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World Sportscar 1986 Review

...a real treat for Group C fans" Autosport

The 1986 World Sportscar Championship was shrouded in controversy, with confusion surrounding the outcome even after the final lap of the season. This exceptional review features incredible action-packed highlights and interviews with the stars to bring you the full story of a turbulent and contentious year.

This review features drama and incident from all nine rounds, from the new format sprint races to the ultimate endurance test at the Le Mans 24 Hours. In-car footage, exceptional camera positions and access to the pitlanes, drivers and team bosses ensure you don't miss any vital moments.

The 1986 field boasted an impressive line up of driving stars, including sportscar legends Derek Bell, Hans Stuck, Jochen Mass and Klaus Ludwig, plus Grand Prix stars past, present and future, such as Derek Warwick, Eddie Cheever, Andrea de Cesaris, Thierry Boutsen and Alessandro Nannini.

The dominant Rothmans Porsche team would face challenges not only from the privateer Porsche teams like Joest, Kremer, Brun and Richard Lloyd Racing, but also works efforts from Jaguar and Lancia, plus the mighty Mercedes-engined Kouros. At the end of a roller coaster season, it seemed the works Porsche team had thrown everything away - but there would be a sting on the tail.

This review includes Jaguar's Silverstone win, the tragedy-hit Le Mans race, the controversial Brands Hatch round, the unbelievable scenes at the Nurburgring, the epic last lap dice at Spa - one of the closest finishes ever - and the contentious season finale in Japan.

"Relive the greatest era of world championship sportscar racing - the 1980s Group C formula - with these individual season-highlights DVDs.

Great racing between factory and privateer Porshe teams, with the occasional interference from Lancia, hallmarked the series' early years, before Jaguar and Sauber-Mercedes took over as the 200mph-plus prototypes of choice.

Ranging from an hour and a half to two hours, these well-edited reviews coverall the on-and off-track action between 1983 and 1989. And the on-board footage and interviews with the stars of the day make each production a real treat for Group C fans" Autosport

Champions Hawthorn and Collins

"Compelling viewing......this truly is a must for the collection of any enthusiast" Autosport

Explore the story of two British racing legends through unique archive race footage and rare interviews with the greats of motorsport.

To his many admirers, Peter Collins was the 'Golden Boy' of 1950s British motor racing. His good looks, friendly charm and supreme ability earned him an army of fans whose admiration only increased when Collins gifted the World Championship to Juan Manuel Fangio in 1956 - the year he joined Ferrari. Tragically, he lost his life at the Nurburgring just two weeks after winning 1958 British Grand Prix.

That year also saw his great friend and Ferrari teammate Mike Hawthorn become Britain's first motor racing World Champion. In Grand Prix cars Hawthorn was exciting to watch, especially when duelling with Fangio, but his ability in sport and saloon cars also helped establish him as one of the all-time greats. Sadly the end of his career was tainted by personal disasters. In 1959, shortly after retiring, Hawthorn died in a road accident.

Now the careers of two diverse, popular charaters are explored. Unique footage from their early races and rare interviews with luminaries such as racing legends Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks, Phil Hill and Roy Salvadori, plus Aston Martin team manager John Wyer and Jaguar's Lofty England create the perfect tribute to two outstanding drivers from a Golden Age of motor racing.

"Originally issued in 1994, but now enhanced for its release on DVD, this offers exactly what the title suggests - an account of the careers of 1958 World Champion Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, the man who could well have held his mantle had he not played the dutiful Ferrari team-mate to Juan Manuel Fangio two years previously."

"The early days are dealt with a tad too briefly, but this is perhaps to be expected as footage from national level hillclimbing was rare back then, let alone now. However, there is still the odd clip of Collins - who then worked part-time at a swimming pool - driving his self-built Purple Peril at Prescott."

"More attention is paid to the pair's ascension to the international scene via single seaters and sportscars, with the archive footage making for some compelling viewing, especially if you happen to be a fan of four-wheel drifting."

"A selection of wonderful anecdotes are brought to life throughout the DVD. They include a tale from John Wyer's wife Tottie of how Collins, desperate for a drive with the Aston Martin sportscar team, used to hide under tables in restaurants, trying to attract attention in the hope of securing an interview with the legendary team boss."

"Further testimonies from the likes of Stirling Moss, Roy Salvadori and 1961 World Champion Phil Hill - footage of which has been mostly retrieved from rarely-seen interviews - further enhance the DVD. Overall, it gives a welcome snapshot into what life as a racing driver was like during the first generation of the Formula 1 World Championship"

"From the mesmerising shots of Hawthorn's Ferrari 246 being stylishly flung around Eau rouge, to the tyre-squealing antics of Aston Martin and Jaguar sportscars being driven to numerous wins at Silverstone, you have to hand it to the makers of this DVD. The exceptional production values go hand-in-hand with ultra-informative narration from Neville Hay - a man who knows his subject better than most, and can still be relied upon to breath both a life and an authority into almost anything."

"This truly is a must for the collection of any enthusiast who wants to learn more about, or simply celebrate, two of F1's first three British golden boys" Autosport

British Rally Championship Review 2008

The 2008 Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship produced a dramatic three-way title battle, as well as all the usual high-speed thrills and spills which make it such an awesome spectacle. The Official Review brings you almost four hours of highlights, with comprehensive coverage of every single round of the '08 BRC season.

From reigning champion Guy Wilk's victory on the opening round to the turbulent title showdown in Wales, our cameras were there to capture every vital moment - and plenty of shocking shunts too! The Official Review brings you all the best footage, including plenty from inside the cars, plus informed commentary and interviews with the stars.

High-speed tarmac, treacherous ice, slippery mud, challenging gravel - the BRC offers drivers some of the most challenging conditions in rallying, guaranteeing fans the most spectacular action.

Manx brothers Mark and David Higgins mounted a season-long assault on the BRC championship, but Wilks overcame reliability issues, crashes and even a car-destroying inferno to keep himself in the hunt right down to the final day. This is the complete, action-packed, story of a dramatic, and controversial British Rally Championship season.

Plus, there's a brief look at the Rally 2, Diesel Cup and BRC Challenge classes, as well as two complete on-board stages courtesy of Mark Higgins and Guy Wilks.

The championship results featured in this review remained provisional when the DVD was made in December 2008, pending the outcome of a Motor Sports Association inquiry.

Race of Champions 2008

Featuring - Schumacher, Loeb, Button, Coulthard, Vettel, Bayliss, Muller, Kristensen, Plato, Ekstrom and more

On Sunday December 14th 2008, London's iconic Wembley Stadium once again played host to The Race of Champions, an awe-inspiring showdown between the greatest names in motorsport. This Official Review lets you experience the action, the drama and the unique atmosphere as the finest drivers in the world battle for the ultimate prize.

The Race of Champions 2008 brought together heroes from Formula One, World Rallying, World and British touring cars, Le Mans, the DTM, World Superbike, NASCAR and more - and what a show they put on! These greats went head-to-head on the purpose-built track in a variety of spectacular, high-powered machines, including Stobart Ford Focus WRC cars, KTM's amazing X-Bow, the RX150 buggy and the brilliant Abarth 500.

Enjoy action-packed highlights from every single heat of both the Nations Cup, as the two-driver teams battle for the pride of their country, and The Race of Champions, when personal pride takes over in the hunt for the title "Champion of Champions".

Plus, Lewis Hamilton - the youngest-ever Formula One World Champion - was on hand to demonstrate his mighty, title-winning McLaren Mercedes race car, and give British Olympic hero Chris Hoy the ride of his life in the road-going McLaren Mercedes SLR.

The Official Review also gives you exclusive behind-the-scenes access, interviews with the stars, a chance to re-live the incredible entertainment from stunt kings including Terry Grant, Chris Pfeiffer and the Red Bull X-Fighters and much more. Bonus features include extended footage of the F1 demonstrations by David Coulthard and Lewis Hamilton, more of Hoy and Hamilton in the SLR and access to the drivers' briefing.

Henri Toivonen his Rally Days

"Superb archive footage" Autosport

"An exciting drift-fest" Octane

Henri Toivonen was, without doubt, one of the fastest, most spectacular and most popular rally drivers of his generation. His tragic death, with co-driver Sergio Cresto, in 1986 was a devastating blow to the sport and Toivonen's many fans.

This action-packed film, created by respected Italian motorsport documentary-maker Belle Epoque Film, is a fitting memorial to the Finn. It is loaded with exceptional footage of Toivonen blasting along special stages, power sliding around hairpins and demonstrating his sublime skill on snow, ice, mud, gravel and high-speed tarmac.

Charting his career from 1977 to '86, it features action from every year and more than 40 events, including classics like the RAC, 1000 Lakes and Monte-Carlo. Although the footage from the early years is brief, it shows Toivonen's development as a driver and emergence as a star of the future, as he graduates from the Chrysler Avenger to the Talbot Sunbeam, on to the Rothmans-backed Opels and Porsche and, finally, to the Martini Lancia team and the magnificent S4, one of the icons of the Group B era.

Toivonen was an exceptional driving talent, taking his first World Rally win at just 24 to become the youngest-ever WRC winner - a remarkable record which would stand for almost 30 years.

This film features 60 minutes of Toivonen at his finest, displaying the skills which created a legend, and includes interviews which show the dedication, determination and humour that made him such a favourite with fans.

The undoubted highlight of this film's soundtrack is the evocative roaring of rally car engines at speed, not least the growling 550bhp of the S4 - the perfect tribute to a giant of the sport.

This title was previously available on VHS.

"Very few legends of world rallying generate as much emotive debate as Henri Toivonen, even 23 years after his death. This film contains superb archive footage of the young Finn - in 1980 the youngest winner of a WRC event - as he thrilled fans in Sunbeam Lotus, Opel and Lancia machinery" Autosport

"Let's Rock! The pounding '80s electro-synth backing music that shows the age of this re-released Italian video would normally be an irritation - but somehow it suits the lurid driving style of the flying Finn, who died on the Tour de Corse in 1986. A sparse British voiceover has been added for the DVD (you can turn it off if you feel it's spoiling the music...), which is an exciting drift-fest that takes in 40 rallies, beginning with early days in a Sunbeam Lotus and ending - tragically - in a Delta S4" Octane

Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally 2008

'Expertly produced (what else would you expect from the masters at Duke?) and features a nice little 'extras' section too' Autosport

'An essential purchase' Motorsport News

In 2008, the annual Colin McRae Forest Stages was organised as a fitting tribute to Britain's 1995 World Rally Champion, featuring five classic Scottish forest stages contested by a veritable who's who from the sport's history, all wishing to honour the late Colin McRae.

Among those joining Colin's dad Jimmy and brother Alister to pay tribute were his former co-drivers Derek Ringer and Nicky Grist. A host of famous names packed the top end of the entry list, including World Champions Bjorn Waldegard, Hannu Mikkola, Louise Aitken-Walker and Ari Vatanen, reunited with Prodrive boss David Richards for the first time since their 1981 world title triumph.

US rally stars John Buffum, Ken Block and the inspirational Travis Pastrana made the long trip across the Atlantic to remember their X-Games team mate. British champions Russell Brookes and Malcolm Wilson were persuaded to dust off their helmets again, whilst inaugral London-Sydney marathon winner and former Mitsubishi Ralliart boss Andrew Cowan would steal the show with his immaculate Hillman Imp. King of the two wheel drive entertainers, both in and out of the car, Phil Collins debuted his recently built Opel Ascona, whilst hard-charging Kris Meeke provided a spectacle for the throngs of spectators drawn to the Perthshire stages.

The legends all competed in two wheel drive cars, with the line-up of machinery including classics such as the MkI and MkII Escort, Porsche 911, Opel Ascona 400, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus and the unique Hillman Imp. Current World Rally Championship talent was also on show in the form of Matthew Wilson, competing in the main field in his WRC Ford Focus.

This Official Review of the event features action from more than 40 miles of some of the best gravel stages in the UK and includes in-car footage of the spectacular crashes of both Jimmy McRae and Kris Meeke.

The best camera positions, plenty of in-car footage alongside the greats, informed commentary from rally star Robbie Head and interviews with all the legends makes this the definitive story of the rally, with plenty of rear-wheel power slides, spins and one or
two crashes!

The Official Review is also packed with bonus features, including a chance to hear from the legends at the Driver's Forum, moving tributes to Colin McRae and awesome in-car footage courtesy of Vatanen, Waldegaard, Pastrana, Brookes, Meeke and Alister McRae.

"This DVD, narrated by McRae's friend Robbie Head is expertly produced (what else would you expect from the masters at Duke?) and features a nice little 'extras' section too, the best bit of which is undoubtedly an on-board view of stage two from the Mk2 Escort of Vatanen, complete with pace notes from his 1981 title-winning co-driver David Richards. Sideways doesn't even begin to do it justice" Autosport

'If you are a rally fan, the best way to enjoy Christmas this year is to purchase a copy of the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally 2008 DVD. It's an essential purchase, not least because the event featured a stunning array of former champions and rally legends in some classic machinery. The extra features really make this a must-see. If you want proof that Kris Meeke deserves a drive at the top level of the sport, check out his commitment on SS2, Errochty. The entire stage as viewed from the cockpit of his Ford Escort Mk2 is included, and it is spellbinding stuff. The DVD is a brilliant souvenir of an event that is unlikely to be replicated' Motorsport News

Best of British Triumph

Best of British Triumph charts the turbulent and rich history of one of the world's best-known motorcycle manufacturers, with examinations of every significant bike that contributed to the Triumph story.

That story takes us back more than 100 years, to the time when a couple of German immigrants settled in Coventry and began manufacturing bicycles. Fitting a motor to one of their bicycles was the obvious step once the internal combustion engine had become established, and so the first Triumph motorcycle puttered its way around the leafy lanes of Warwickshire in 1905.

This video traces the history of the marque from that historic first bike, filmed in the National Motorcycle Museum, to the launch of the 2009 Street Triple R. For a full seven decades, Triumph enjoyed success after success, then disaster struck as the original company collapsed - along with the rest of the British bike industry. However, during those first 70 years Triumph motorcycles had become among the best known with truly iconic models like the Speed Twin, the Tiger 100, the Thunderbird and the Bonneville. Such was the reputation, the Triumph name refused to die.

Enthusiast Les Harris, under license from the brand name owners, kept the legend alive making small batches of Bonneville twins in his little factory in Devon. In the 1980s, salvation arrived in the form of British businessman John Bloor, who combined his capital with the goodwill Triumph still enjoyed, to resurrect the marque. Thanks to good designers, managers and enthusiastic production workers, Triumph is back on the world stage, competing against rivals from Japan, Germany and the USA.

SPECIAL FEATURES
- The Rocket Three - The world's biggest motorcycle, a 'power cruiser' with an engine bigger than most family cars!
- The New Bonneville - An all-new bike with a famous old name, and with Thruxton café racer and Speedmaster versions as well.

Best of British MG

"Good value for such completism" Octane magazine

This is the right up-to-date DVD release of our much-praised video story of one of the best loved brands in British automotive history - as seen on Discovery Channel and acclaimed by critics as 'the most informative film yet made on this famous marque'.

It tells the whole MG story, from a close-up look at 'old Number One' - the first sports car to roll out of Morris Garages in Oxford - to the 2009 version of the TF, now being built at the Longbridge plant.

All significant models in the more than 85 years of MG production are featured, and there's a special segment celebrating the 75th anniversary in 2008 of the famous supercharged K-series racers and record-breakers.

If you love MG - and who doesn't - then you'll love this.

"You get exactly what it says on the DVD case with this Duke production: a step-by-step history of the MG marque, presented in a no-nonsense style...Good value for such completism" Octane magazine

This Time Tomorrow and Target 200

This atmospheric film traces the fascinating story of the awesome Ford GT40 and its domination of the world's greatest endurance race.

In 1966 the American car giant was determined to beat the best Europe had to offer at the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Three teams equipped with eight Mark II GT40s travelled to France with victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe the only goal.

Ford boasted an incredible driver line-up featuring some of the greatest names in motorsport - including Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Chris Amon, Ken Miles and more.

Amazingly, the seven-litre V8 GT40 would not only take victory, but would dominate the race to fill the top three positions, leaving Porsche and Ferrari in the shade.

This wonderful film captures the drama and magic of this classic race, with comments from the drivers and trackside commentary creating a unique and atmospheric record of Ford's important victory.

This DVD also features Target 200, an extraordinary film from the Ford archives. It traces the development of the iconic GT40 from conception to racetrack, with rare footage of Roy Lunn and John Wyer discussing plans for the car and the building of the first prototypes.

Target 200 also features exceptional film of the GT40 - in the hands of Bruce McLaren - in race action at famous circuits like the Nurburgring and undergoing high-speed testing at Goodwood.

Glasgow Through The Ages

Presented by Scottish television's Angus Simpson, Glasgow Through the Ages takes us on a journey through one of the most vibrant and exciting cities in Europe.

From its pre-eminent position as the British Empire's second city and as the self-proclaimed 'workshop of the world', the story of Glasgow has been one of dramatic peaks and troughs.
In the 19th century the city fathers constructed a stunning legacy of grand buildings and bold statements around this already ancient city. They managed this because of the vast wealth generated from the heavy industries along the Clyde. Buildings such as the university and the city chambers reflected a city full of riches with an optimistic future.

It was the 20th century that brought the real drama and challenge for Glasgow and its resilient population. As the British empire contracted, so Glasgow fell on hard times, becoming the 'no mean city' of popular legend where slums such as the Gorbals became a by-word for urban deprivation and whose rebellious workforce on 'Red Clydeside' fought the disintegration of the traditional industries, bringing the city to the edge of chaos in the process.

Astonishingly the city reinvented itself once more. After some hard years Glasgow rediscovered some of its old talents in design and architecture, business and tourism. Charles Rennie Mackintosh's architectural genius was recognised at last and Alexander Thomson's great churches were saved and a new generation of artists like Pete Howson came to the fore, while the past was enshrined in the modern building of the Burrell collection.

'Glasgow's miles better' was the campaign and when, in 1990, the city was made European city of culture, the rest of the world was made to believe it.
The one constant in the life of the city for the past 100 years has been the sporting battle between the 'old firm' of Celtic and Rangers and the passion burns as brightly as it always has done.

Glasgow Through the Ages covers British sport's most enduring and intense rivalry from the beginning of the century to the present day.

This programme brings you the life and times of an extraordinary city through unique insights into people and the places that have seen it survive and endure to eventually thrive and reclaim its place as the second city of Britain.

Tags: Glasgow , history