Interview: Tiff Needell
Top Gear was not always as we know it today, in fact the original series of Top Gear ran from 1977 to 2001 before it is was overhauled into the show we now know and love. Only one of the original presenters survived the overhaul, being none other than Jeremy Clarkson. The rest of the cast and crew of “old” Top Gear syndicated across to Channel 5 in the UK and in doing so Fifth Gear was born.
The point of all this? Tiff Needell, a well known British TV personality and (more importantly) racing driver, was a presenter on the original Top Gear show. (As was Vicki Bulter-Henderson)
Nowadays Fifth Gear is often seen as the villain on Top Gear, even mentioned in one episode where Jeremy said Fifth gear burnt down their warehouse.
However the relationship between Tiff and Top Gear continues. He is occasionally seen on Top Gear during the show’s Stigless period (we will for now brush past the bit about Ben Collins being on Fifth Gear) as the emergency Stig and was here in South Africa co-presenting the Top Gear Festival.
It would appear then that Tiff probably has a story to tell: former Formula 1 driver, host of two popular motoring shows and a wicked sense of humour.
As it turns out he does, as you will find out in Tiff Gear, Tiff’s autobiography due to be launched later this year. DriveRSA caught up with Tiff for a chat at this year’s Top Gear Festival to find out a little about the book and his festival experiences.
DriveRSA: “Tiff would you like to tell us a bit about your autobiography?”
Tiff: “Of course that would be great. The book is a wander through my life in racing and television, available at all good book stores soon. (Laughs) The foreword is by Jeremy (Clarkson).”
The book follows Tiffs’ career both in television and racing. Written in a very candid manner, Tiff gives us the inside story about his 25 years working in television and for a period working with Jeremy Clarkson.
Equally interesting are the stories of Tiff’s racing years including escaping unharmed from his legendary 200mph crash at Le Mans.
DriveRSA: “Sounds like it’s going to be an amazing book. What has been your favourite part of the Top Gear Festival?”
Tiff: “Ah, there have been so many, I mean just look at it. (Gestures around Kyalami). But I think seeing David Coulthard following Jody Scheckter around for 4 laps, Scheckter in his Ferrari, Coulthard in his Red Bull racer, that was just magic.”
DriveRSA: “What has been you best experience in SA, past and present?”
Tiff: “South Africa? I don’t want to talk about any girls names here… you know I’ve got a wife back home. Racing a Lamborghini group C car here in 1985. We had the only V12, all the other cars were sort of turbo charged Porsche’s, then I came wailing around the corner, the crowd just went wild.”
DriveRSA: “Any chance of a 5th Gear festival in the future?”
Tiff: “Oh I don’t know…(whispers) we don’t have quite the same budget as these BBC people.”
DriveRSA: “Thanks for the chat today Tiff, good luck with the show.”
Tiff: “All the best guys, thanks.”
Justin Stephenson