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The raciest classic cars in Jilly Cooper’s Rivals – plus one old banger

Set in the 1980s, the bonkbuster packs an orgy of classic cars that helped define the era

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The hairdos are big and ambitions are even bigger but it’s the automotive exotica that offers a colourful distraction to some of the best scenes in TV blockbuster Rivals. If the naked romps of Rupert Campbell-Black (played by Alex Hassell) raise eyebrows, the steamy drama is well-endowed with plenty of racy cars too – plus one old banger.
Critics haven’t stopped cooing about the new Disney+ series, which portrays David Tennant as TV tycoon Lord Tony Baddingham, locking horns with chat show host Declan O’Hara, played by Poldark star Aidan Turner. The adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel has proved such a success that there is already talk of a second series.
Among the supporting cast is Danny Dyer, playing an Alan Sugar-esque business mogul named Freddie Jones. In one scene, the former EastEnders actor rides a battery-powered Sinclair C5 through London and declares: “You know, I think there might be something in this electric car business!”
The series is set in Gloucestershire during the mid-1980s when the well-heeled, Range Rover-owning “glossy-posse” mixed it with Porsche-driving Sloane Rangers. Add a dash of Hooray Henry and the potential for an eclectic garage of wonderful motors is definitely in the offing. Apart from the Porsche 911s, Ford Capri, TVR, Austin Healey 3000 and other classics, here’s our pick of the best machinery from Rivals.
The bright yellow Elan in the show is more eye-catching than a field of Cotswolds sunflowers. Launched at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1962, Colin Chapman’s lightweight two-seater proved sensational on the road. A combination of fully independent suspension, a twin-cam engine and an innovative steel backbone chassis gave the rear-wheel-drive Elan phenomenal handling. Despite the mediocre fit of the glass-fibre body, the British-built Elan went on to garner iconic status. Ironic, then, that the Rivals example is driven by American powerhouse TV producer Cameron Cook, played by Nafessa Williams.
Years of manufacture: 1962-75
Price when new: £1,317
Value now: £20,000-£50,000
Danny Dyer’s motor is perfect for rough diamond character Freddie Jones – the kind-hearted entrepreneur with more money than taste. A working-class grafter who has climbed the ladder of success, his V12-engined Jag was visually appealing but burdened with reliability issues and staggering fuel consumption. The XJ-S improved over the years and today Malcolm Sayer’s design still looks elegant and beautifully proportioned. However, following in the tyre treads of the E-Type, the luxury grand tourer was never as desirable as its illustrious predecessor.
Years of manufacture: 1975-96
Price when new: £8,900
Value now: £15,000-£30,000
These days, both lords and loafers can afford to purchase the oft-unloved Silver Spirit. However, despite the modest outlay, ongoing running costs can be massive due to rust and poor build quality. A continuation of the Silver Shadow – a more desirable model in every respect – the Silver Spirit shared the same 6.75-litre V8 engine and three-speed automatic gearbox. Later versions are more popular today and feature fuel injection, with a four-speed box. The perfect motor for Lord Tony Baddingham, the extended Spur model offered plenty of legroom for frolicking en route from the office to the wine bar.
Years of manufacture: 1980-97
Price when new: £62,000
Value now: £7,000-£40,000
Lord Tony’s younger brother, Basil “Bas” Baddingham (Luke Pasqualino), is an insatiable playboy who can’t say no; the product of an illicit affair between his mother and an Argentinian polo player. T convertible Stag is perfectly named for Rutshire’s shagger-in-chief.
Still, a great-looking, great-sounding 2+2 sports car, Triumph’s V8 cruiser has fallen in and out of favour over the years and therefore remains an affordable classic. The Italian-designed Stag, like Bas, had a reputation for overheating and occasional lubrication problems.
Years of manufacture: 1970-77
Price when new: £1,996
Value now: £7,000-£40,000
My personal means of transport in the Cotswolds was once a 1958 2CV with a 425cc engine, rather than the 602cc unit of later years. Terrible on uphills, brilliant for crashing up a rough track. The Rivals example is driven by romantic novelist Lizzie Vereker (played by Katherine Parkinson), unloved and underappreciated by her TV host husband. Many thought the same of the 2CV at launch at the Paris Motor Show in 1948 but more than 5.1 million were sold over the next 41 years. A mainstay of the Citroen brand, a new, electrified 2CV is said to be in the making.
Years of manufacture: 1949-90
Price when new: £213
Value now: £4,000-£40,000
A Range Rover is still the “company car” in the Cotswolds (aka Rutshire). They’re two-a-penny on the streets of Chipping Norton and Cirencester – the full-size version rather than the more modest Sport or Evoque. Today, the older Classic is incredibly desirable but was constructed with less rust inhibitor than a baked bean tin. Sadly, few originals survived and those that did have almost certainly been restored at great cost and rarely see a muddy field – a Range Rover’s raison d’etre. In Rivals, a Classic is seen in its natural habitat, at the pheasant shoot.
Years of manufacture: 1970-96
Price when new: £2,000
Value now: £4,000-£125,000
Actor Aidan Turner is best known for riding full-tilt across Cornish cliff-tops as the dashing Poldark. How fitting then that in Rivals his trusty steed is a rusty, mustard yellow Clubman, set off with a side strip of wood-effect plastic that was all the rage at the time. Not even that, nor the addition of wind-open windows rather than the original’s sliding glass, could enhance the appeal of this Mini. A squared-off nose featuring a longer bonnet design didn’t help either. Not surprisingly, few estates survived into the new millennium, ensuring this particular wreck of an estate is, strangely, one of the rarest cars in the drama.
Years of manufacture: 1969-79
Price when new: £783
Value now: £2,000-£14,000
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