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8/10/2019 Transmission BBC Top Gear Top Gear in Argentina_ What Really Happened - BBC Top Gear

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10/11/2014 Transmission BBC Top Gear Top Gear in Argentina: what really happened - BBC Top Gear

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A message for viewers from Top Gear boss Andy Wilman on the whole number

plate escapade

If you follow Top Gear in any way, shape or form, you wont have missed the hoo-hah

thats kicked off following our recent filming in Patagonia. Thats probably the mostboring opening sentence Ive ever written for a blog, but this week isnt the time for

mirth and levity.

Weve been accused by just about all of the press of setting out on that shoot knowing

full well one of our cars was sporting a number plate that makes a nudge-nudge

reference to the Falklands War: H982 FKL to be precise.

As a consequence, therefore, we got the stoning that we deserved when we were

chased out of Ushuaia, a city where bitter feelings about the Falklands War run strong

and deep.

As it happens, we didnt put that number plate on deliberately Jeremy has said so in

print, James has said so on the radio, and Richard will be saying so on the radio again

next week. Sadly I doubt their words will make one iota of difference to the

newspapers, because our guilt is a lot more newsworthy than our innocence. In truth,

though, the four of us and the rest of the team are much more concerned about what

our audience believes.

Ive read quite a few comments from viewers who are equally convinced we put the

plate on deliberately, and I can understand that. We are, after all, a show known for

getting into hot water through our antics, and now were protesting our innocence over

this affair, were seen as merely crying wolf. I can also empathise with people who

believe its exactly the sort of stunt wed pull cheeky number plate, wind up the

locals, no harm done.

Top Gear in Argentina: what really happenedPosted byAndy Wilman6:58 pm on Friday October 10, 2014

Transmission BBC Top Gear Top Gear in Argentina: what really happened
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The truth is, however, this is most definitely not the sort of stunt wed pull. For starters

we would not base a joke around soldiers in conflict. Anybody who knows Top Gear

knows how much work the presenters and the show does for Help For Heroes, and in

our eyes soldiers are soldiers whatever the uniform.

Secondly, we set out on that trip to shoot a two-hour Christmas Special. Its the most

important film we make all year, and we would not plan such a crucial undertaking

based on a number plate joke. Because, if you think about it for a moment, thats

precisely what we would have had to do.

We would have had to gather the whole team and say: Sod what the cars are for this

trip, just find one thats registered with a number plate containing 982 and FKL. The

plate was a genuine plate, remember, not one we made up.

So our researchers would have got on the phone to the DVLA, asked them if such a

car existed, and then when the DVLA came back and said, There is, actually, on a

Porsche 928, wed have then asked for the details of the owner.

At this point the DVLA would have refused, because that would be a contravention of

the Data Protection Act (and they dont pass on requests the other way to specific

owners). So lets say we persevere and obtain, probably illegally, the details of the

owner of that car.

Then what? Then we would have to knock on his door and try and persuade him to

sell us his car. And all this because were desperate to find a number plate with joke

numbers and letters on it. Its just nonsense beyond belief.

So lets say we did know what cars we wanted for this shoot V8 sports cars, as it

happens. We would then be saying to the research team: Make sure the Porsche has

a number plate with that combination of numbers and letters.

Right. Do you know how many Porsche 928GTs there were for sale when we were

looking? Two or three, tops. The odds of one having the number plate we wanted are

millions to one. The plate was genuine, remember, not one we had made up.

I explained all this to a chap from one of the national newspapers and he came backwith a good question. OK, he said, if it wasnt deliberate, why didnt you spot it and

do something about it before you left the UK?

Fair point, given were a car show. The fact is though, we didnt. There were a core

team of around four people in the office working on putting together the Special, and

their priorities were getting the cars bought, mechanically checked for time-bombs and

shipped to Argentina, with all the paperwork that endeavour requires.

On top of this they were booking crews and sorting hotels, fixers, camping, filming

permits, crew travel, carnets, risk assessments, filming cars, props, mechanical back-

up, the lot. Not only did they not have time to scrutinise number plates, but the eldest

of the team was around six when the Falklands War broke out, so its not going to

resonate even if they did see the plates.

As for me and the presenters, the older mob, were swamped with our own work too

and likewise not looking at plates.

The truth is the first time we realised the plate could be a problem was on the third

night of our shoot in Argentina (19 September, I believe), when Jeremy was scrolling

through Twitter and spotted a comment on one of the auto fan sites, next to a photo of

the plate. I remember his surprise and concern.

There are other witnesses to this fact. In fact, one of them a mechanic we were

using for the first time has written to the Telegraph Letters page stating he saw


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Jeremys reaction and that it could have been nothing but genuine. (Weirdly, although

hes chased them, the Telegraph has so far not bothered to print his letter.)

Knowing this could be a problem, our office spoke to the local authorities in Ushuaia,

the town where the war issue was most sensitive, and where we would end our trip in

ten days time with a massive game of car football. We agreed with those authorities

that the plates would be removed before we entered the town, and it was at this point

notbefore we left London that we decided to get the BE11 END plates made for

Jeremys car for the football match in the town.

Before we entered Ushuaia we duly removed the H982 FKL plates from the Porsche.

For a day or two, the plate on the back said H1 VAE (the plate left there, underneath

H982 FKL, from when one owner had privately registered the car). An advance party

of our guys had been in there for a few days already, prepping the football game with

no problem whatsoever. The local ski resort was looking forward to us filming there

too.

There was nothing in the air to suggest trouble was brewing until the Argentinian

veterans arrived and kicked off. We apologised that the existence of the plates earlier

on would have caused offence. We explained they were now gone, and that they had

not been a deliberate act. They didnt believe us, told us to leave town or face the

consequences, we did that very thing and drove into a night of violent terror.

That is how it all happened, and I would welcome the most rigorous investigation in

the land to scrutinise our conduct in this affair. I probably wont convince Damon

Albarn, because he was happy to make his thoughts known before he heard our side

of the story. But if I can get our point across to any one viewer, Ill be content.

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