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I have recently driven a selection of 1970s supercars for the new series of BBC Top Gear and they all broke. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage lost a couple of blades from its radiator fan, so one moment I was driving the definitive 1970s muscle car, the next I was at the head of an enormous and embarrassing steamy road-comet.
Things weren't much better in Italy. The cockpit of the Lamborghini Countach filled with raw petrol vapour that interfered with my mind, so in some of the in-car commentary I sound a bit like Bob Dylan. The BMW M1 shed bits of componentry at speed and the Ferrari 512BB wouldn't start at all. And these were bespoke cars endlessly pampered by wealthy enthusiasts.
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