Despite assuming he's not a big fan of classic cars, James May made an exception and added an “old time” model to his collection. The chosen one was, none other than, the Volkswagen Buggy with who participated in a challenge of the program “The Grand Tour”.
Used in the episode where May, Clarkson and Hammond crossed Namibia, this Volkswagen Buggy is a replica of the famous original Meyers Manx. Energizing it is, according to the British presenter, an engine with 101 hp.
As for the decision to buy a classic without being particularly fond of them, May stated: "To be honest I don't like classic cars, but this isn't a classic (...) it's a deeply personal affection that has blossomed."
Best of Buggy? the end of a beetle
Throughout the video in which he presents his classic, James May often makes clear the animosity he has in relation to the model that serves as the basis for the Buggy, the iconic Beetle.
According to the British presenter, there are two things that make the Volkswagen Buggy special. The first is the fact that it is a Buggy and the second is that, for every Buggy produced, there is one less Beetle on the roads, and that, in James May's understanding, is always a positive thing.
But there are more reasons why James May likes the Volkswagen Buggy: one of them is the fact that, according to May, “it's impossible to be unhappy when you're driving one of these models”.
Interestingly, throughout the video, James May also reveals that he doesn't use the Volkswagen Buggy to ride where he was meant to go, the beach. And the justification for this is, as always, very rational: the salt would ruin the car.
In this regard, May said: “Actually, I never take it to the beach (…) have you ever thought about what salt would do to all the chrome? Can you imagine what the salt would do to the exposed rear accelerator links? Take my buggy to the beach? They must be crazy!”.
If you remember, this is not the first time that one of the presenters of “The Grand Tour” decides to buy a car that participated in one of the episodes of this program or the “Top Gear” that they presented before. After all, a few years ago Richard Hammond bought and restored the Opel Kadett, which he affectionately called the “Oliver”, which he rode with in Botswana.