Welcome to Sunday Matinee, where we highlight classic car reviews or other longer videos I find on YouTube. Kick back and enjoy this blast from the past.


This video clearly comes from a very long time ago, as evidenced by the fact that Jeremy Clarkson does not look like he has yet smoked all the cigarettes in the entire world, and his claims that diesel is unpopular in the United Kingdom.

It may be hard to believe now, as Europe seems to be flooded with nothing but diesel-engined cars, but there apparently was a time when they were facing many of the same hurdles that they face now. Not only were they smoky and smelly, but Clarkson had to put on Dexter-esque plastic gloves in order to fill his tank up, lest he get some of the somehow simultaneously sticky-and-oily diesel on his hands. His main complaint also seems to be that diesel-engined cars are slow, with tiny little engines made for economy rather than speed.


The performance part doesn't seem to be an issue with the cars we're getting on these shores nowadays, like the BMW 335d, but there still seems to be some consumer wariness about diesel cleanliness and noise. Maybe Serial Killer Clarkson can help everyone out?