Oliver the Opel has been restored at Richard Hammond's workshop!

Watch Richard Hammond's Workshop in the UK: bit.ly/Richard-Hammond-YT-H5
Did you know that Oliver has been the wrong colour for the past decade or so? After a slightly rushed restoration back in the day, Richard handed Oliver over to the Smallest Cog to get it back to 'Africa spec', and in this video Mike goes for a walkaround with Neil Greenhouse to see how Oliver is doing.
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[@Drivetribe]

Watch Richard Hammond's Workshop in the UK: bit.ly/Richard-Hammond-YT-H5

[@ModelA]

Leave Oliver as original as possible. All the "modifications" will ruin the charm of Oliver. If you want the car to accelerate and stop like a modern.. let's say... Mazda, then go buy a Mazda.

[@tengu190]

Does it have the spare that he took off to save weight?

[@Soapy555]

....think i'll binge watch them using the 7 day free trial

[@newsfromnowhere420]

when is this going to be available in the US?

[@sexylexiesdad1]

Oliver is perfect the way he is!! Touch nothing!!

[@muhammadzamirazman]

Oliver should be the pristine unmodded car that everyone can recall. Please keep it original. Oliver is an icon as famous as the trio.

[@cupidstunt22]

Yes

[@ionitaconstantin1052]

Best to keep it original, if he relly wants a rally oliver just get another one and do that in whatever. Defenetly keep this one original

[@chiefbeef9905]

I think an engine swap would be fine, since it really doesn't affect how it looks from the outside. It's still the same from the outside, but it's just more driveable

[@ericburns5359]

I totally agree. Oliver shouldn't be messed with street mod upgrades. Return Oliver to his proper original glory. That is the Oliver all of us Fans of Top Gear/The Grand Tour love.

[@Stan_the_Belgian]

@@chiefbeef9905 takes away the character though, you will also need to improve breaking, suspension, ...

[@nomusician4737]

Oliver isn't a national treasure, it is an international treasure. It would be sacrilegious to do anything more than a careful restauration like the paint job.

[@appletiser_gaming4013]

Wisest comment on KZbin

[@xToddmcx]

I think some safety upgrades like better brakes and a slightly more powerful (but still period) engine are ok. But overall it's Oliver, it's famous for being light and tough and simple and running circles around the bigger "better" cars in the Botswana special. Making it a rally car or drag racer or retromod are all cool upgrades for an Opel, but if done to this car it wouldn't be Oliver anymore. But that's just my opinion, at the end of the day it's Richards car and his decision.

[@MilesPrower69420]

them puttinng steelies on all 4 corners was the worst mod imo, the alloys gave it so much personality

[@junkyardhemi]

Thumbs up from the US!!!👍👍👍

[@the.Aruarian]

Or how about a 2JZ swap???

[@billdeanscoutermoose9430]

Oliver looks fantastic! Simply doing a disc brake conversion would be enough, though stiffening the suspension and maybe a rebuild of the engine (or careful upgrade) would be lovely. Make it a reliable and safe daily while keeping outward appearances reasonably stock would be the dream.

[@Jo_Wardy]

I think overhauling the drum brakes with the highest grade drum brakes would be the best. Give it rally springs as that's not gonna affect it. Probably tune the original motor and carby. Get the best results out of a original motor without modifying it much. Oliver is Oliver the way he is. Removing his engine and changing it is just gonna change him. He won't be the same little car anymore.

[@samrodian919]

@@Jo_Wardy I definitely do not agree. Drum brakes fade so badly when used even moderately heavily and no amount of "quality" drum brake will make it safe if there is to be an engine swap with a more powerful unit.

[@Jo_Wardy]

@@samrodian919 I say keep it original maybe discs on front drums on back. But keep the motor original just make it like it was original get everything on it back to perfect working order keeping as much original as they can. Oliver won't be the same if he isn't the little Kadett he was from factory motor swapping is like changing his personality or forcing him to be something we know he shouldn't.

[@Milnoc]

@@Jo_Wardy Exactly. Install discs on the front only. The rear drums will be fine, or you can upgrade those too, but they don't need to be discs.

[@PhrasedReaction]

I'm happy to see Oliver is so far unmodified and remains a survivor, as that's why Richard originally obtained it in Botswana. I wouldn't mind them upgrading the brakes for safety and perhaps rebuild the engine to regain some of the lost original power, otherwise it would be a shame to see them chop up a well-known and beloved named car. :)

[@ChadWilson]

This. Disc brakes for the safety factor. And the engine rebuild would still preserve the car.

[@df36367]

@@ChadWilson exactly what I would do. might fiddle with the suspension so it would be that much safer

[@ricardoseoane1980]

Oliver is an international treasure, please dont butcher the poor fellow. EDIT: Knowing Hammond still drives it, i would upgrade the brakes... just to be safe.

[@vinciere3594]

Maybe a roll cage. Just in case. With Hammond, you never know.

[@jblyon2]

@@vinciere3594 If anyone can roll a 40 horsepower car it's Hammond!

[@ricardoseoane1980]

@@jblyon2 Please don't say it like that: Hammond may take it as a personal challenge.

[@xToddmcx]

@@jblyon2 That's how much horsepower a reliant robin has...

[@Goaricon1]

A little more breaking power is needed.

[@sambarker7930]

Keep him as he is! As discussed in this video, a quick little Opel Kadett A would be a cool thing, but that isn’t any Opel Kadett A, that’s Oliver. The same Oliver who was found in Africa, and one of the first car to cross the Makadikadi. That was drowned in a crocodile infested river, but somehow brought back to life. Some smaller scale stuff is great, but to engine swap I think would be taking away from the car

[@MilesPrower69420]

its modded, he scrapped the original alloy wheels oliver had making it now indistinguishable from any other stock yellow opel

[@ooglefluffg857]

@@MilesPrower69420 Oliver was on steel wheels at the start of the episode. They swapped out just the rears with fatter alloys when they crossed the Makadikgadi but the steelies are original.

[@GrayNeko]

Hear, hear! Let Oliver be Oliver!

[@michaelramsey82]

I'd say, if he wants to do a rally build, get a second one and name it Olivia.

[@MichaelLear]

you called it

[@kishascape]

Seriously don't ruin oliver. and also do a full actual restore to it's pristine brake working conditions.

[@Billy-The-Goat]

so Richards friend Oliver has a girlfriend named Olivia.

[@Bethieieio]

foreshadowing

[@SgtStevePH]

Foreshadowing

[@cameronward8445]

Protect Oliver!! He’s perfect as he is!!

[@sarac2609]

Oliver is perfect as he is - please don't change him!

[@j.michaelfinn3987]

Oliver should never, never, never be modded. He is iconic because he is an underpowered lightweight little car that Richard fell in love with while on one the trio’s great adventures. In no other trip did any of them make such a connections with their car.

[@coreyjudd4676]

Jezza came close in Argentina..

[@scottg3192]

But surely seeing olvier get a makeover and become a lot more fun and actually use it for stuff is better than leaving it as is? It is just a car.

[@KyleKartan87]

Exactly! Maaaaybe some better breaks to make him safer to drive, but nothing what would change his core charakter.

[@mildly_miffed_man1414]

@@scottg3192 “it is just a car.” No.

[@siNicSiew]

It's heartwarming to know they used the fancy spectral analyzer to get an accurate reading and reproduction of Oliver's true colors. Love what they've done!

[@itsnevo8757]

Keep it original, Richard can buy another one and mod that one all he wants. That was what made Oliver so amazing in the episode, the fact that he was stock and didn’t need any alterations to keep up with the Lancia and Mercedes.

[@Kuli24000]

exactly this.

[@AdrijusGuscia]

I’d say leave Oliver unmolested! Better breaks and small updates but nothing that changes that national treasure it truly is!

[@stephenwardle9268]

BRAKES!!!

[@elcasho]

@@stephenwardle9268 I think Adrijus wanted break BEATS!

[@Mikebumpful]

National treasure? I guess that makes sense. Most of Britain's «national treasures» are stolen from other continents 😉

[@Mrspaceman1999]

It is a national treasure indeed don't you dare make Oliver into anything more than he is right now. He is perfect and only needs to be kept in this condition.

[@shannono8397]

Love seeing Oliver, what a gem of a car. When she rolled off the assembly line, something magical was in her role from the start! Absolutely honored to see the care for her all these years :) That paint is goregous!

[@IO-zz2xy]

My grandfather bought one brand new AND exactly the same colour. Hiwever he decided it was too small and traded it back to the dealer and got the "Caravan" version (as the called them here in South Africa) but in the light grey. Was used untill it collapsed in a rusty pile by my dad into late 80's. The only this that were changed in all those years were spark plugs, fan belt, a water pump and flexable break lines. It never ever broke down. Phenominal.

[@rogper]

I'm from Portugal and even here Oliver is considered a treasure, please keep it as original as possible :)

[@Riley_Mundt]

I'd say the only things Oliver needs are a couple of quality of life improvements, and some simple tweaks: -Service the brakes, or replace them if necessary so that it is safer to drive. -A quick rebuild of the engine to regain any lost power. -Maybe a small supercharger so that hills are less of an issue. -Fix the original radio so that modern Pioneer unit can come out. -Find any missing trim pieces and install them. Just doing that would put the car right and make it more representative of the love people (especially Richard) have for it.

[@garchompy_1561]

I think you could avoid forced induction with just fixing the rest of the car, or tuning the way NA cars should be tuned. the car is light enough that even with 40hp it should be fine. maybe a gearing change could fix that too.

[@Riley_Mundt]

@@garchompy_1561 That's why I said maybe. After a rebuild there could be enough of an improvement that it isn't necessary, and you have to tune an engine after rebuilding anyhow so that's why I didn't bring it up.

[@Elwaves2925]

You forgot the most important thing - not letting Mike anywere near Oliver ever again. I like the guy but he's far too eager to ruin a national treasure, even if it may only be a pretense for this channel. 😁

[@genericsomething]

Sway bars would be a huge improvement. Keep the rest of the suspension soft.

[@CW-yp9jo]

Pioneer radios are nasty

[@JC-kj1kx]

I do like the idea of buying a sister car of Oliver and then doing the resto mod concept. It's hard imagining Oliver as anything other than the pokey car it is

[@Antonio88870]

Oliver is an icon, Keep it as stock as it can be!

[@ekahab]

It can only be original once, Hamster. Oliver has become famous for what he is, and deserves to stay that way.

[@bobalmendinger4930]

Don't mess with it, plenty of Opels and Vauxhalls out there. He's correct it's a national treasure at this point.

[@drundub73]

Loving those wheels with the hubcaps. Leave him as he is. Oliver is a legend.

[@jameskvo]

The best part of this video happened on the drive between Hammond's house and the garage. Sadly no-one bothered to film it.

[@kwigybo6992]

Agreed It was probably the only sunny day all year too

[@ricochet243]

Do not mess with that car!! Oliver’s a national treasure.

[@hiteshadhikari]

International*

[@MilesPrower69420]

the dude did that put on the steelies, he scrapped olivers wheels

[@hiteshadhikari]

@@MilesPrower69420 those wheels were not original

[@MilesPrower69420]

@@hiteshadhikari the original wheels when oliver was new are somewhere in botswana, but oliver had alloys in the back.

[@garethreece]

Passed Oliver and the Hellcat out near Fownhope the other week. From a lorry cab, with the Dodge in convoy, Oliver looked absolutely tiny 😅 A usable and sympathetic restomod would be cool but, as Mr G rightfully said, it's such an original and well known little car, it would be a shame to play with it too much.

[@eddierools]

Definitely think keeping Oliver aesthetically pristine and un-modified, but going for the Vauxhall engine and gearbox swap with disk breaks and better suspension would be the way to go! Doing it in just a way where it's easily reversible to stock. That way, it's still essentially the Opel we've come to know and love from over the years, but it's better for motorway speeds and it's safer to drive.

[@oldanslo]

@@HuskyGamersUNITE Obviously you haven't driven an early '60s economy car with drum brakes lately.

[@mercator79]

Iam so happy to see the comments saying leave Oliver alone. He's a wee beauty and should stay that way forever :D

[@automotiveaffairsshorts]

Oliver is a national treasure, and if anyone messes with its originality should be prosecuted

[@TheRich1981]

I think leaving Oliver alone and enjoying him is the best course, keep his charm. Build a mini for a small rally inspired car instead, can find parts easily and they have the rally pedigree.

[@rjweb2]

I would definitely keep it original.

[@eugenenalpin6058]

I am _still_ baffled to this day that Oliver started back up after going for a swim *only* after a night of work, frankly astonishing

[@donkeyboner6792]

Don’t change any of it! It is a national treasure as you said. Get another one and change that if you want.

[@AsherLogan129]

There’s a reason he’s nicknamed "The Happiest Car in the World" because seeing him can bring a smile to anyone’s face.😊💛

[@Chris_In_Texas]

Please get it released in the USA! We want to watch it as well. 🤠👍

[@stickygreendragon4961]

This may be unpopular, but I think Richard and Oliver deserve a chance at future glory. I'm all for Oliver mods, and I'd love to see a modded Oliver put Clarkson and May in their place in a future episode of The Grand Tour.

[@milesmansfield]

I have been waiting so long for Oliver to be back in custard yellow with steel wheels! I’m so happy

[@fredmahar5431]

It's a great little car....dosen't need to be anything more than the beautiful little classic that it is....and what a fantastic story it has !!!!

[@johanbrand8601]

I wish I can find a Kadett like this. So adorable and my grandfather had one back in the day. Unfortunately totaled in an accident way back then.

[@sailingspark9748]

when my parents were station in Rota Spain in the late 60s, my Father bought an Opel Kadett Rallye. Not the paint and tape special we got here in the US, but the actual rally homologation special that they needed to build to get the numbers up to officially race the car. He brought it to the states in 1970 and sold it in 1980 before the values went through the roof. I hope it still exists somewhere.

[@adityasanthanam1945]

Please keep Oliver original. It is what makes Oliver so special.

[@MLJFireDragon747]

Keep the little feller original, if Richard wants to do a rally car he could probably find an old one of those maybe in like a scrapyard (he doesn’t need a working engine if he’s already gunna put a new engine in it), and go from there, Oliver is a piece of history and he should stay as he was in Botswana.

[@ghostinng274]

I love this little car. So happy it's been restored.

[@SasquatchMelee]

Glad to see the old lady's still around!

[@golotusmk2]

For me, Oliver needs to stay original. Great to see him at the NEC last week

[@jacobrumens9601]

Oliver is a national treasure. I was so pleased to see him at the NEC Classic Car Show, even if he does look a bit different 😊

[@frozenbits48]

I had the exact same car, brand new, my first year in college. Same body, but it was a 1966 model, left hand drive. Bought it at a Buick dealership, and my payments were- - - 36 u.s. dollars a month!! A college student working part time could afford that. Loved it, but it needed a bigger battery as the generator did not put out enough power if you had the lights, wipers, and heater fan on all at the same time. Loved the car, sold it to a lady in my aunt's church group that needed a reliable vehicle.

[@daniellimach5787]

keep it original, its the only top gear challenge car left to this day that's still with us and and in working order

[@adriaanserrao2016]

I am soo happy. There is a very big chance Oliver was actually my grandmother's first car. She bought it new and drove it in Namibia Gauteng and the western Cape. She sadly passed last year but the Botswana special always had a special place in her heart as she could see the car being used.

[@pjccwest]

Great bit of history there, a personal connection. I offer my condolences. All the best, Philip.

[@adriaanserrao2016]

@@pjccwest thank you. I've always been so scared that they would destroy Oliver. But it seems that he had survived

[@reruedamotor7514]

Is a fantastic job! Congrats for it!!!

[@Dan_Kornfeld]

For Oliver, there are only "do you love it, or love it more" attitudes (nothing even close to "love it, or hate it). Don't change a thing, it's originality is what makes Oliver so special. That being said, a small front disc brake conversion, (and a tasteful engine upgrade) wouldn't go amiss. Richard does have a small history of not being able to stop certain cars😜👍!

[@seanweirdbeard]

Neil knows best... Not everything has to be a weapon!

[@JHJeong07]

wisdom

[@davidwoodward05]

We all want Oliver to stay original. THEN, get another Opel and totally rally mod it, with videos at the "Biggest" Cog, and then do funny videos comparing their performance and characteristics. Aloha from Hawaii!

[@mikefemenella9680]

Hands off Oliver! Find a junk one and modify the heck out of it.

[@beccabubblez6047]

Echoing many comments on here, please keep Oliver original. He's a special little car, nothing should be changed, just restored. 💜

[@fudokazuki9949]

if it was mine, i would not do anything to it other than work on it to keep its original heritage. its Richards car, so i will look forward to what his plans are on it, in the end oliver will always be who he was when i first saw him in that program.

[@darrenbrown1560]

Spot on lad. So many young Lads want to make something sporty and take a old car away from what it should be. People hopefully soon will realise the prestine joy you get from keeping a classic car, a classic car.

[@Selash84]

Oliver needs to remain as close to "Standard!' (as James May would say) as possible! I swear if he gets all pimped out and ruined, I will be apocalyptically cross!

[@SvetlanaBorisovanews]

Thank you very much!

[@ic3po317]

Leave Oliver has he is! Keep him as original as possible! We love him as he is!

[@H_chapman17]

Great video, I think you should either leave it as it is or leave it as it is

[@marioc87]

I think leaving it as it is, is the better of the two choices. That’s just me though. 🤣🤣

[@simonthomas5367]

Leave Oliver exactly as he is. He's a gem and should be allowed to age gracefully.

[@cuscoothriyas5163]

He's already aged once

[@tomjones2537]

I prefer the other wheels, the mags, but apart from that I absolutely love it, so glad Richard kept it. He's a great fella. Just an ordinary guy like one of us.

[@SeoJun-Sara97]

That is the happiest car on earth ❤

[@martinevans5802]

Original, original, original. If Richard wants to go fast he has plenty of other choices. And wasn't it Richard who was reluctant to modify Oliver in Botswana...?

[@richardschleenvoigt4374]

It is strange how much all of us love Oliver

[@Mitharan23]

Hammond's love of him spreads to the fans. I laughed during TGT episode when Clarkson asked how many cars they truly loved. Hammond didn't miss a beat "Well I still have Oliver". I had to go back and make my wife watch the Botswana special to understand and appreciate him.

[@sebastianwurtz5294]

Oliver´s perfect as he is,. Just keep maintaining him, guys.

[@Carlos.G]

Agree with Neil, it belongs to the public and should remain exactly as it is including the missing trim ❤

[@stefanholmgren-pettersson7610]

👍

[@sotkajarvi]

We all love Oliver! Even Jezza and Captain Slow does, they don't want to admit to it!

[@andycarron4549]

Saw Oliver at the NEC last week. Great to see him back on his wheels

[@jacobrumens9601]

I did as well!!! 😊

[@bzilla1090]

I saw another one in Johannesburg. There are quite a few still kicking about in South Africa.

[@aumetalmental8403]

I'm in the US, and that is our version of the Chevy Nova. So of course, my mind says a 283 V-8 and a 4spd manual with a posi-trac differential would be super sweet. ✌️😎

[@snbala]

I am glad Richard brought it back home with him, it’s a car that would probably have dissolved somewhere after a while, at least here it had a chance to be re done and enjoyed. Oliver is always going to be memorable for car enthusiasts as will be the old Top Gear.

[@sambarker7930]

Yeah, you look at the Lancia and the Merc from that special, both have ended up as wrecks

[@EATPANT420]

Don't mess with Oliver, keep him original as possible.

[@OVRIGO]

Oliver is brilliant because of his capabilities as is!!

[@thepoorpeopleofparis]

MX-5 for sure. I have an '06 and LOVE it!

[@ecopennylife]

It's a National Treasure ... keep it original & just maintain the existing bits 🤗

[@AniFAE_Productions]

If your planning a engine swap for Oliver, keep it Vauxhall/Opel. Get a nice C20XE red top with a nice set of ITB's.

[@tonymercer265]

Yip.

[@ek8710]

This

[@diewaldo]

This ist how it should be done!

[@PaG1989]

This

[@shutterflyboy85]

My Yellow and White tabby cat is Oliver for obvious reasons. I like the idea of a minimum retro fit and keeping the original stuff for possible future plans to return it to the original, rare version. Richard needs a B510 for a rally car, they were everywhere!

[@pasifsc]

My first car in 1982 was -67 "Oliver" Opel Kadett. I rode it for a year. It was red with white roof.

[@RaceDayReplay]

Oliver is Oliver, stop trying to mess with him, Mike lol

[@djarum00]

I think the most important thing to do would be improve the brakes.

[@gazza9463]

Most definitely and that's all.

[@tonypuccio154]

Wow Oliver is back 👍👍👍🇬🇧

[@williamgreer4087]

I think it should get some period style modifications like a bigger carb, exhaust & cam, maybe some mild suspension upgrades. Subtle mods to make it a bit more usable and fun to drive.

[@louisjones2653]

Oliver is the happiest little car in the world. Keep him that way!

[@auvomesilampi6325]

He doesn’t need a heart transplant

[@wwooww63]

best I've seen Oliver in years, Oliver is our snapshot into the past, I have watched that episode 100 times, and still i find a smile even seeing Oliver again in this vid has me setting up to watch again heritage list it

[@ajdenzer3039]

It's not just a national treasure, it's a world heritage treasure.

[@bartdegryse9345]

right now, i'm watching the whole special from botswana with oliver x).

[@dynodave9287]

Messing with Oliver wouldn't be right It would be like fitting longer legs to Richard making him 6ft tall. Yes he could run faster for what. Somethings are better off left alone. Nice to see Oliver at the NEC Classic car show and little Richard 😀

[@vincef7487]

O L I V A H H H H H H H‼️

[@archabe]

Aaaaaw Hammonds true love. Classic on the outside and retro rally engine IMO.

[@sardav160479]

Love this little car

[@gekolizzard]

Just a point here…it’s not originally from Botswana. The registration number which was on the car when Richard bought it in Botswana means Oliver originally came from Gauteng, which is in South Africa. Thank you

[@JonManProductions]

Did you want to try and sell me on a vacation package now, Captain Obvious?

[@BrinToo]

Historically it was still Transvaal

[@gekolizzard]

@@BrinToo sorry no. The number ended with the letters GP.

[@gekolizzard]

@@JonManProductions to SA? No I wouldn’t want to spend a holiday in SA.

[@JonManProductions]

@@gekolizzard Fair Enough.

[@ivaylomy]

Don't you dare mod Oliver! He's an international treasure. Small things like updating the brakes is acceptable though.

[@dannyzuko9967]

I had one of these. Fun little car.

[@stiimuli]

I think going "sleeper" is a bridge to far for this legendary little guy but a bit more power and more reliable breaks might be practical. Changing the suspension might change its personality too much but we certainly don't want it rolling over (though I'm sure he could take it).

[@captainbreeze719]

I love seeing Oliver being cared for and shown some love, but I think it should maintain the alloy wheels that it had in the show. It is part of who he is as the character.

[@franmcgowan4068]

It only had alloy rears...

[@captainbreeze719]

@franmcgowan4068 you are correct! I did forget that. I just liked the look of it, and it was for the larger tires, which gave it that aggressive stance. Made it different.

[@ChrisKitVeedubber]

Was great to see Oliver at Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at NEC

[@catjudo1]

I might fit Oliver with disk brakes, at least in the front. Keep the existing parts so it can be swapped back if desired in the future. My uncle put four wheel disks on his 65 Riviera as he enjoys driving it a few times a week as the original setup was becoming scary in American traffic. But I think I would keep everything else original, or as original as possible. There just can't be many Kadetts left, much less ones that make for neat drivers.

[@Jeagles]

Oliver looks amazing! I would leave him as he is now but obviously it’s not my car.