits out when he passed the course and we're still driving
like they were driving to pass the course and so we're actually in the real world this is what
you have to apply to it this is how i tell you what you are like the real-life uh cannonball run
aren't you with the because uh what's he's not well not even Bert Reynolds but what was the name
of the the founder of the cannonball run a hellneader no not hell need him the other guy
was the guy that filmed the he directed the movie he was the stunt driver
but there was a famous motoring journalist whose name will probably come to me in a minute
bro maybe some uh bro he brocates that's it brocates so he actually so the ambulance that
was used in the movie yeah is actually the ambulance that he used to set the record it's
the same it's the same vehicle so he did actually do that that's extraordinary yeah i'm gonna buy
i am well i mean obviously alan you you're well qualified but somebody's asking sebra him
is asking he wants to do the uh the iam road smart uh is it worth him doing it yes very much so
it's it's teaching you the iam road smart more defensive driving whereas the ambulance is defensive
and progressive driving but any driver training you can do only will add to your future understanding
of what you need to be able to do to drive professionally and properly and you'll benefit
from it practice makes perfect i'm not a perfect driver by any stretch but any driver training
will only add benefit to you i think as we get older you know um you just get bad habits so it's
sometimes it's good to go back you know i have to confess i'm i've got slower it's
despite being a motoring journalist you know i mean people people like think you're a motoring
journalist and they and they go can we go out with you can we go out with you i'm like you're
going to be bitterly disappointed you know you know can can you see that there you go that's you
brilliant yeah that's a v8 ambulance that's one of our ldv ambulances but that's me i was going to
say that's not a transit so that had a v8 so which v8 did that have in it uh that's a v8 create
rover v8 yeah wow yeah and it never broke down oh that one broke down a lot
that was a good i mean it was a good engine it was a pretty solid engine but brilliant engine
awful ambulance were you were you into cars when you were when you were a kid yeah well um
shazid said said that uh you know the cannonball run um my uncle was one of the chief mechanics for
newman has indica oh wow i just remember going to visit them in chicago uh because the family was
going to go meet paul newman and carl has for the day and when we walked into the garage um
hawaiian tropic were the principal sponsors for newman has and at the time the cannonball
kuntash was owned by the owner of hawaiian tropic and we walked in and the cannonball run kuntash was
there wow and i saw that car and had no idea what it was never seen a lamborghini but saw the car
couldn't figure out it was in amongst all the all the indian cars but there was the car in front of
me and i was just shocked and then of course i watched the film so and that that started and
it's recently re-emerged that that lamborghini hasn't it it's been it's come back into uh
into the spotlight but i maintain that the opening sequence of that first cannonball run movie
is remains the best opening sequence of any movie ever maybe the italian job opening sequence
runs it a close second yeah but to be honest for me that's one and two yeah did you did you meet paul
newman uh no i didn't i was looking at the cars i was too interested in looking at the cars i mean
how old were you at the time i was six yeah exactly so exactly he's just a little good
but who cares i don't want to see that i want to see this black car um but funnily you talk about
you know that the fact of that car is is iconic through associations with lamborghini club i now
know the owner i'm involved with hageti um on their on their 10 out of 10 bull run uh their monthly
reports i supply them cars and i now have access to their studio shoots and and films of that car
that i only ever dreamed i could ever get to and they say that's amazing you know when when you go
to the states anytime let us know and we'll put you together with the owner i've messaged him and
through we are curated as well it's just it's just a very very strange you know journey from being
six years old to having the guy's mobile number on my phone now going that's just quite a question
well we've got a comment from hooked on classics before i get to the comment um i'm just going to
plug my book here which is this one corn from races because in the book we're talking about cannonball
run yeah and i've written a short story in this book which is called camel ball run and it kind
of it's a reimagining of that famous story anyway hooked on classics is saying i love the Count
Ash i've heard it's terrible to drive absolutely not absolutely it's horrible it was horrible to
drive how long did you drive it for i drove it for about 45 minutes i would buy one i would buy
so all these motoring journalists if you and and you'll know this she's had you you'll you'll
know this so you get a car of that value for what maybe three four hours and you've got to do photos
you've got to do driving impressions you've got a set route you can't learn a Count Ash in three
to four hours you just can't you need months to learn it once you get over that intimidation factor
once you get over the the pedals the setup learn how to heal and tell on it that car is wicked that
is an amazing stunning car to drive you can't learn it in three to four hours or 45 minutes
so you just can't it was it was i mean i couldn't i stored it yeah i didn't answer good about it
i know in the book and it was and i just said it was it was uncomfortable the brakes didn't work
but yeah i would buy one i could shop yeah anytime because it's it's just iconic that that only a
spree yeah but you can't you can't judge uh you can't judge a Count Ash on 45 minutes you just
can't you have to do some miles on it first time i drove a Count Ash was post accident repair on a
1988 car and it intimidated me so much that i managed to do from Bista right the way back
to High Wycombe where our workshops were for the main body shift and beginning uh no i drove it and
there were i picked up a db9 from Gayden that was being tested at the time as a development car
and as a pull off at High Wycombe the development driver pulled beside me
ground down the window and i popped open the door and he went man that was a great burn i had great
fun following it and i went i had no idea you were there i was just hanging on
no it it it is an extraordinary thing i mean i'm just trying to find a picture of uh so my
yeah because that would have been in 90 i drove that in 1990 i think and it had already it had
been restored by the owner because it belonged to some uh sodis who had basically you know
thrashed the car so he had lovingly restored it and um and i and i literally was just starting
out you know i was literally just starting out writing and writing for a newspaper and stuff
like that a friend of mine lived in the place called sodia city in jibda and he told me oh
there's a count hash around here so we sort of we sort of basically stalked this guy and so we
found him you know and we then i said all right for a newspaper and this and that you know could i
do a feature on it he said yeah sure come over x day and i'll take you out for a ride we're like
okay so um so we so we got in the car we went out to the corniche area and my friend jumped into
my car and and we pulled over into a lay by and he had and we had a and i had an old handy cam
sony video camera and i gave him the camera and i said film film us driving off and film us
driving back um as we drove off he filmed us and we went round the road went up the corniche
and the guy then turned to me and i don't know what possessed him he turned to me he said shazad
would you like to have a go i'm like yeah i'm 20 i think i'm 20 or 21 years old you know yeah so i'm
like yeah so i get in this car and i am scared shitless i'd be absolutely honest with you
this is like the most intimidating thing i've ever driven in my life you know
and i got in this car and i drove it and i could only see out of it straight i couldn't
like see i would like is there anything on that side you know and there's a wide open roads and
so there was no issue but one of the traffic lights literally um i think it was a super that
came up alongside of us super from that era and he was revving the engine and we were literally in
second gear because we weren't even using threads we're in second gear and it just floored it and
he just became a doll yeah in the mirror you know disappeared um and then when we came back to the
lay by i pulled into the lay by and you can see i've got to find a footage somewhere because it's
somewhere and you can see my friend he's he's videoing the car coming in and then he realizes
it's me driving and he goes shazad and he put literally puts the camera down so you don't
actually see me but it's such a tragedy that that happened but that car was out it left such
an impression on me i mean at the time it was the wildest craziest most powerful most aggressive
most intimidating and most spectacular thing that i've ever driven it still is and it is but of
course don't forget that at that time that was the was the car there was nothing else that was it
you know and but then i have to say that uh it would have been 15 years 20 years later when i drove
another one friend of mine john herman in uh in the ua e he had he's got a couple of them and a
and um and then we did a feature on his car he was a black one and i took that out and i went
to meet him at a location at the photography location in the desert where we decided to do it
and i went there in a golf gti and one of the things i realized when i drove his car and again
you know after all that experience i was like yeah this is actually not that quick i could run rings
around this in the gti but but but the thing is but that in terms of the drama the theater the
noise yeah the noise the fact that that engine you can it's literally like that engine is behind
you shoving you in the back and there is just nothing to touch it nothing still today the first
first subcontract i ever saw was a princess who was in the 70s and i was on my way to
brand nails on my way to school i think it was it must have been the morning and i've stopped and
this i was walking and then it was outside of cinemas across the news agencies a red princess
pulled up um guy got out walked into cashier i don't know i remember went into the news agency
come back out i'm like as a kid 11 year old or 10 year old looking at i'm just putting my eyes
off of it and i and he drove off and i thought it's gonna be ever since the first supercar special
and i'm wondering about kids and kids these days what did they see they see the tesla ladies tesla
they don't see that kind of stuff or they see everything on instagram understand there's nothing
they didn't see it and they don't hear it yeah well i mean we wanted to i wanted to come back
to your journey to the to the becoming the chairman of the lamborghini club but before
we do that i mean that whole idea that size just touched upon that transition from where you know
i'm playing with this at the moment that's in my hand i'm just fidgeting with that but imagine like
when you were a kid and you saw one of these on the road you just absolutely lose it yeah actually
today if you saw one i'd still lose it but the well what i mean to say is like today if you
walk around london and you see a supercar latest Ferrari latest lamborghini whatever it's really
it's like blah whatever you know and i don't know if they have the same kind of impact and the same
kind of you know awesomeness that it had back i remember like we were at the nc show and i was
telling sai we were on the deta maso stand and i said the first time i saw one of these cars was
in jeddah and my dad was driving in our old honda accord and my dad was not a car guy he wasn't
a keen driver he hated he honestly hated driving he hated cars and i'm sitting there i was a kid and
i'm like go go quicker go quicker i want to see the car and he's like i'm not driving quicker
but that but it was such an incredible thing to see one of those something like that yeah 100%
and they don't you don't get the same you don't you just don't get it because the exposure to them
is so much more now you know that's the thing and at the nc last last week wasn't it was it last week
two weeks ago two weeks ago yeah two weeks ago you had lamborghini stand had five kuntashes four
kuntashes we ended up with a different different yeah it's only a periscope as well yeah yeah
how did that go down with the uh but we've been inundated we've been absolutely inundated with
messages with photographs with stuff being sent to us with new members um it was brilliant i think
we signed up about 2022 new members on on saturday uh that was the busiest day there was 76 000 people
there on saturday and we were just mobbed there were moments where do you think that that was
because you had the four kuntashes or yeah really because because everyone was coming in hearing
that we drip fed that there was going to be a kuntash and of course they turned up on the stand
and there was four of them and we displayed them with the doors open we displayed them in various
you know angles you could see the whole thing and i mean we were just getting people genuinely i think
one one grown man cried because he'd never seen one in in the flesh and his son had and
and his son always had that one-upmanship of seeing a kuntash so i let i let the dad sit
in one and he cried he was just like i can't believe he made my day and i'm seeing four for the first
time and you've let me sit in one and i'm just thinking well you know that's that's that's what
these cars mean to that clean tell do you think sorry sorry if i could just ask do you think an
event at all would have had the same reaction not in a scientist nowhere near nowhere near not in a
slightest event once then i had about 12 event was parked up and i used to be a big fan and put a
source from parked up and i was like okay it's you know a good 12 kuntash is parked up um yeah
you know next year like i said next year you'll get more members if you have a batman
that's what you want to do next year and so again the question regarding you know i was
talking to somebody else about this and the the numbness factor of an n e c show because when
you go to the n e c i mean like if you saw one detama if i saw a detama pantera on this high
road here in kingsbury i would just lose it i'd be like oh my god but you know you go there and i
mean to be fair the panteras were beautiful but you know again on this day like four kuntashes i
didn't really realize that there were four until i was sitting upstairs talking to you and i sort of
pulled the camera up and i was i was going to take a selfie and i was like oh my god there's four
there's four of them you know yeah so it's almost like the n e c kind of numbs you a little bit
doesn't it yeah yeah because there's so many weird and wonderful things from our our childhood our
adolescent on display there that you know and that's we did that on purpose we don't we didn't
we did say to certain people that there was going to be four cars there but we put our vice chairman
silver anniversary in a position where that's the only one you could see when you walk around the
corner and it's only when you suddenly get closer to the trailer that you realize this
another four sets of doors you know up and there's another one and and that was the wow factor i
think at about three o'clock on saturday afternoon our stand was five six deep had just people trying
to get a view oh i was so busy there yeah i remember those sort of scenes when i was trying to get
through the crowd at motor fair at earls court as a child trying to get through the ten deep
crowd to see my first kuntash and there we were recreating that now you're taking me back i'm just
going to tell you the secret to how to solve that but before that i want to give a shout out to
darinah 377 because he says i had my charade gtt ti there gtti there it was great and i did see
your gtti and i did lose it because that is a little legend of a pocket rocket that we hardly
see anymore and i did and i think darin you'll know that i did feature that in my video because i
was just absolutely blown away to see that so it was brilliant so thank you for love bringing that
and coming back to the days of the old motor shows which you've just reminded me about alan so back in
the day i wasn't before i was a journalist i didn't have press passes and i used to just pay to go to
the motor show so if you remember there used to be the vip day so you paid a little bit more
to go on the vip day so i used to live in so the other time and i was back in the uk and i had a
good buddy from here uh veranda petel if he's watching this um he was well built he used to
work out and stuff like that you know and he had a bomber jacket so i said so i so i dressed up in
a suit and i said to him i said right we're going to go in this show i'm going to be i'm going to
pretend to be a saudi shake and you're going to pretend to be my mind and i kid you not we got into
Lamborghini stand the Ferrari stand the lotus stand i got pictures of me sitting in the lotus you
know and uh and and i said i said you one thing you have to tell them though he doesn't want to
be spoken to because i said if somebody starts speaking to me in arabic i'm like my arabic is
very little it's very limited there's somebody i'll be in trouble just tell him he said he's very
private he doesn't want to be there's one spoken to but he wants to come and have a look at the car
it's okay it it bloody worked well it's very good let's try next weekend damn late but yeah that's
give it a go i probably have a little bit more arabic now yeah that's very good come on there
i i i tried that trick once i think it was the launch of the Diablo motor fair in Elles Court
and i had the business card of of a two lovely guys peter Leonard Morgan and uh oh i've forgotten
his name now but i had their business cards and i walked up to the security guard because i couldn't
see them on the stand so i thought i was safe and i showed them the business cards uh del
hopkins that was the other guy and i just said look these guys said if i showed these cards they
you'd let me on the stand and it worked and then i didn't realize there was a there was a
false wall to the stand and as i walked on all these guys walked out and i'm going oh no i'm
rumbled because they're just going to see this idiot 18 year old walking onto the stand and
bless them they actually went oh hi alan we were wondering when you get do you want to sit in the
car and i'm just like oh my god i just pulled that off thank god and uh and now they're dear friends
of mine and he just clearly had a lifelong obsession with lamborghini and particularly lamborghini
right or is it is it lamb and anything and everything is super car wise yeah definitely
and when did you first get to own one i don't own one are you still oh really wow i don't own one
i don't it doesn't need to it gets access to all the cars he's got he's like it's like honestly
it's like me when people say what car do you have i say i'm a motoring journalist i just drive
by the people's cars thank you drive people's cars and let them worry about a maintenance and the
repairs i've been extremely lucky in that uh i was in the right place at the right time to leave
the nhs and become uh the customer service manager for lamborghini in the uk running the
largest workshop in the body shop at the time when there was only hro and in in school road
doing lamborghini from lamborghini london we took over a lot of the servicing in the body shop
and from there we were the first people to import konigs eggs the first people to import
paghanis and you then it just it just starts to snowball so then obviously you start because
you're you're you get factory trained so i was trained at the factory under valentina balboni
and then you get trusted legend um and then you start getting insured by the factory so when you
go to things like milbrook or silverstone for new model launches i'm usually the idiot that
will take you around the track and scare the hell out of you um and then that just starts
developing into getting known for your driving because you're you're you're treating the cars
although you're driving them way beyond what normal people would you're you're mechanically
sympathetic to the car and i've been doing that for 23 years now and i've driven for lamborghini
paghani konigs egg bugatti a scurry um Rolls Royce Bentley these are dealerships i've run
businesses i've run things i've done for the manufacturer uh i've run the largest in the
world because you can't that'd be a conflict of interest was it how did you get how did you
get the driver training that were you were you were you racing when you were younger were you
no no i can't stand racing i'm frightened of going doing track work so i and and i was very very
being once you learn how to manipulate the weight of an ambulance if you apply that to
something that's designed to go quickly you very very quickly know what you're doing it's it stands
out like a sore thumb okay uh to say you know this this isn't just some idiot getting in a car it's
somebody you can actually understand that you've got to set the car up smooth as fast that you're
manipulating the weight um and you surround yourself with people that do that i mean one of
my great mentors was a guy called lee cunningham who is and was the svr one make race series champion
developed the gtr for lamborghini and then the mercilago r gt and set up super trafeo now he
he and i've worked together for a near on 23 years and i you know i'm a good driver he's on a different
level but when you sit beside someone like that daily and you swap over and you take you start to
develop your own skills because you want to improve you want to improve and over 23 years of jumping
into anything and everything from i think the last thing i drove professionally for for when i was
running ferrari was the rimac nevera um you know to test it outside a hat field write down sp3 day
toners la ferrari is anything like that because in 23 years i've never never given a car back
in any less state than i got it in because i've got a family i want to go home have an evening
i'm not going to be a dick on the road but one thing well one thing you said there which
which interests me is as understanding the nuances the balance the weights of a car you know and i
think this is quite crucial and i had a real illustration of this back when to yota launched the
the gt86 i was in uh back in the ua e at the time and they did a big launch thing at yasmerina
so we went down there we could drive the cars and then we also got demo laps with pro drivers
and the idea was that the pro drivers were going to drift them because the whole thing about the
86 was oh it's a drift car and this and that and the yasmerina pro drivers as good as they are
i have to say personally i felt that they were struggling with the car because remember the car
only had 200 horsepower you know it's as a stock car it's only got 200 horsepower so if you are of
the school of thought that you need power to drift you're going to struggle yeah then i said i want
to go out with amador lumberie because i know amador lumberie he was the ua e drift champion
and he had actually learned drifting in japan because he'd gone over they he parents had sent
him to japan to study and instead he started crashing cars into walls and stuff like that because
he got into the whole drift culture there now i got into the car with him and he made it look
effortless and what i realized what he was doing was he was using the weight balance of the car to
he wasn't using the power he was literally balancing the car upsetting it at just the
right point and then getting it to drift and then holding it that way that's it he was not relying
on the power and i thought that's the difference between understanding just raw power and understanding
the nuances of actually delicate balance of a car exactly and the when you when you sat beside
valentino balboni and he's showing you that or someone has qualified as lee cunningham and he's
showing you that and you then start seeing the the the even in a manual left foot braking the
nuances of just keeping the power on but manipulating the weight to where you get to then you can
actually start learning training teaching and finding out exactly how to do that and now fortunately
you know i've got a reputation amongst my friends that my best friend has actually said to me that
i'm so comfortable with it i he actually thinks i was born sideways so you know
so it's you know it but it's it's having that confidence to actually and you learn a lot of
that driving a three and a half ton ambulance through the traffic because you have to manipulate
the weight because it doesn't pick up very quickly there's you've got to keep the momentum going so
you have to understand weight transfer and also to keep a vehicle smooth keep a vehicle smooth it's
going to go fast and when i did that record braking run with five people including my now wife sat
and stood in the back they weren't holding on there wasn't no health and safety they weren't
strapped in sitting down they were walking around to try and help that patient well you're doing
120 130 up the a3 you've got to keep that vehicle flat and solid to do that so that's what you learn
about left foot braking manipulating the weight keeping the vehicle flat and and also the smoothness
because that's that that's an incredible credit to your abilities that you're able to do that with
people actually working to save a life in the back of a vehicle but that also is testimony to your
ability to be smooth which ultimately is a quicker driver the driver that can be smooth the driver
that where the passengers don't feel like they're going fast is actually the quicker driver whereas
if the passengers are unnerved and they feel like they're going quicker is actually not such a great
driver i have to be honest though it's kind of weird because i remember one time i had the absolute
privilege and honor of having to partner ljk set right the great journalist set right on the on a
Mercedes drive event and i the first time i'd ever met him first time i'd ever seen him i was
overboard i was completely i was still young and i was like oh my god yeah and would you like to
partner with ljk set right i said yeah you know so i got in the car and he said oh you you drive
first uh you know and i said okay that's kind of him so we took off down the road now and actually
i was driving like i was back in driving school you know because it's ljk set right sitting next
to me you know yeah and then so we pull over at the halfway point and would you like to take over
yeah oh yes chap i would like to take over then he gets in the car i knew there would be trouble
because he pulled on these string back driving gloves the first thing he did tied them up yeah
and then he teared down that road you know and i've been other gen i've been with other journalists
who are very very good very fast a good friend of mine kevin hagarty who's very very quick
but very smooth and you never you always feel comfortable with him but i have to be honest
i thought i was going to die that day i literally i thought this is it and i survived and i got back
to the office and i said i went out with ljk set right and i thought i was going to die and they
said oh didn't you never heard of his reputation i'm like no and they said well he believes that
when this is time it'll be his time i said yeah but what about my time you're absolutely right
he had a different opinion he had a different opinion and in actually upsetting the balance of
car to understand and manipulate the car through not having balance not having it smooth and i
remember you read a series of articles justifying that approach and i learned a lot from that
but i still maintain i don't have the skill to to to physically sort of manipulate a car just
beyond control i'd rather do it gradually i'd rather do it smoothly so i can feel what it's
doing rather than just chuck it into a corner and hope for the best and then cope with it that's
not my style of driving and it's not what i that's not what i've been paying to do in the time it's
more consistency and time and time again hitting the marks and doing the same thing over and over
again and you've got to be smooth and consistent to that as a question for both of you as both of
you run clubs with supercar owners um there's a general perception that supercar owners are not
well i don't answer sleep so money doesn't buy skill i think that's my answer however
i'm the first non-owning car chairman to run the Lamborghini club i've been doing it seven years
now as the chairman and a lot of our a lot of our members have either sat with me in the in the car
know me or i've sold in the car or they talk to me and they want to find out more and i would say
then we've got the the the rallies that we do the international trips where i'll actually sit with
them and teach them how to get the best out of their cars so i would say a lot of a lot of the
people in the Lamborghini club are very very keen to hone their skills and find out and that's the
refreshing refreshing side of it the people that do laps of Harrods and Knightsbridge aren't necessarily
club members i'd love them to be because they would probably get more people like Psy uh more
out of uh more out of their car than they knows possible but a lot of our members are real enthusiasts
who are very very keen to understand their cars and we do that we see that when we do international
tours because we don't publicize it and we do it in we do it off the you know off the beaten track
we don't go roads that we know roads i've tested on and we'll actually spend a couple of days on
the roads and then i'll teach people how to do that and get them confident in the road
one of the one of the rallies i've i've got a dear friend who's got an se 30 Diablo
he'd only done 400 miles on it and i was asking him to do 6 000 kilometers across hickley on
some of the most stunning roads possible um and he he was just like well what does that look like
so i took him out in the car and showed him what the car could do and by the end of it
he was drifting that car around mountain passes with confidence going i never thought the car
would do it i didn't understand it i didn't understand what you were doing to the car so
having that opportunity to show people and that's what i like about the club people actually want
to engage and learn and find out so there is an element that money doesn't buy skill but there's
also an element that if you join a club you've got that little bit of extra passion and want to
develop your skills so i believe from what i've seen and what i know having been in the club for 35
years that club members are a little bit different and they certainly land beginning club and from
what i've seen from the driver's union as well which we're we're very very proud that we partnership
on a social level um it's slightly different if you're if you're a member of an enthusiast club
like that you know it's interesting that you talk about the road touring and stuff because do you
find that sometimes the vibrato or the ego is greater than the skill for example um we did
used to do meets and stuff in dubai in one time and you know we're there were our favorite roads
that we used to go and drive on up towards the east side of the east coast of the ua so we'll go
up into the mountain roads and we took sometimes we took a couple of guys with us and i got i did it
with my with my friend i was the the sweeper and he was the lead car and i got very alarmed because
i could see one of the drivers clearly over driving like really over driving to the point that i
radioed ahead to to him to shine and i said look to slow it down slow it down because otherwise
he's going to come unstuck you know um so and i never did it again after that because i was
just like i'm not taking on the responsibility of you know somebody overdoing it and then losing it
and then you know ending up in the in the side of a cliff face or something you know so it's it's
a brave thing to do to take people out like that when you're not quite sure if they're going to be
able to understand their own limitations yeah but then also you know every day i start a
driver briefing with the routes and what the expectations are but then i also follow it up
by saying don't don't try and impress us i'm running i'm running the the the rally and and
usually the people that i'm with i know how they can drive so i'll drive at a speed they're comfortable
with and if if you know if if then they say well actually how fast can we take this road what can
we do then i'll demonstrate it to them and very quickly they'll realize it doesn't matter what
you're in you're not going to keep up with me you're just not going to keep up with me and i
recall uh uh well it's the same rally that i i did with the se 30 that was 10 Lamborghinis that i took
to i've shipped them to wickley and drove it back with mel nicles for the recreation of convoy
for car magazine in 1997 and i said to everybody there um because i had a hurricane spider
loaned by the factory and i said don't try and keep up with me and they said oh and it was bravado
because it was you know it was an officially sanctioned event and said and then i said no no
you misunderstand this is how this is how much i'll put you in your place i'm not going to be driving
the hurricane i'm going to give it to mel i'm going to drive the ford transit luggage van
don't try and keep up with me and the only people the only people that actually managed to get to
a hotel before i did was uh dear friends glenn and lucy that run our lambigini trailer in the
mercilago sv and i'm not even going to tell you the speeds they had to try and achieve to actually
get to the hotel before i got this ford transit which was fully loaded up there's a crew cab so
usually had four passengers in it and all the luggage and i was getting to places up mountain
passes faster than anything it doesn't matter what you're trying to do with the car unless you
understand what you're doing with it you're not going to get past me you're not going to beat me
basically if you want allen to win any races give the man a van
hey i was i was known as we gave everyone nicknames we gave everyone nicknames on that rally and i
was known as super van man and i wear that badge with pride i wear that i promised you that it was
even mel was like i could sit and watch you drive that van up the san Bernardino pass all day mate
i could just sit with you i could sit behind you you said i've never seen you like it i don't know
how you were doing it she said we should recreate the italian job intro with allen driving a van
the same music yeah yeah i'll be up for that i'll be up for that smoking smoke in the smoke in the
sink i'm going for a tunnel with the renault glasses on yeah i'm just saying i'm up for that yeah i'm
up for that well you i mean in the super in the driver's union you don't do many drive convoys
normally just do static events and we do drive to do drives less so recently but we used to i mean
allen's very diplomatic me i would say some people should just not have a super car you know
do not even buy one you know it's it's i've seen i mean it's non-members i've seen videos of some
guys doing 150 miles per hour and i'm like why would you want to do that on a public road
and things like convoys for example we do we did convoys so when as i know when you're leading a
convoy you've got various kind of cars they say you might have an event at all and you might have
a Maserati Bora yeah you know or an old Ferrari yeah you're not gonna be able to do 100 miles per
hour all the time so you've got to keep to the limit and when you're driving along you also got to
be careful of the cameras if i if i'm driving and everyone's following me we go for a camera
everybody gets a ticket everybody gets a ticket yeah there's a lot of responsibility so what happens
i'm driving i tell them don't overtake me i'm driving 75 it's about right you know and i say to
people look best thing in the world is to be driving in a convo and i'm by the way surrounded by
super cars and you just think of what the people on the other side are looking at but imagine you're
looking there you've got an event you're looking there you've got a Ferrari look behind you've got
a McLaren it's great but you get you get some members like mention names you just shoot up a
you know XXX miles per hour you're fine you're gonna get there fast i remember once we did an
event on the M4 and we left the services and i was around the middle part and they all shot off
literally so they soon as they came off onto the M4 bang 100 or whatever hopefully the police
won't see this anyway so i was like and i'm not i was speeding but i try to keep up but i couldn't
i just gave up i mean there's a whole lot of guys behind me there was slow driving so we just drove
we cruised around what did they do they didn't follow me they missed the turning didn't they
so we got there at the same time and that's the thing and now i say to him if you've got it so
people always say to me oh sorry you drive really slow yes i have to drive slow because i'm leading
the pack but i never see him on track days you know i've driven a brand's hatch in the pouring
rain in the free for eight which is scary as hell yeah you know you know it's but i'd never
i always find the best remedy to to bring somebody's ego under control is to put them in a
put them with a pro driver on the track because it's the most humbling experience that you can
have you know because you think you're really quick until you sit next to a pro driver and then
you're like oh my god you know and you know it's it's a whole it completely rearranges your way of
thinking i tell people to do something different something different so last year we did some
airfield days at northwild and which is run by andy wash who's an x-ray scar driver and is
and if you want to learn car control you know go see him you spend the day on at northwild airfield
we did three we did three days there over the course of the year um drivers union paid for
we paid for it well i paid for it you know so it's free for the members but everyone got to learn
because you drive the first thing you do is in the morning you're driving down this long
lane and you do a sharp left turn with an imaginary brick wall along with a drain is
you know what most people spin and that's how you learn the limits of your car you keep spinning
until you stop spinning and i used to do it on my free for aid and i and i realized when i did 80
i'd spin 65 to 75 i was a speed sweet spot and i would go around a friend of mine uh he bought
a Ferrari and you know for the first time and he goes i'm a bit nervous and go there take to have
a day with him he spent 400 quid or whatever it was it's confidence rose and that's what we're
going to do because anybody can drive we see four fiestas driving 120 miles per hour anybody can
drive faster straight line you know car control anticipation knowing the limits of your car and
rear-wrenching cars are tricky 360 there is a reason why it's called a 360 because they tend to spin
you know i think guys in the 360 who've spun off a track uh brands had when it was just the warm-up
yeah they've been attracting because it's a very different it has someone said to me it's
got a design flaw which is fixed later on in the challenge and the avocars but it's very
light i thought the design flaw was a driver right yeah drive zone now this drive is always
it's that but it's always tricky i think it's very important i think it's important as you say
you've got to learn you've got to learn your own limitations yeah uh and unless you start
in to push things in the have the safety this is why we're talking about advanced driver training
is so important it gives you the confidence to push but also the knowledge to know that
well that's my limit and i can't control this so i have to take a step back you've just said
the best humbling experience is to go out with a professional driver so you know and i refer to
valentino or lee cunningham you know i can drive but i can't drive at their level and i know that
because i'm like you're going that last little bit it's the mentality of having a professional
driver like lee sat beside you and he you know he he's i've said to him what's that last bit to
get to where you're at he says well i don't have a family i don't have children so i don't care
if i crash him i hurt myself it's me but i know that that's how i'm gonna learn and that's how i'm
gonna and he's just won the european he's sorry he comes second in the european f2 championship
at 52 years old so he's still pushing he's still doing it showing showing the the youngsters that
are coming up through the ranks how to do it at 52 years old because that's the difference between
knowing the limits of the car and understanding where you can and can't do it and then just
thinking you're a good driver well you'll be pleased you'll be pleased to learn that you're
being compared to sir veen schmidt the late great sir veen schmidt by one of the people in the comments
bless sir veen yeah but i appreciate that that's very kind that's very kind i mean to be fair
of most people by super cars to pose anyway really that's true it is to make a noise and to drive
wow talking of talking of which we've got darin who's asking uh the diablo was his
poster car when he was a kid he would love to buy one he's wondering what the prices are like
should he consider buying one well they're going up now diablo's are going up they're the last of
the sort of modern v12 mostly lago and diablo the market's still very soft for them but they're
headed up now so i would suggest and it's why you know so many people are getting their diablo
sorted now a good diablo can be had for around two to three hundred thousand pounds now uh a
decent one now you're talking half a million uh diablo gt one of those sold plus a million dollars
at the latest round of auctions um it just in in autumn so you know you can clearly see where the
market's going that was a very special diablo gt but you can see where the market's going
mercy lago the same mercy lago sv is going to be the first or or rather the second million pound
lamborghini i reckon quite easily uh saw one sold last year at auction that had 500 miles on it for
plus a million dollars so it's it's quite reasonable to think that these cars and they're getting the
recognition they deserve they really are i'll ask you another another question has just come up but
just before i ask you that question when you talk about the diablo and the mercy lago do you consider
either or or both of those to be the last proper lamborghini if you like because we're still under
lamborghini ownership when when i when i started lamborghini it was diablo six liter so i i had to
learn the cars backwards so to speak for the diablo range and i think from 94 95 model year
diablo they really hit a really good sweet spot of what what makes a good lamborghini six liter one
of the best cars ever lamborghini's ever made diablo gt that sort of era of of oudy influence
mercy lago changed the game completely and i was very very lucky to work through with lamborghini
through the pretty much the entire guiardo model range development and all of the mercy lago range
development and i would say if you want the best idea of what a lamborghini should feel like and
what a super car not just a lamborghini but the best super car experience money can buy
so not the fastest not the best handling the one that says that this is a super car and this is
what it should feel like mercy lago sv is just the best experience to drive because it spits flame
it's noisy it's uncouth it'll you'll go backwards out off the road if you don't know what you're doing
but my god that's everything that lamborghini knew thrown into one car as a final i will i will
i will agree with you on that because i was very fortunate to drive one around the autodrome
back in the day just at the end of the life and honestly that it burned the memory of that drive
burned itself and the autodrome is a great track so i do i know that quite well i don't
like the asmarina so much it's terrifying but autodrome is quite good but driving in the
murthilago sv around there oh my god what legendary thing a question for both of you i think uh this
is from hooked on classics where track wise in the uk would be a good place to learn driving skills
to really push yourself northwood airfield because you got no you can't hit anything
basically that's the thing you know you go in a track you can take it to a limit but you
could come up and you could hit the wheel hit the barrier uh brand sach i love brand sach going down
pedicill going to that um the hairpin fantastic scary fantastic but you can hit things and you
got other people on the track at the same time you could hit if you want to learn go to airfield
northwood andy walsh please the man there's nothing you can't hit yeah you would spit all right few
guys went onto the grass did a bit of you know staying the grass a little bit but that's the best
thing just the limit because when you go to the limit you want to because you're going to spin
you want to lose control that's when you learn your limit yeah so i would say i would say an
airfield rather than a track day yeah i would agree i would agree yeah um i don't know if this
is a compliment uh but it's for you si it says si looks like the kind of guy to have a good car
related argument with i can just imagine him saying look mate look i want to argue and i
resent that accusation tell that guy just still like see you later mate i thought i thought you were
gonna say i resemble that comment that's very good i think it's a half the time i say things and i
actually mean so i can confirm that besides a good guy to have an argument with about anything
anything in everything where the park where the park who should go where what events you should
you can come to he's he's exactly he's good about anything about that always approach actually but
so before we end actually you've got to put your mask on now because i know you brought your mask
come on let's let's see it let's put it on well when i get it ready uh allen um so we're talking
about land beginning v12s yes running costs what's it like to own one uh v12 i reckon you should
set aside about 10 000 pounds a year 10 thousand pounds yeah wow that's interesting
yeah because one of the tires breaks servicing major service every other year three and a half
four thousand pounds are you clutch if you don't know what you're doing you're gonna burn it out
quickly less so in the modern stuff with the paddle shift but if it's diablo uh event at all
sorry diablo merciless or cuntash you're gonna need a clutch uh because you know they'll they'll
they'll they'll burn through very quickly unless you're you're mechanically sympathetic and you
know what you're doing generally speaking i would say about 10 000 pounds a year for v12 and you're
what about the v8 the v8s the v8s uh the v8s and the v10s probably around uh again i'd say
six to seven thousand pounds a year you should set aside again tires breaks so are you so are you
saying that's the same for an rdr8 then no because you you pay the lamborghini tax on parts
oh that's the thing then isn't it you have to go to the right person that's always the case so
yeah we've got five minutes so you will so you were running uh major rowing service center
yes a half a few years back yeah a half of which you took me around in very impressive place so um
Ferrari wise they're most reliable Ferrari and the most least reliable Ferrari do you know what
anything since 458 so when you run a big car dealership you you have you have three levels of
income coming in you have the retail customers you have the internal prep and you have your warranty
and normally normally in the dealership sizes that i run and the business i run i'm used to saying
you know 25 30 000 pounds a month in warranty claims to the manufacturer um Ferrari ridiculously
reliable less than 7 000 pounds a month claimed through Ferrari warranty for for faults and for
they are so reliable this is from 458 onwards onwards they are so reliable you have no idea
it was so disappointing not to be able to make more money out for our warranty and that wasn't
because Ferrari were were unwilling or uncooperative they were they were superb Ferrari is a company
when you're running a dealership absolutely brilliant just brilliant one of the best privileges of my
life to to run Ferrari business that size but to to make money out of them in terms of internal
faults the cars don't have the faults it's ridiculous um but having said that you're
starting to get them with the hybrid vehicles and things like that and then also if you're on the
on the on the realms of la Ferrari then you you know you've got to be very careful as an owner
to tick all the boxes in terms of warranty otherwise you're in for some very expensive
upsell bills for the hybrid battery how much is the battery in the left 173 000 euros wow my biggest
upsell ever that i phoned a customer was 235 000 pounds and that was for his la Ferrari hybrid
battery the la Ferrari normal battery that was 10 grand on its own his normal service his predictive
service and his new warranty 235 000 pounds and he paid it on a credit card
good to be rich did he have the word isn't it isn't there shaking it or in his name or something
like that i'm not going to say whose name was but he at the at the only c i was talking to the guy
that had the sx uh lotus s3 i asked him the same question like the annual running cost so he has
two of them actually yeah and he told me 1500 pounds and i was like really he said yeah i've
owned the car for 35 years and he said he said it works out to about 1500 pounds a year it hasn't
really cost me that much so that's a huge margin between you know what you're talking about and
and and this level of super car you can you can maintain now keep it on keep it on we haven't
finished you have to finish with that you have to sign off you can maintain allow me to see your
face anymore the mouse is more interesting and this problem go on Ellen sorry you can maintain
a Lamborghini as cheap as you want but you'll pay for it in the end you'll pay for it in the end
and those the the my clients my friends they know when i tell them that's what it's going to cost you
that's when it's going to cost you and maybe i'm going to get a little discount but that's what
it's going to cost you so i can't take you seriously anybody that's not watching this and
listening to this has got to realize we are completely distracted but i try putting on
these iron man mouse so we'll have we'll leave the final word up to our wannabe iron man batman
and dark lord as we sign off from another episode of brown car guys thanks so much for
watching and i'll hand it over to Si you can sign off please Si as iron man
now you know it's stuck down there it's hard to find my lightsaber there yeah
it's always doing a crossover oh my god i can't believe this is how you guys spend a
Saturday afternoon or really open lid right so in character in character can you please
sign off and say bye to all the lovely people who've been watching us and listening and tolerating
us to this afternoon goodbye brun oh well that was inspiring that was quite an anti-climax quite
frankly hot in it thanks a lot everybody for joining us today and we'll be back again soon
with another episode of brown car guy therapy session my thanks so much to Si and to Alan
for joining us today it's been a really fun session guys thank you so much thank you bye bye
hi guys if you're enjoying this video finding it useful and don't forget to hit that like button
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there's just 17 left now so hurry up with that anyway now back to the video
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