Top Gear host James May has revealed his most significant cars of all time ahead of the London Classic Car Show which begins this week. The annual show which will be held at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London's Docklands showcases up to 40 of the most iconic cars of all time.
The event which is being run by the people behind Top Gear Live shows will run for three days and will feature many events and special guests. Along with James May, Saturday Morning Kitchen host James Martin will be showing off his classic car collection which includes Ferrari's and Mini Coopers as well as cooking up a delicious feast for guests.
There will also be a Motor Sport Hall of Fame which will pay tribute to some of the most famous racing drivers of all time including Stirling Moss and Enzo Ferrari. The show will see popular brands such as Citroen, and Maserati celebrate anniversaries, with the Citroen DS celebrating 60 years of production and Maserati celebrating their 100th year anniversary. Also at the show will be a host of breath-taking supercars from luxury brands including Bugatti and Lamborghini.
Not one to shy away from his opinions James May has chosen what he believes are the 13 most influential cars of all time, James hopes his choices will cause a few disagreements and looks forward to the debate. May has split his 13 chosen cars into two groups: the first being what he calls 'The Halls of Obviousness' with the second half dozen found in 'The Chambers of Bloody-mindedness'.
Speaking of his controversial choices James said: "You could probably guess the identity of the six in the Hall of Obviousness without reading another word," said May, "but the other six are less well known. I believe they are just as significant historically but they've simply been forgotten or misunderstood. "But the 13th is certainly the car that looms largest in my motoring life – the biggest inspiration."
The six of what James calls his 'obvious choices' are
1886 Benz Motorwagen
1908 Ford Model T
1938 Volkswagen Beetle
1959 Austin Mini
1964 Ford Mustang
1997 Toyota Prius
James's six Bloody-minded choices are:
1901 Waverley Electric
1906 Cadillac Model K
1933 Standard Superior
1972 Honda Civic
1980 Lada Riva
2009 Bruno ExoMars Rover
And what about James's pick for the 13th most influential car of all time? He says he is keeping this one close to his chest until the event itself. Whatever his choice it will no doubt cause a few debates with fellow classic car enthusiasts.
The London Classic Car Show begins on the 8th January until the 11th January, tickets are available at www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk
