If you’ve seen Sunday’s Top Gear (and if you haven’t, it’s on BBC iPlayer right now), you’ll have seen James manage to go completely off-topic once again in his review of the Fisker Karma.
As is the norm, he somehow managed to shoehorn in two British legends while ostensibly taking a serious look at a new type of electric car from America. One was a gorgeous 4.5 litre Bentley ‘Thunder Guts’ from 1924. And the other was the owner of that car, Brian Johnson out of AC/DC.
Geordie Brian is a long time friend of Top Gear, having already completed a lap in the Reasonably Priced Car in series 13, and we’ve also just returned from a trip together to Daytona where Brian competed in the 24 Hours (more on that in next month’s Top Gear Magazine, out 29 Feb).
The man likes his cars. So much so that in his autobiography Rockers and Rollers he talks of little else (well, apart from the rock’n’roll. And the sex. And the historical references to Newcastle and the surrounding areas).
Given all the positive comments around Brian’s appearance on Sunday, we thought you’d also enjoy hearing him read out a few car-based chapters from his book. Unfortunately Rockers and Rollers contains a lot of fruity language and metaphor, almost all of which is not suitable for a family website like TopGear.com, so he could only do these three.
Still, sit back and take in those dulcet Geordie tones with tales of the Johnson family Wolseley, learning to drive in a 1959 Ford Popular, and a trip to Dawsonville, the home of NASCAR…
And if you enjoyed the clips, Rockers and Rollers is available now as an audio book here and at all good online digital retailers
Open Car Bar
What do you think?
steve12 commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Brillant, AC/DC are my secondfavourite band ofall time.
Metallica is my favourite, they are Gearhead as well.
they love their cars, would be good to have them on Top Gear as well.
Brain Johnston is a legend.
will buy the book
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Louis commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 4:20 pm
41/2 litre, not a Blower…
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Louis commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 4:23 pm
41/2 litre, not a Blower in sight.
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Louis commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Oh, and it’s a Wolseley.
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steve12 commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 5:12 pm
James Hedfield lead singer andlyricist for metallica.
wasgiven a 68 Dodge charger, that appeared in their I Disappear video.
not bad day work.
classic muscle car. he also drove a porsche 911 into a tree, and walked away.
Top Gear should become the home foe great rock stars.
give us a break from the sad pop group ypu see on tv.
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RichB commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Brian’s book has actually been out for a couple of years, as a massive AC/DC fan i bought it as soon as it came was released. It’s a fantastic read.. I’d thoroughly recomend it to any petrolhead!
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The-Zonda-is-Legend commented on this article
Tuesday February 21, 2012 at 9:59 pm
WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE CONTEMPORY RAP AND STUFF SO MUCH?!?!?! What’s wrong with synthesisers and chavvy lyrics? Why do you want to listen to a jumble of random notes and some dumb playgroup-dropout singing about how God sucks and Hell is awesome?
Metallica can suck my plums.
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Anonymous commented on this article
Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 2:50 am
maybe a more fitting name for your show could be top gay find some manely men thease three have questional gender issues.
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darik commented on this article
Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 9:11 am
I think Brine is from Rollin Stone ….:D
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Rocker commented on this article
Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 12:30 pm
AC/DC are the greatest rock ‘ n roll band (& otherwise) on the planet. Ever.
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S3zero commented on this article
Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 12:43 pm
@The-Zonda-is-Legend, As this is a car website that is what I shall focus on, everyone hates contemporary rap and stuff because….
the usual car is some hateful useless American piece of tat 4×4 with massive alloys (to make it even more useless) which are chrome (naff) and then coated in bad bodykits more chrome trim, and fitted with a nasty interior.
Also spinners? Really? They are just like the spokey dokies I had on my bike when i was 6…..
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luckyman commented on this article
Friday February 24, 2012 at 5:52 am
errrm . . . best description of a plug-in series hybrid – fisker karma, vauxhall ampera, and (slight possibility) next honda clarity – is that if you have a charging station in your garage and/or at work, plus you like being kind to the envrionment or a cheapskate, plug it in. If not just fill the tank: important to note that environmentally eco-huggers can’t notice the difference. Which is nice.
Plugged-in, the potential for these vehicles is such that they are able to shift global politics due to their indifference to fossil fuels except on long journeys.
Cheers, luckyman
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luckyman commented on this article
Friday February 24, 2012 at 5:58 am
and thank goodness it wasn’t a blower. real taste there
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tiny commented on this article
Friday February 24, 2012 at 2:50 pm
it is a 1928 BENTLEY NOT 1924
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badbusdriver commented on this article
Monday February 27, 2012 at 11:35 am
Lot of anorak comments going on here. Whether or not it has a blower, and whether it is 84 or 88 years old doesnt change the fact that it is a seriously cool car. And as for Brian himself, after seeing him doing the reasonably priced car slot, i was just so impressed. All that fame, all that money, but still absolutely the salt of the earth!. Top bloke!.
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