The Classic Car Show - Season 1

Quentin gets the show on the road with a trip to California to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Ford Mustang.

Male supermodel David Gandy and rapper and designer Tinie Tempah navigate London Menʼs Fashion week in a classic car and its modern counterpart - the 1950s Gullwing Mercedes 300 SL and the brand new Mercedes SLS AMG. They ask their celebrity friends at the exclusive GQ party which car radiates the brightest style halo.

Comedian Alex Riley runs the rule over a more affordable classic most memorable for its controversial wedge shape. The Triumph TR7 evokes a love/hate reaction from all who see it and whether you share Alexʼs passion for its elegance or not, you can pick up one of these plucky British sports cars for just five grand.

Intrepid ʻbarn findʼ expert Chris Routledge, who makes it his business to seek out classic cars which have been left languishing and become derelict, unearths a rare and glamorous 60s American land yacht that has been hidden under a hedge for almost three decades.

Jodie falls in love with one of the most beautiful cars ever built, the Ferrari California Spider. This legendary Ferrari is not just heart-stoppingly pretty – its 3.0 litre V12 engine takes it to 60 mph in just seven seconds and on to a top speed of 150 mph. But at £5 million, Jodieʼs fling might never become a long-lasting relationship.

This week, Quentin celebrates a true glam rock 70s icon – the Rolls Royce Corniche convertible. This 17-foot-long, two-and-a-half tonne flying sunbed was a must-have accessory for the super-rich and famous. Bowie, Jagger and McCartney drove them and more recently Lady Gaga bought one – proof that the Corniche is still very rock ʻnʼ roll.

The model that Quentin drives this time was once owned by arms billionaire Adnan Khashoggi. Emblematic of success and excess, the Corniche may have been a symbol of financial clout but, as Quentin explains, it is also the car that actually saved Rolls Royce from going under.

Elsewhere, Will Best explores the new and growing world of car clubs where consumers can now rent a classic instead of buying one. Which rental classic will he choose to cruise the streets of London?

On the hunt for another affordable classic vehicle, Alex Riley plays TV playboy Simon Templar, aka the Saint, in a Jaguar XJS. As the replacement for Jaguarʼs iconic E-Type, the car had big shoes to fill and its 70s styling was not to everyoneʼs taste. This V12 GT can now be snapped up for just £3,000 and could be a good bet for the future for shrewd investors.

Chris Routledge goes looking for more ʻbarn findsʼ and discovers an Amilcar that has not seen the light of day for decades. Despite the years of abandoment, this bespoke 1920s French racing car seems perfectly preserved.

Finally, Jodie goes on the ultimate petrol head pilgrimage to one of the fastest road circuits in the world. In its day, Reims hosted GT, Grand Prix and Motorcycle racing during which its long pit straight saw many slipstream battles between some of the worldʼs top drivers.

Few cars are as globally recognised and celebrated as the E-type Jaguar, and the very first cars to roll off the production line in 1961 have quintupled in value. Quentin, who has owned an E-type for ten years, takes a look at its history. A design classic of 20th-century automotive art, it was once famously described by Enzo Ferrari as "the most beautiful car ever made". Launched in the 1960s, it is now an enduring symbol of that exciting era, and a sleek example of the inextricable link between cars and style.

Crystal Palace is not just one of Londonʼs most beautiful parks, it is also associated with an earlier era of motoring, having once played host to the London Grand Prix. Some of motor racingʼs most famous names competed there, including Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and James Hunt. Although Cadwell Park doubled for Crystal Palace in the film ʻRushʼ, the circuit has now been restored and Will Best – a classic car virgin – is competing in his very first historic race event.

Not all classic car collectors are driven by investment or financial gain, however. Some are interested in the preservation of our motoring heritage. Alex Riley meets such a man who proudly shows him his eclectic collection of all things motorised.

Also hitting the race track this week is Bruno Senna. The Formula 1, Le Mans and Formula E driver is aiming to put a number of classic cars through their paces. First against the clock is the Mercedes 190 E, the car that shot his uncle Ayrton to global fame in 1984.

Quentin looks at the success story that is the Range Rover, before he and Jodie head to Monaco for the Grand Prix Historique weekend. Alex Riley checks out an affordable second-hand Porsche and former Formula 1 star Bruno Senna hits the test track in a 1965 Mustang.

Quentin heads to the French Riviera to drive a silver Ferrari Dino once owned by rock legend Keith Richards, Jodie Kidd heads to Montlhery to relive the rich history of the circuit and the story of a very special lady who raced there in the 1930s and Chris Routledge uncovers the wartime history of the British Morris 8.

Alex Riley takes the trip of a lifetime to watch racing legend and childhood hero Derek Bell race at Le Mans. Jodie and husband David Blakely are invited by Jaguar to compete in the thousand-mile Mille Miglia, and Bruno Senna hits the handling track with a 1963 Lightweight E type.

Jodie straps herself in for heart-stopping ride around downtown LA with an obsessive fan of Porsche 911s, while Quentin hits the cooler side of the city, riding round Hollywood in a 1955 Thunderbird.

Quentin looks at the mark the iconic Mini made on post-war Britain; Bruno Senna relives the glory years when it dominated the rally scene; and Paddy Hopkirk, winner of the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, comes out of retirement to take Jodie for a spin.

Quentin adds the Mercedes SL to his list of all-time greats, before Bruno Senna gets behind the wheel of a 1955 model. Jodie joins Quentin for a trip on America's Pacific Coast Highway in a 1968 Buick Le Sabre and comedian Jennifer Saunders takes a pint-sized Fiat 500 for a pootle.

Quentin Willson and Jodie Kidd present a celebration of classic cars featured in Bond movies, including the Aston Martin DB5, which first appeared in Goldfinger. Alex Riley finds a Triumph Stag on a budget, Bruno Senna drives a race-prepped 1951 Aston Martin DB3, and Jodie proves that there is more to the Lotus Esprit than its on-screen underwater antics.

Quentin welcomes the Ferrari Testarossa into his all-time classic list, fellow model David Gandy takes Jodie for a spin in a good-looking Mercedes 190 SL and Chris Routledge salvages one of the world's rarest cars - an Owen Sedanca.

In this episode, Quentin adds the Jensen Interceptor to his list of all-time classics, Jodie gets her kicks on Route 66 in a 1968 Chevy Camaro and Will Best asks the public to rate the latest Fiat 500 against a more mature model.

Series highlights in which Alex Riley's surprisingly sexy Porsche 928 makes it to the top of the affordable classics list, Ben Collins takes a stunning drive in an Aston Martin DB 2/4 and Jennifer Saunders convinces once more that the Fiat 500 really is the perfect small classic.