Top Gear (1978)

Season 20: Episode 1

William Woollard presents the first of the autumn series from the Paris Motor Show. Long one of the most prestigious venues for the world’s motor manufacturers to show off their latest products, it benefits greatly from France having a very strong domestic car industry. Tom Boswell, a new recruit to the team, reflects on the constantly changing fortunes of that country’s two mighty domestic producers — Peugeot Citroen and Renault. Chris Goffey road tests the most important new model at the show — the Renault 19 and, on its 40th birthday, Beki Adam looks back at that most typical of French cars — the Citroen 2CV. Plus a look at some of the problems that motorists have to contend with in France.