Top Gear Vietnam Special Bikes Join Museum Exhibition

The National Motor Museum recently purchased two motorcycles featured in the 2008 Top Gear Vietnam Special, when Clarkson, May and Hammond were challenged to travel the entire length of the country in just eight days. The two machines, a 1967 Piaggio Vespa 150cc VBC Super and a 1973 Honda 50cc Chaly, are currently displayed in the museum’s World of Top Gear exhibition.

The three presenters started their adventures in Saigon and they were each given 15 million Vietnamese dong to buy vehicles. Equalling to only £600, the money were not enough to purchase a car. The Top Gear team therefore decided to buy motorcycles: May a 50cc Honda Club, Hammond a Russian-built 125cc Minsk and Clarkson a Piaggio Vespa.

The Honda Chaly is painted in the distinctive Stars ’n Stripes livery of the ‘Captain America’ Harley-Davidson chopper, ridden by Peter Fonda in the iconic 1969 movie, Easy Rider. The bike had also been fitted with an iPod audio system continuously playing Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the USA’.

So far, the Vespa and the Honda Chaley have been on display at the Saigon Scooter Centre in ‘as last used’ unrestored condition. They now form part if the line-up of Top Gear vehicles currently showcased at the National Motor Museum.

Visitors to the exhibition can also experience the Top Gear ‘Enormodrome’ which aims to recreate the feel of the Top Gear studio. They can also watch an exclusive video presentation from behind-the-scenes at the Top Gear HQ with Jeremy, Richard and James, as well as the Cool Wall and Celebrity ‘Lap Time’ boards.