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Touring Car Legends on ITV4 proves huge success

Touring Car Legends, a new three-part documentary series by Gaucho Productions,  debuted on ITV4 HD on Wednesday 5 February and is now available to watch via the ITV Player (UK residents only). It was met with a fantastic reception from fans, with a big impact on social media bringing the history of the BTCC to a whole new audience.

The series tells the inside story of the British Touring Car Championship from the first race on Boxing Day 1957 to the present day. Narrated by Tiff Needell, episode 1 takes us on an evocative journey from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. There are interviews with legendary drivers including Tommy Sopwith, ‘Gentleman’ Jack Sears, Bill McGovern, Steve Neal, Sir John Whitmore, Andy Rouse, Gordon Spice, Steve Soper and Tim Harvey. Other contributors include Bob Dance, who was F1 champion Jim Clark’s mechanic when he claimed the touring car title for Team Lotus in 1964, and Murray Walker OBE who offers his own unique insights. There are also cameos from more recent champions including John Cleland and Matt Neal.

Series director Alistair Weaver says: “The BTCC wasn’t regularly televised until the late 1980s but we’ve trawled the archives to find some amazing footage of the early years. There’s the first championship shoot out between Sopwith and Sears in 1958, some fabulous on-board footage with Frank Gardner at the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro and no shortage of Ford Capri action from the the late ‘70s. My personal highlight, though, has to be Jim Clark in the Lotus Cortina. Watching this, it’s not hard to understand why so many rate him as the greatest driver ever.”

See a fantastic gallery of historic touring car images on the AUTOCAR website here.

The next episode will air at 8pm on Wednesday 12 February.

Watch the trailer for Touring Car Legends:

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