Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

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MisterH
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Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by MisterH » Fri Mar 26, 2021 6:11 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stsUQXCxGsI

Just seen this, credit for being really well researched and going to extra mile to get an interview, really good video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4z8bZF8tF0&t=3s
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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by edie_fox » Fri Mar 26, 2021 7:12 pm

Nice. Good to see all those photos of the cabrio too.

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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by jamescarruthers » Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:55 pm

Very good!

I propose our fixer Sylvia tries to get Steve Harper along to a meet one day! :D
1987 Volvo 480 ES, 507274, 217 - Red (Ness)
2006 Citroen C6 Exclusive 3.0 petrol/LPG
2008 Mini Cooper convertible (Mau)

Previous 480's:
J123 CFU -- ES
J449 MNL -- ES auto
D864 CPV -- ES
L691 JFC -- Turbo
F70 MNR -- ES
H858 FGV -- Turbo auto
E981 KHM -- ES (509849)

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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by jifflemon » Sat Mar 27, 2021 1:57 pm

With John De Vries too? Fight! Fight! :rofl:

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MisterH
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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by MisterH » Sat Mar 27, 2021 3:37 pm

jifflemon wrote:
Sat Mar 27, 2021 1:57 pm
With John De Vries too? Fight! Fight! :rofl:
I did notice JDV wasn't mentioned all that much, the British input to the car was more substantial than I thought, but then if Harper was more involved with the final touching up of JDVs design that would make sense🤔
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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by Jay-Kay-Em » Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:06 pm

Been subb'd to "Big Car" for six months and they are really quite good histories. Only watched the 300 series the other day. I have a fondness of the 300 as it is in the same bloodline... and my Grandad had a few.

Nothing much learnt with all the Gxx cars but I like the comparison with the Ferrari 308 grille below bumper styling. Any comparison with a Ferrari and i'll take that!

I quit my TV licence last year and only watch on-demand services. There is a seismic shift going on right now with the TV Licence and YouTube is getting better and better.

Going to crack a beer and watch the dedicated interview with Harper and the Escort Cosworth.

:cheers:
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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by jifflemon » Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:52 am

Jay-Kay-Em wrote:
Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:06 pm
I quit my TV licence last year and only watch on-demand services. There is a seismic shift going on right now with the TV Licence and YouTube is getting better and better.
Did this nearly 20 years ago! All the decent car stuff is on the tube; in general you’ve not got a production company going “ooo we need a back story” just some honest people wanted to share what they do.

Just like real TV, there’s some dross out there (the ones who start it thinking it’ll make them rich and famous), but the good stuff absolutely kills anything remotely similar in TV land.

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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by MisterH » Sun Mar 28, 2021 11:27 am

jifflemon wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:52 am
Jay-Kay-Em wrote:
Sat Mar 27, 2021 6:06 pm
I quit my TV licence last year and only watch on-demand services. There is a seismic shift going on right now with the TV Licence and YouTube is getting better and better.
Did this nearly 20 years ago! All the decent car stuff is on the tube; in general you’ve not got a production company going “ooo we need a back story” just some honest people wanted to share what they do.

Just like real TV, there’s some dross out there (the ones who start it thinking it’ll make them rich and famous), but the good stuff absolutely kills anything remotely similar in TV land.
Yes I do get fed up with the "Murican-Custom-Aggro-Blitz-RestoBling" style shows that keep getting aired, but I have to say, Car SOS has been a real break from the mould, quality features with a great set of presenters, and a feel good premise - it's not all bad
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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by jifflemon » Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:36 pm

See I’d disagree; it’s all about the “story” and less about the restoration as they feel they have to appeal to ordinary people. Me? I’d love to find out about the various cottage industries they use (usually when Tim is “robbing parts/sticking a “rush job” through).

Go watch project binky - stunning stuff, and true to actual project cars, 4 years on and it’s still not done!

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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by MisterH » Sun Mar 28, 2021 2:25 pm

jifflemon wrote:
Sun Mar 28, 2021 1:36 pm
See I’d disagree; it’s all about the “story” and less about the restoration as they feel they have to appeal to ordinary people. Me? I’d love to find out about the various cottage industries they use (usually when Tim is “robbing parts/sticking a “rush job” through).

Go watch project binky - stunning stuff, and true to actual project cars, 4 years on and it’s still not done!
Yeah, of course there are limitations as to what can be done, even the most die hard enthusiast may find it hard to stomach a show that is pure restoration, but personally I find the balance good with not much time wasting going on (to understand what I mean see Wheeler Dealers Hypermiling film where they did a whole segment on Mike learning to hypermile instead of restoring the car with Edd). SOS has a bit of backstory on the car but the majority of it is workshop issues and cottage industry, and importantly, how it all works and why.

At the end of the day though, while I watch a lot of YouTube, I do prefer to relax on the sofa in front of the TV than I do the PC :bored: :lol:
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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by dragonflyjewels » Sun Mar 28, 2021 4:04 pm

Back to JdeV and Steve Harper, I have seen some of John's drawings done back when he was working on the 480, and whatever input Steve Harper had seems to be quite minimal by comparison. John's drawings show the same elegant sweep of the bonnet line as our cars, whereas I find Steve's drawings more snub-nosed. I do know John was adamant the cars should have colour-coded bumpers with the pin stripe along the rubbing strips carried on around the bumpers. He felt that the side view with the continuous colour and line gave an impression of sleekness and speed, whereas the black bumpers fashionable back then made too much of a full stop at either end of the car. Whether it was Steve Harper or Volvo who changed it to black bumpers after John left I don't know.

I did contact Steve Harper some years ago when he was selling prints of his 480 drawings on ebay and describing himself as 'the original designer of the 480'. Just said I thought the designer was John de Vries, and got a really shirty reply that didn't even mention John so it seems to be a sore point that he didn't do the whole thing. With a cv as impressive as his, I found his attitude quite surprising.
Sylvia

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Re: Big Car video on the 400 series + interview with Steve Harper

Post by brinkie » Mon Mar 29, 2021 6:39 am

The story begins where John de Vries left off, covering the period 1985-1986. I think the creator/presenter of the Big Car videos got a bit carried away with the fact that Steve Harper is amongst one of his viewers. Harper tells in the interview he took on details like the 480's grille and designs for the 480 Cabriolet, and some bits of the 440 interior and 460 exterior. According to his LinkedIn bio, his first stint at Volvo was less than 2 years (returned later in the 00's), until August 1986, then moved on to Germany to become a freelance designer. After all, he was a junior designer, just graduated from Coventry University. But part of the 400 design team none the less! The interview gives very good insights how things worked at Volvo, I loved it.

Here's another interview with Steve Harper: https://brinkie.home.xs4all.nl/volvo/Mo ... series.pdf
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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