Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 11:59:09 +0100 (MET)
From: Russell Maddock
Subject: Imps on telly
I was watching Nickelodeon on the Australian Foxtel TV network last night. In the evenings, this channel plays old TV shows from the sixties and seventies. While I was watching, they ran an advertisement for an old British series called "Man in a Suitcase". This channel often pokes fun at the old shows they run. In this advertisement they had Australian comedian Bob Downe singing a jingle to the accompaniment of scenes from the show.
I almost fell out of my chair when he started singing about how the man in the suitcase drives a Hillman Imp! Sure enough, there was some footage of him driving a pale green Chamois Sport (better tell Bob he doesn't know his Imp variants).
I don't remember seeing this show before, but it is a bit before my time. I must try to catch it.
Russ Maddock
http://www.petrie.starway.net.au/~sunbeam
Sunbeam Imp Sport
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 17:59:22 +0100 (MET)
From: Donnelly Anne
Subject: Imps on TV
I managed to see the BBC 2 programme that Franka told us was to be shown on Friday.
The programme featured a guy with his (brand new, £21,000) MGF alongside a white Imp. The owner of the Imp was Dave Lane from Yeovil who has (if I was paying attention) another two Imps and a Husky. Dave's wife was also in the car with him.
The program was intended to investigate why men become obsessed with cars. It consisted of much of the usual sexist nonsense and some anti-car people had their say.
The guy with the MG seemed a bit of an idiot - he deliberately dresses to match the colour of the car and his wife hates the car.
Dave and his wife were pretty down-to-earth about the whole thing and appeared (naturally) enthusiastic about their Imps.
There was one solitary woman in the audience who stood up and said that cars weren't just a male thing and that women liked them too. Good for her!
In all the programme was pretty superficial (it reminded me why I don't have a television) and was one of those audience participation things which I think originated in America.
We didn't see enough of the Imp, but at least it did get featured on the show and I'm sure it was a thrill for Dave to have his car featured. And at least it was more interesting than the guy who's had 62 Volvos in the last ten years.
Anne
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 17:56:50 -0500 (EST)
From: Gary Henderson
Subject: Re: Imps on TV
And I thought that Volvos were supposed to be durable...
GaryH
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 06:57:04 +0100 (MET)
From: Murray Mitchell
Subject: Imps on TV
Talking of Imps on TV. If you see the Spice Girls video of 'Stop', and don't blink, you will be rewarded by the fleeting glimpse of a red Imp.
Happy viewing,
Murray
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 09:48:28 +0100 (MET)
To: imps@coollist.com
From: Russell Maddock
Subject: Re: Imps on telly
I caught up with "Man in a Suitcase" this week. It seems to be a sort of a cut price version of "The Saint". Sure enough the hero drove a Hillman Imp, a nice shiny red one with spotlights and lots of positive camber (strange though that I saw a green Chamois in the advertisement, maybe he has a different Imp in each episode!)
He used the Imp in a chase scene with the nasty types in the obligatory Mk II Jaguar. The Imp quickly caught the Jag and then ran the Jag off the road.
Ouch. Later on I think I saw an Imp coupe amongst the background scenery.
Maybe Rootes had a deal with the producers.
So what was the show like? Well, it was, umm, really rather bad actually. Imps or no Imps I'm not sure I could stand to sit through another episode!
Russ Maddock
http://www.petrie.starway.net.au/~sunbeam
Sunbeam Imp Sport
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 17:13:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Nickcleak
Subject: Re: Imps on TV
> And I thought that Volvos were supposed to be durable...
The ARE !! i should know having been a volvo technician for the last 26 years !
Perhaps that guy collects them !!
Nick ...
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 14:16:37 +0100 (MET)
From: PIETER.POSTHUMA@nlrtm.ponl.com
Subject: Imps Volvo's and accessories.
Nick,
As you know I subscribe to that. Volvo's are durable and reliable (but so are Imps if maintained properly). At present my Volvo collection is bigger (by 1 car) than my Imp collection. The score is 3 to 2. But that is mainly due to the difficulties in finding cheap 'Special' Imps in Holland. Years in which my cars where built: 1967 (Volvo), 1968 (Imp and Volvo), 1969 (Volvo) and 1970 (Imp).
Has anybody ever seen the accesories advertised during the Imp production. The Cosmic Kick-Plates for on the door, the Latch for keeping the rearwindow open a little or the Mamba Rally seat covers with extra padding ?
Pieter
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 11:08:10 +0100 (MET)
From: Donnelly Anne
Subject: RE: Imps on TV
> Perhaps that guy collects them !!
I think people give them to him. He showed loads of photos of the Volvos he's had - with occasionally the children standing in front of one pretending that it was a holiday snap. ;-)
Anne
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 22:58:02 +0100 (MET)
From: Nickcleak
Subject: Re: Imps on TV
> I think people give them to him.
What you said Ann rings a bell with me , i have seen it in a classic Magazine somewhere !
nick ...
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 23:06:01 -0500 (EST)
From: Gary Henderson
Subject: Re: Imps on TV
Hi Nick & Co
I was just kidding...I know that Volvos are constructed somewhat after the manner of little clay-masonry outbuildings... And the 240Turbo was outright winner of the first Wellington street-race a few years back. (Beat the Aussie V8s & all the Japs.)
Unfortunately, I saw an Imp on TV on Monday night. It was in a 'news' clip from UK, about some unfeeling soul who uses a kind of mangonel to hurl unfortunate old cars about 30 m into the air. They then proceeded to show him doing just that to a reasonably-intact Imp!
I don't think that such a fate should even happen to a Trabi, much less such an icon! Perhaps the guy should try piloting his next one...
Cheers (sob)
GaryH
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 16:52:35 -0500 (EST)
From: Nickcleak
Subject: Re: Imps on TV
> And the 240Turbo was outright
> winner of the first Wellington street-race a few years back. (Beat the
> Aussie V8s & all the Japs.)
The 240T won the European Touring Car Championship outright in 1986 blasted past the Tom Walkinshaw Rover Sd1's and V12 Jags . I have a video of the 1986 Bathurst 1000 too where it did similar things !
It had almost 4000bhp from a basicly standard engine with high boost pressure and water injection ... They handle like a big Ford Escort Mk 1 ...
The Volvo 343 won the European Rallycross championship in 1980 too .
They really are not doddery old things , they do go well with the right driver !
much the same as Imps can !
nick ..
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1998 11:07:51 -0500 (EST)
From: Donnelly Anne
Subject: RE: Imps on TV
But there are a few cars I wouldn't mind him hurling about:
Ford Ka
Ford Scorpio
Reliant Robin...
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 04:02:30 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Nickcleak
Subject: Re: Imps on TV
Mini
Lotus Europa with Renault Gearbox !
Mini Marcos
McCoy ( Clan with Mini Engine in Front )