Jon Culshaw

Jon Culshaw, 40, is one of Britain's best-known impressionists, and his TV credits include Dead Ringers, 2DTV and Alter Ego.

WHAT DO YOU DRIVE?
I've got a few old classic cars, Ford Granadas and Cortinas from the 1970s. What I love about them is that they used to be everywhere and they were people's cars, but now the style of them, especially the Mk 3 Cortina and Mk 1 Granada, has matured. People seem to appreciate them much, much more.

I've got a Consul Granada, a bit like the one in The Sweeney, and quite often you'll have someone roll up beside in you a Bentley and say 'Swap you, mate.'

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
A 1972 Mini. It was my mum's car and she let me borrow it, and I passed my test in it on the second go.

WHAT WAS YOUR BEST/WORST CAR?
I had a 1982 Audi 100 which I was quite fond of, but I think my best car is probably my present 1975 Ford Granada, which was restored by the people who do Pimp My Ride UK. It looks like it's brand new.

I had a 1985 Vauxhall Cavalier, which was very good because I'd had it for many, many years, but by the end it had just conked out completely. I remember driving it along one drizzly Christmas Eve and the engine seized up on the motorway.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR?
The ones that I've got, because they're quite rare and it's been nice to have found a few of them and preserve them. It's a bit like having a donkey sanctuary for old cars.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A GOOD DRIVER?
I'm quite steady and I'm not a petrolhead, so yes, I think I am. Because I live in London, I don't drive that much, but when I do, I think I'm pretty good.

WHAT DO YOU ALWAYS KEEP IN YOUR GLOVEBOX?
In my 1972 Ford Cortina, there's the original owner's manual and a notebook from the previous owner listing everything that had ever been done to it in this really immaculate handwriting. I think that's the reason why the car was in pretty good shape when I got it, because the previous owner was so meticulous.

WHAT DRIVES YOU MAD BEHIND THE WHEEL?
People in cities who have Range Rovers and Land Rovers when they don't need them. Have a 4x4 if you live on a farm or own a horse, but outside of that - leave it. Also number plates that spell people's names too obviously. That's irritating, isn't it?

WHAT'S THE BEST MUSIC TO DRIVE TO?
I channel hop, and I tend to listen to more speech-based radio. Sometimes when I drive from London to Lancashire at night when the roads are quiet, it's nice to listen to all the local stations. I used to be a local DJ and it brings back glorious memories.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CRASH?
I was driving a MG Roadster which I had for a while. I was in the fast lane of the M1 doing about 70 and the front tyre on the driver's side had a blow out, and the car started swerving from side to side.

I thought I was caught in a gust of wind at first, but then it became obvious I was out of control, and I crashed into the central reservation, bounced off it into the middle lane, and ended up in the hard shoulder. I stepped out of the car, and it was on quite a quiet stretch of the M1. It was sunset, and I looked over at a field with a rabbit and a horse in it, and thought 'My God, this is the afterlife.'

WHO WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT PASSENGER?
Ozzy Osbourne. Hearing more of his anecdotes would be better than any talk radio station.

WHAT'S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE IN A CAR?
Once for Dead Ringers we did a Terminator sketch, which meant having to go through a fast-food drive-in wearing a latex Arnold Schwarzenegger muscle suit. That was a bit merry.

WHO CLEANS YOUR CAR, AND HOW OFTEN?
If I drive into a car park and there's a carwash in it, they'll normally do it, probably once every couple of weeks.


View more images of Jon Culshaw on Bing
Hollywood stars & their cars
Reasons TV channels apologise

Join In.
Join MSN Cars on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter