The remarkable story of how luxury car maker Jaguar made its first electric car. With exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to Jaguar's state-of-the-art engineering laboratories and top-secret design studios, Going Electric shows what it takes to make a sophisticated new car and provides an intriguing, inside view of one of the world's most iconic companies as it grapples with the future. It reveals a world where technical excellence meets exquisite craftsmanship – where testing is taken to the extremes and the car pushed to the limit. Going Electric was directed by award-winning filmmaker Ben Lawrie and narrated by Hollywood actor Mark Strong.
The Bug is about one of the most recognizable and beloved vehicles on the planet: The Volkswagen Beetle. From its dark past in pre-WWII Germany to the Summer of Love, this car captured the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world. This film explores not only the history of this automotive icon, but also the intense emotional connection it has with its owners past and present... including Ewan McGregor and his experience with his first VW Bug as a sixteen year old.
A mix of Rock and Roll and Blues are the secret for successful rebellion. When I took my camera to the middle of France where the GM&S factory was threatened by a permanent shut down, I felt like something extraordinary was about to take place. And it did. The lyrics were written by workers who have had enough! The tune was composed by people not afraid to go against even the rules of revolt! The volume was loud enough to attract the media. Their working-class concert spread across France like wild fire. I sat out of sight, camera in hand, filming like catching fish in a barrel.
Everything Ford had hoped for - and more, much, much more. Not many cars become legends the moment they roll out of the factory but Ford's Escort RS Cosworth is one of them. Hand-built to take on the emerging Japanese dominance in World Rally, the "Cossie" proved a success on the forecourt as much as on the World's rally stages. But what is the true story behind this memorable car? Was the prototype really a hacked-about Sierra? Was it really driven incognito up and down the A12 This fascinating 1990s film, finally available on DVD, holds all the answers as the men behind the project explain its development… and the men behind the wheel show us what it was made of!
"In Pursuit of Excellence" is the story of the oldest and most well know automobile company in the world. Tracing the extensive history of Mercedes Benz from its first car, the three-wheeler, built before 1900 through the Indy winning race cars of the 1990s. Our cameras take you on a journey to meet the men and machines behind this legendary brand. In Pursuit of Excellence also includes exclusive interviews with senior company management and access to the Mercedes Benz company archives (one of the largest corporate archives in the world). We take you inside "The Hidden Garages" to see what can best be described as the Holy Grail for Mercedes Benz enthusiasts, as well as extensive footage from the Mercedes Benz Classic Car Restoration center in Fellbach, Germany, and material shot at the official Mercedes Benz Museum in Germany.
Aston Martin is a name that has personified high quality, hand-built cars since early in the 20th century. Cars which have proudly carried the British Racing Green to a World Sports Car Championship and victories in major races around the world. Take a look back at one of Aston Martins most iconic models.
It's 24 hours of pure exhilaration, complete exhaustion, and it's not for the faint of heart or the ill-prepared. It is the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. But before you win it, you have to master finishing it. This film chronicles the dedication, the determination and the spirit required to not just survive 3,000 grueling miles, but to be in a position to win one of the greatest races in history.
Former General Motors high-flyer John DeLorean had a plan to build a stylish European sports car, at a price that would make it attractive to the American market. The site he chose for his state-of-the-art factory was on the outskirts of Belfast, a city best-known for sectarian violence and high levels of unemployment. The unexpected marriage of high-tech glamour with the gritty reality of 1970s Northern Ireland captured the public's imagination but this early optimism would end in failure. Although the cars looked great, the windows leaked and the engines seized; as his financial problems mounted the maverick DeLorean faced charges of drugs trafficking. Adrian Dunbar narrates the story.
Go up-river and deep into the jungle far from Brazil's cities and stadiums, where families of giant otters, tufted capuchin monkeys and mischievous coati (South American raccoon cousins) rally their wits to survive in a breathtakingly beautiful yet dangerous land.
One of the few short films shot in the three strip Cinerama process, this promotional film is essentially an ad for Renault’s “new” car, the Dauphine.
Station wagons were America's "workhorses on wheels." Today, they conjure images of outdated family photos, over-sized hairdos and unfashionable wooden siding. In 2011, Volvo - the leading premium wagon manufacturer - will discontinue the sale of its last wagon model in the United States. There are some, however, who still cling to these vehicles and what they stand for in American culture. Wagonmasters, a full-length documentary film, offers glimpses into the lives of such wagon enthusiasts, and tells the story of the station wagon as it represents a changing America over the last one hundred years.
The journey of a small team attempting to set a world altitude driving record on Chile’s Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano on Earth, with a specially modified Porsche 911 named Edith.
An environmental account of Henry Ford’s Amazon experience decades after its failure. The story addressed by the film begins in 1927, when the Ford Motor Company attempted to establish rubber plantations on the Tapajós River, a primary tributary of the Amazon. This film addresses the recent transition from failed rubber to successful soybean cultivation for export, and its implication for land usage.
Top Gear's Steve Berry presides over the case of whether bikes are good - and if they are, which ones are the best. He looks at Yamahas, Harleys, Nortons and even Pizza Delivery Bikes before he passes judgement. Evidence comes in the form of clips of bikes from all over the world, and plenty of stunts.
Jeremy Clarkson and Tiff Needell showcase and review a number of high-performance cars including the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220, Lamborghini Diablo, Ferrari 456, and Aston Martin Vantage.