I wonder if John thought on that first episode he would be doing this 34 years later! I grew up with this show and John and Pat! 1981 and the cars still had real bumpers! Thank you so much Motorweek for one of the best shows ever!!
I remember as well. It aired on Saturdays on PBS when I first saw it. At one point, it also aired on syndication and another time it aired on the Speed Channel. I have been watching ever since and I am 51 years old now.
I wish I got to show this episode to my dad. He passed away a few months ago, but he would always record Motorweek on the DVR to watch with me when I came over. Turns out your show debuted on his birthday and almost right when I was born. A fitting end to a long night of working in the garage with Motorweek Retro playing in the background. I'll have to look at his DVR to see what new episodes it has recorded for me to watch.
It is never to late to say sorry for your loss 🙏 I know what your mean cause if you missed an episode of this show you missed it!! I've been watching it since the pilot I was 11 in 1978 and it's been apart of me and my dad's car show until his passing in 2020 🙏
Not really. No car my patents ever bought in the 1960's, 70's or 80's (or ever) was anything but automatic. In the 1973 they bought a Chevy Chevette, which is just about as basic as you could get. Still had automatic transmission.
@@sushicourier funny that my dad was the opposite. He always preferred a manual transmission, like the 67 Impala wagon we had with a 3 speed manual column shifter. We also had a 74 Pinto and two 81 diesel Chevettes, all with manual transmissions. The outlier was a 69 Impala coupe with a 3 speed automatic (and air conditioning, which made it popular with the rest of the family).
Wow! The original concept was so different" John Davis hadn't yet developed his signature "Well, hello and welcome to Motorweek! We're glad to have you with us!", In fact, everyone was kind of timid in this video and the format and comments were all a bit too serious. This is an unexpected gem, the very first episode! I watched my first Motorweek episode a couple of years later, as a little kid. It's heartwarming to realize that the TV car show that I grew up watching was also growing up. Thank you Motorweek and John Davis!
Nice quality veiwing. Nice that a show last for nearly 29 minutes without the obnoxious amount of commercials for products I will never buy in my life anyway. Thanks for posting.
Please, Motorweek, keep these throwback Thursdays coming. This is before my time, but it's nostalgic in every respect. Looking for the mid 90's, when I was just entering my teenage years and began to appreciate automobiles. However, it's a history lesson in auto-history.
1czelaya One of the few public TV shows that was syndicated on commercial TV for a few years, it was reedited for that format. They found out their demographics for Men 18-34 was second only to pro wrestling.
I remember those billboard ads that showed a Ford Escort with a car cover with various flags printed on it. The tag line went something along the line of a world car is coming. How time flies, I was a senior in high school back then and it didn't seem that long ago till I saw this video with that antiquated Escort, thanks a lot MW, lol. P.S. I didn't know it back then, but I've been watching MW from the very beginning. I'm glad we are both still around.
I also grew up with this being my favorite t.v. show. It's the only show I got excited about watching as a kid. I mean literally thrilled. To see a television show dedicated to automobiles showed me that there were others who shares my interest, and was the first way I could try out every car, even before I could drive! Thanks for the memories, and may it continue to entertain, educate, and inspire more people, as it has done for me. Oh, and would you please post more whole episodes? I'm sure there are thousands of people like me who would greatly appreciate it 😉
When I was a freshman in high school in 1984-85, my Mom paid a nearby senior (who had his own car) to drive me to school - she had to leave for work early and couldn’t drive me. When his car (a late-‘70s Camaro) was in the shop, his parents would let him drive their car - a 1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible that looked *exactly* like the one in this video! So much fun cruising with the top down in that thing!! I look back on those K-cars today and laugh at how awful they are compared to modern cars - but back then they were damn near revolutionary, and they absolutely saved Chrysler from the automotive scrap-heap of history. Good memories!
1) Holy shit, the Ford Escort was the top selling car in America! 2) What is a window crank handle...? 3) Be careful not to snag your clothes on the ashtray! 4) 31 city 47 highway, beats the new focus by 15% 5) Wow, Goss' Garage has been around since the beginning! I didn't realize that. 6) Look at those oil cans, when did they start using bottles? 7) Where do I go to pick up a STD 4 piece set of luggage like that? 8) Look at that hot new Chrysler LeBaron with quad lights! 9) I need one of those palm operated ratchets. Did you get it off Amazon? I can't find it. BTW, I was born 2 months before this episode aired
1) It grabbed the spot from the Chevy Chevette! 2) Raises and lowers the window. Doesn't require the ignition to be on, and for that reason power windows are a lateral move at best (how did they ever catch on!) 3) Uncle Bob used to say it was time for a new car when the ashtrays were full. 4) The old EPA ratings were highly optimistic and have been adjusted downward twice. The post-2008 ones are too low if anything. 5) Of course! All the best mechanics have been around forever! 6) Over the course of the '80s, Mobil 1 first, then the other major brands and finally the cheap stuff. 7) 1981. Or barring that, Craigslist.
Another thing to keep in mind with MPG is that the cars of today weigh more than their direct descendants did. Safety being the #1 weight gainer with comfort coming second. We also have engines that produce considerably more HP and TQ and get pretty close to that number.
1) the Escort was also the best selling car in Europe (same name, but different car). the Toyota Camary is the current best selling car. the ford f-series is the best selling vehicle. 2) easier to fix or rig in a pinch too. less prone to failure. 3) nowadays you'll be lucky to even get an ashtray in a new car and you have to pay extra if you get one. for big ashtrays, check out the ashtray in a 92 S10 Blazer. its big enough to fit a carton of smoked cigs in it. (I had one). 4) EPA rating were a bit less accurate back then. plus cars have gotten heavier (due to safety regulations, emissions equipment, and expected conviences like sat/nav, power seats ect, of today), but they have more powerful and more efficient engines as well. an accident that would kill you in that old escort, in a focus you'd be walking away from. 5) people are older then what they seem sometimes. 6) my dad had the older one (78 I believe) and my aunt had a beautiful black convertible that her ex husband burn to the ground. 8) ebay, craigslist or if you got big money the higher end luggage companies still sell 3 piece luggage, fitted of course you whatever supre/hyper car you own. 8) if you look hard enough you can still find oil in a can. I know Wolf's Head oil can be had yet in a can. 9) just one of those tools that seemed like a good idea, but never caught on. (kinda of like the old RoboGrip pliers from years back)
Wow! I first saw Motorweek around 1983, still watching in 2019! Several of the cars I ended up buying thru the years were featured on the show and I still own like my SVO Mustang, Alfa GTV-6, Alfa Milano and Saab 9-3.
Wow this seems like a lifetime ago. I accidentally found Motorweek on its second episode and have followed since. Thanks for the memories and great road tests.
Good to see these old episodes, I remember back in the very early 80's before cable TV was popular/accessible in areas and Motorweek was on channel 13 (PBS Connecticut) and it was one of the only car shows on TV back in the good old days! I hope you guys keep releasing these old episodes on youtube. Good stuff.
Wow, a serious trip down memory lane! It's amazing how so much has changed over the years. And I learned something a little new with the article about rebates. What I found really amazing is the insight John had back in those days with gas mileage, performance numbers, etc. Keep up the good work.
Cool, highlighting the notorious "Honda-rust" and the hopeless introduction of the Fiat Strada (Ritmo in Europe). My grandad used to have his own motorshow here in Belgium in 1982-"Drive safely and economic ". We didn't have American tv back then, otherwise we would've been hooked to Motorweek. I guess you tube makes up for it. Thank you! 😚
Thanks for posting. I remember Motor Week of the 1980s, when I was still a boy. I enjoyed the show, because I wanted to know about the latest in cars. The problem was that it was on during times I couldn't watch TV, like late at night while I was asleep, or during the day when I was in school. Now that TH-cam is here, you have the ability to post these vintage shows one can watch at their leisure. :)
Thanks, John, Pat, and all the staff former and current. I've been watching since 1998, and you've all still got it after almost 37 years with wonderful road test narrations, quick spins, Goss's Garage, and long term road test updates. Keep going strong!
On this day 34 years ago, "MotorWeek" premiered. So much has changed since then, it's amazing to think that the same year MotorWeek first aired, a stranger kidnapped Adam Walsh from a store, which made John Walsh cry. Plus, Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, and Anwar Sadat were assassinated. Chef Jeff Smith suffered from heart disease and had heart valve surgery. The People's Court and Entertainment Tonight debuted in syndication. The world has certainly gone through a lot of changes since 1981. I can't wait to see how MotorWeek continues to evolve in the years to come.👍
40 years later it is still going. Crazy! I've been watching for about 36 of those years too. Helped make me the car lover I am today, no joke! Idea is simple - make a show about authentic viewpoints on vehicles. Results - layman get to see what they like and don't like. Almost like social media before it was coined as such.
Thanks for posting ! This brought back some memories. I was ten in 81. A car guy in the making. You could probably post all of the first ten years of the show and they would all be as familiar. It's interesting to remember how things were so different, yet in some ways how little has changed.
I was born in 1980 so I've never known life without Motorweek. Watched em religiously with my dad as a kid. Two auto shows I remember as a kid is Autoweek and the shows on TNN. This is the only show that's always been there and hasn't had major changes over time. They never got fancy and over the top about stupid things. They continue to bring us the automotive news without the BS. Thanks John! All the other shows have tanked or changed to a more reality show base... I hope you stay as long as possible because once you're gone I bet the show goes the way all the others have.
I love that the first ever episode of Motorweek was about the Ford Escort, because as a child of the 80's I grew up on both Motorweek, and Escorts! learned to drive on my buddy's '82 Escort, in 1992 mind you, so it was really old for a compact car by those days standards. Fun times in that ride. My mom had a 1988-1/2 Escort that I drove alot too. Bought myself a '91 Escort LX coupe 5-speed a few years later. Great little car and lots of good memories in all 3 of them!
Early Escorts were dangerous junk... suspension leaf spring held the front wheels on like in an early UK Mini... when it broke, you lost the front wheel !!! But the Escort didn't even make it that far... the water pump locked up at 25K miles, snapping the timing belt, allowing the cam to stop spinning, and crashing the pistons into the valves and destroying the early 'crash'/'interference' design engines!
It is so weird seeing what we thought were great cars back in the 80's. It is also very eye opening to see how people age and how fast time flies by. I remember this very show and saw its first run. How short our lives are....we will be remembered by the cars we drove.
Incredible, first episode is so professionally produced with arguably a small hint of newness. Highly informative. In the eighties, vaguely remember seeing the impressive Fiat Stada.
I Remember Watching MotorWeek When I Was A kid It Came On Every Saturday Afternoon On Mississippi Public Broadcasting At 3pm I'll Never Missed An Episode Of MotorWeek All My Life
The lighting wasn't great, but given lighting technology back then? I found the set was very good too. Everyone did a great job their first go around. Glad to have the show still around. Keep up the good work, everyone!
"Welcome to Motorweek. We're glad to have you with us.". Said since episode 1!!!! Awesome....not much these days is the same as it was years ago. Look forward to John Davis saying that line every week!!
YES!!!!! I have been waiting for this!!!!!! Thank you ever so much!!!!!!! You can definitely tell that John & Pat, in particular, were pretty green in the beginning, but that is the beauty of this..........to see how much they have grown & changed along the way. There are a few tests that I would love to see again. The Chevrolet Sprint Plus, the Mercedes 190E 2.3 16, the Pontiac LeMans, the Volkswagen Fox, &.........I can't even believe I am actually saying this......the Yugo.
If anyone is wondering, the car in the middle of the studio as the program begins is a FIAT Ritmo, called Strada in The US. I believe it never sold very well over there.
MotorWeek's first show!--and first test track, a parking lot behind Agway. 40-55 in 6 seconds, almost as fast as that bus parked by the lake at 5:42. These cars were unbelievably crude, clunky, and slow by today's standards, but there was an oil crisis going on and Motorweek was a new show, looking for ratings. Now John is 103 years old and still working! Amazing.
Almost 30 years since I've had a car with window cranks and cable controlled side mirrors. My 1st car didn't have passenger side mirror! This video brings back memories!
*What American of the 'Boomer' generation didn't own one of these innovative little Ford Escorts or it's sister, the Mercury Lynx? Also, I think we have all seen 10-15 year old Escorts with their third or fourth owner using it as a 'beater' or first car, with it's now fading, scratched and dented sheet metal and the torn and worn interior fabric, bouncing down the road. These were weak but quite worthy automobiles, considering all the variables. In '83 my blushing bride was driving our massive '72 Olds Toronado when she accidentally dropped her smoke in her lap, she veered off and utterly destroyed a brand new Ford Escort wagon, (still had the monroney sticker in the window) pushing the rear end all the way up to the back seat! The Olds... not a scratch. It's nice to see the younger version of the venerable, Mr. Davis, I'm so glad they haven't replaced him... he is like one of the family by now.*
Funny how the show talked about Hondas being recalled with a rust problem and one of the two featured cars was a Fiat, which at the time was notorious for rust. That being said, I have always loved Fiats and glad to finally see them back in the USA!
Love the old shows! Growing up in the 80s this was one of the shows I would watch with my dad! I remember this first episode!! Now I'm in my mid 40s and still watching motorweek! Keep up the good work motorweek. Hate that all car makers are going electric, nothing like working on a car engine with your hands!! I learned alot of cars from motorweek. I do everything myself except for big car repairs...
Wow, a Fiat Strada & metal topped cardboard oil cans that you stabbed with a filler tube, how far we have advanced today!! I forgot how good looking the Strada was especially the front where the headlights are equally wrapped by the hood and grill, a design very unique at the time, and has yet to be replicated. Also worth mentioning is how GM said the 'J' cars would be equipped with the 4 speed overdrive automatic transmission. Never happened until a redesign for the 1995-2004 model run.
Still watching this show in 2020... The earliest I can remember is when the show title included the year 1986. The show was called MotorWeek-86 back then. Does anyone else remember them tagging the year to the title, or is that a created memory on my part??? Anyway, I didn't grow up with John and Pat. I grew old with them. I was in my twenties when I first started watching. My only complaint about the show is that the staff has never met a car they didn't like - no matter how unreliable that car might be. I wish they would discuss reliability in each car review.
Man I'm always going to forever remember John Davis's voice he's been doing this for 30 plus years man's got to be in the 70s now I'm 33 and he was doing this before I was born 😂 you're the man John Davis I'll make sure my next car has a voltmeter
Really enjoyed watching this full episode, reminds me of our old format Top Gear over here in the UK, please put more of the early full shows up if you can.
Same here. I did that to my 1993 Escort that I bought as the last owner. Drove it 11 years from 2007-2018 before it crocked. Great car and fun to drive as a 5 speed wagon. Fun to squeel the tires every so often.
Regarding the "Escort performance improves after 20k miles" - At 20k miles, driver gets fed up and starts to bury the gas pedal at every green light, thus improving performance.
Wow! Episode #1! When John said Ford claimed the Escort engine started performing better after 20k miles & then said he thought that was a long break in period, I busted out laughing, those early Escort engines were complete trash! At 20k miles they were half dead! Those 1.6 liter 4 cylinders were well known for warping the head & blowing the head gasket at 40k miles & that issue sent tens of thousands of Escorts to the junkyard after only 5 to 7 years of life! There were so many being crushed where I live, that by the early '90s used parts were scarce for the '80s cars because the yards crushed them as quick as they came in. It made Ford alot of money but the car was junk, just like the infamous Pinto & later the Taurus. I'm glad all 3 cars are rarely seen today.
I wonder if John thought on that first episode he would be doing this 34 years later! I grew up with this show and John and Pat! 1981 and the cars still had real bumpers! Thank you so much Motorweek for one of the best shows ever!!
It's been 34 years, wow.....would watch the show on Saturdays on PBS. I heard the government wants to defund PBS , hope not.....education all around.
Hiram Eberhardt almost 38 years now!
as if bumpers just went extinct
Cars now be having fake bumpers? Aight
@@amiga5008 what up chino
I remember watching MW on Saturday mornings on PBS. I was 11 then and 46 now. Wow.
Old fart
Ours was Saturdays, early afternoon on CBS
Yep
same here i was 3 when they statred it
I remember as well. It aired on Saturdays on PBS when I first saw it. At one point, it also aired on syndication and another time it aired on the Speed Channel. I have been watching ever since and I am 51 years old now.
I wish I got to show this episode to my dad. He passed away a few months ago, but he would always record Motorweek on the DVR to watch with me when I came over. Turns out your show debuted on his birthday and almost right when I was born. A fitting end to a long night of working in the garage with Motorweek Retro playing in the background. I'll have to look at his DVR to see what new episodes it has recorded for me to watch.
I am so sorry to hear your dad passed away. Your family is in our thought and prayers.
Aaron Wolfe Long overdue for a drink my friend! Hit me up when you're free!
That was a very sweet story...... My dad died when I was 21. I felt like I had to grow up super fast
It's sucks losing dad, especially if he meant alot. I lost mine at a young age, and I've always wondered how things would of went. Cheers
It is never to late to say sorry for your loss 🙏 I know what your mean cause if you missed an episode of this show you missed it!! I've been watching it since the pilot I was 11 in 1978 and it's been apart of me and my dad's car show until his passing in 2020 🙏
2020 and John Davis, is still sharing about cars. Little older and wiser. Thumbs up 👍
Ahh the good ole days when the standard transmission was the most popular choice.
Only on economy and sports cars though. Automatic transmissions became dominant on standard (full and midsized) cars in the 1950s.
And when ashtrays were standard equipment. 🙄
Now only less than 18% of all American Drivers can drive a standard transmission.
Not really. No car my patents ever bought in the 1960's, 70's or 80's (or ever) was anything but automatic. In the 1973 they bought a Chevy Chevette, which is just about as basic as you could get. Still had automatic transmission.
@@sushicourier funny that my dad was the opposite. He always preferred a manual transmission, like the 67 Impala wagon we had with a 3 speed manual column shifter. We also had a 74 Pinto and two 81 diesel Chevettes, all with manual transmissions. The outlier was a 69 Impala coupe with a 3 speed automatic (and air conditioning, which made it popular with the rest of the family).
Wow! The original concept was so different" John Davis hadn't yet developed his signature "Well, hello and welcome to Motorweek! We're glad to have you with us!", In fact, everyone was kind of timid in this video and the format and comments were all a bit too serious. This is an unexpected gem, the very first episode! I watched my first Motorweek episode a couple of years later, as a little kid. It's heartwarming to realize that the TV car show that I grew up watching was also growing up. Thank you Motorweek and John Davis!
I had to watch this to make sure he didn't open with "Hello AGAIN and welcome to motorweek."
Nice quality veiwing. Nice that a show last for nearly 29 minutes without the obnoxious amount of commercials for products I will never buy in my life anyway. Thanks for posting.
Public Broadcasting
Please, Motorweek, keep these throwback Thursdays coming. This is before my time, but it's nostalgic in every respect. Looking for the mid 90's, when I was just entering my teenage years and began to appreciate automobiles. However, it's a history lesson in auto-history.
This is MotorWeek, not MotorTrend.
Michael O'Keefe 1czelaya He did say MotorWeek.
1czelaya One of the few public TV shows that was syndicated on commercial TV for a few years, it was reedited for that format. They found out their demographics for Men 18-34 was second only to pro wrestling.
Thank you, Mr. Davis and Mr. Goss, for being with the show for so long! I really enjoy Motorweek's format and its quality reviews.
RIP Pat Goss
This video is a great trip through memory lane. RIP Patt Goss
Motorweek is now pushing 35 years, and I am pushing 32
Wow, does John Davis ever look young here.
I love the intro music!!!
Better than the Bee Gees! 😆
I remember those billboard ads that showed a Ford Escort with a car cover with various flags printed on it. The tag line went something along the line of a world car is coming. How time flies, I was a senior in high school back then and it didn't seem that long ago till I saw this video with that antiquated Escort, thanks a lot MW, lol.
P.S. I didn't know it back then, but I've been watching MW from the very beginning. I'm glad we are both still around.
I would definitely invest in a dvd set for all 35 years plus... I don't get tired of this program.
I like seeing the 63-65 Riviera driving in the opposite direction at 4:38. It's hard to imagine those as regular used cars.
I also grew up with this being my favorite t.v. show. It's the only show I got excited about watching as a kid. I mean literally thrilled. To see a television show dedicated to automobiles showed me that there were others who shares my interest, and was the first way I could try out every car, even before I could drive! Thanks for the memories, and may it continue to entertain, educate, and inspire more people, as it has done for me. Oh, and would you please post more whole episodes? I'm sure there are thousands of people like me who would greatly appreciate it 😉
Loved watching this show back in the 80's. These retro shows are great to see again.
Holy crap... 1981 was the dark ages lol. Amazing how the Ford taurus was just 5 years away! That's a TON of progress!
Actually a little more than four years. The Ford Taurus went on sale a little late in December 1985 as a 1986 model.
cars didnt really start becoming good until 1989 with the 1990 model years. Everything before then was just cringe.
When I was a freshman in high school in 1984-85, my Mom paid a nearby senior (who had his own car) to drive me to school - she had to leave for work early and couldn’t drive me. When his car (a late-‘70s Camaro) was in the shop, his parents would let him drive their car - a 1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible that looked *exactly* like the one in this video! So much fun cruising with the top down in that thing!! I look back on those K-cars today and laugh at how awful they are compared to modern cars - but back then they were damn near revolutionary, and they absolutely saved Chrysler from the automotive scrap-heap of history. Good memories!
1) Holy shit, the Ford Escort was the top selling car in America!
2) What is a window crank handle...?
3) Be careful not to snag your clothes on the ashtray!
4) 31 city 47 highway, beats the new focus by 15%
5) Wow, Goss' Garage has been around since the beginning! I didn't realize that.
6) Look at those oil cans, when did they start using bottles?
7) Where do I go to pick up a STD 4 piece set of luggage like that?
8) Look at that hot new Chrysler LeBaron with quad lights!
9) I need one of those palm operated ratchets. Did you get it off Amazon? I can't find it.
BTW, I was born 2 months before this episode aired
1) It grabbed the spot from the Chevy Chevette!
2) Raises and lowers the window. Doesn't require the ignition to be on, and for that reason power windows are a lateral move at best (how did they ever catch on!)
3) Uncle Bob used to say it was time for a new car when the ashtrays were full.
4) The old EPA ratings were highly optimistic and have been adjusted downward twice. The post-2008 ones are too low if anything.
5) Of course! All the best mechanics have been around forever!
6) Over the course of the '80s, Mobil 1 first, then the other major brands and finally the cheap stuff.
7) 1981. Or barring that, Craigslist.
Gotta say, that is a great reply!
nlpnt Thanks! Also, had to come back to get another look at that production logo at the start!
Another thing to keep in mind with MPG is that the cars of today weigh more than their direct descendants did. Safety being the #1 weight gainer with comfort coming second. We also have engines that produce considerably more HP and TQ and get pretty close to that number.
1) the Escort was also the best selling car in Europe (same name, but different car). the Toyota Camary is the current best selling car. the ford f-series is the best selling vehicle.
2) easier to fix or rig in a pinch too. less prone to failure.
3) nowadays you'll be lucky to even get an ashtray in a new car and you have to pay extra if you get one. for big ashtrays, check out the ashtray in a 92 S10 Blazer. its big enough to fit a carton of smoked cigs in it. (I had one).
4) EPA rating were a bit less accurate back then. plus cars have gotten heavier (due to safety regulations, emissions equipment, and expected conviences like sat/nav, power seats ect, of today), but they have more powerful and more efficient engines as well. an accident that would kill you in that old escort, in a focus you'd be walking away from.
5) people are older then what they seem sometimes.
6) my dad had the older one (78 I believe) and my aunt had a beautiful black convertible that her ex husband burn to the ground.
8) ebay, craigslist or if you got big money the higher end luggage companies still sell 3 piece luggage, fitted of course you whatever supre/hyper car you own.
8) if you look hard enough you can still find oil in a can. I know Wolf's Head oil can be had yet in a can.
9) just one of those tools that seemed like a good idea, but never caught on. (kinda of like the old RoboGrip pliers from years back)
"Front window pilers to wide." By todays standards those are thin!
TOO NOT TO
*If Motorweek had aired nationally in the 1970s, no one would have purchased a new car.*
Totally enjoyed this. Takes me back to an exciting childhood.
Exactly!
Wow! I first saw Motorweek around 1983, still watching in 2019! Several of the cars I ended up buying thru the years were featured on the show and I still own like my SVO Mustang, Alfa GTV-6, Alfa Milano and Saab 9-3.
My right ear loves this.
Love Saabs! Own 4 of them!
+Charles Chauffe ewww
@@charleschauffe4350 Why?
@@charleschauffe4350 I bet you have plenty of Saab - sob - stories you could tell! lol
Literally the only thing worth watching that has ever been produced by PBS.
you forgot Mr Roger's neighborhood
Great idea to upload old shows. This is a car encyclopedia. Great work.
Wow this seems like a lifetime ago. I accidentally found Motorweek on its second episode and have followed since. Thanks for the memories and great road tests.
Good to see these old episodes, I remember back in the very early 80's before cable TV was popular/accessible in areas and Motorweek was on channel 13 (PBS Connecticut) and it was one of the only car shows on TV back in the good old days! I hope you guys keep releasing these old episodes on youtube. Good stuff.
...and NASCAR was only a weekly 5 min. segment on ABC's Wide World of Sports !
Have a pleasant and safe motor week!
That intro is totally 80s, it's awesome that this show is still aired (both the new and old episodes), and that the same guy hosts it 35 years later!
John Davis... he is a legendary Host!
Wow, a serious trip down memory lane! It's amazing how so much has changed over the years. And I learned something a little new with the article about rebates. What I found really amazing is the insight John had back in those days with gas mileage, performance numbers, etc.
Keep up the good work.
Cool, highlighting the notorious "Honda-rust" and the hopeless introduction of the Fiat Strada (Ritmo in Europe). My grandad used to have his own motorshow here in Belgium in 1982-"Drive safely and economic ". We didn't have American tv back then, otherwise we would've been hooked to Motorweek. I guess you tube makes up for it. Thank you! 😚
Thanks for posting. I remember Motor Week of the 1980s, when I was still a boy. I enjoyed the show, because I wanted to know about the latest in cars. The problem was that it was on during times I couldn't watch TV, like late at night while I was asleep, or during the day when I was in school. Now that TH-cam is here, you have the ability to post these vintage shows one can watch at their leisure. :)
This is when the magic of MotorWeek all began. Loved every episode from day #1.
I grew up with Motorweek and always thought it was a great show. It's great to see these old episodes again!
Thanks, John, Pat, and all the staff former and current. I've been watching since 1998, and you've all still got it after almost 37 years with wonderful road test narrations, quick spins, Goss's Garage, and long term road test updates. Keep going strong!
On this day 34 years ago, "MotorWeek" premiered. So much has changed since then, it's amazing to think that the same year MotorWeek first aired, a stranger kidnapped Adam Walsh from a store, which made John Walsh cry. Plus, Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, and Anwar Sadat were assassinated. Chef Jeff Smith suffered from heart disease and had heart valve surgery. The People's Court and Entertainment Tonight debuted in syndication. The world has certainly gone through a lot of changes since 1981. I can't wait to see how MotorWeek continues to evolve in the years to come.👍
These are the episodes I missed as a kid.
Pure classic.
40 years later it is still going. Crazy! I've been watching for about 36 of those years too. Helped make me the car lover I am today, no joke!
Idea is simple - make a show about authentic viewpoints on vehicles. Results - layman get to see what they like and don't like.
Almost like social media before it was coined as such.
Thanks for posting ! This brought back some memories. I was ten in 81. A car guy in the making. You could probably post all of the first ten years of the show and they would all be as familiar.
It's interesting to remember how things were so different, yet in some ways how little has changed.
Love these throwbacks! I'm only 24 but it's really cool to see where we came from in car culture and tech.
I was born in 1980 so I've never known life without Motorweek. Watched em religiously with my dad as a kid. Two auto shows I remember as a kid is Autoweek and the shows on TNN. This is the only show that's always been there and hasn't had major changes over time. They never got fancy and over the top about stupid things. They continue to bring us the automotive news without the BS. Thanks John! All the other shows have tanked or changed to a more reality show base... I hope you stay as long as possible because once you're gone I bet the show goes the way all the others have.
my right speaker likes this video
This video is basically John Davis winning the lottery.
I love that the first ever episode of Motorweek was about the Ford Escort, because as a child of the 80's I grew up on both Motorweek, and Escorts! learned to drive on my buddy's '82 Escort, in 1992 mind you, so it was really old for a compact car by those days standards. Fun times in that ride. My mom had a 1988-1/2 Escort that I drove alot too. Bought myself a '91 Escort LX coupe 5-speed a few years later. Great little car and lots of good memories in all 3 of them!
Early Escorts were dangerous junk... suspension leaf spring held the front wheels on like in an early UK Mini... when it broke, you lost the front wheel !!! But the Escort didn't even make it that far... the water pump locked up at 25K miles, snapping the timing belt, allowing the cam to stop spinning, and crashing the pistons into the valves and destroying the early 'crash'/'interference' design engines!
It is so weird seeing what we thought were great cars back in the 80's. It is also very eye opening to see how people age and how fast time flies by. I remember this very show and saw its first run. How short our lives are....we will be remembered by the cars we drove.
Thank you MW for John and Pat. They were a part of my life growing up. Praying for health and strength for the both of them 🙏
1st episode I saw was with the 82 Mustang GT.Been watching ever since.Thanks John and crew for all the memories
Amazing how Motorweek has evolved over 42 years!
Incredible, first episode is so professionally produced with arguably a small hint of newness. Highly informative. In the eighties, vaguely remember seeing the impressive Fiat Stada.
"Drop us a line.." since 1981. Love it.
I Remember Watching MotorWeek When I Was A kid It Came On Every Saturday Afternoon On Mississippi Public Broadcasting At 3pm I'll Never Missed An Episode Of MotorWeek All My Life
The lighting wasn't great, but given lighting technology back then? I found the set was very good too.
Everyone did a great job their first go around. Glad to have the show still around. Keep up the good work, everyone!
I've been watching this show since I was a kid in the early 80's . Owings Mills , 21117. I ended up living there in 2004. Crazy!
Owings Mills is a nice place to live but it is turning into Randallstown
19:49 my parents had this Fiat! 😁
Greetings from Croatia!!
"Welcome to Motorweek. We're glad to have you with us.". Said since episode 1!!!! Awesome....not much these days is the same as it was years ago. Look forward to John Davis saying that line every week!!
I started watching MW when I was just a kid. Good to see the older episodes again!
YES!!!!! I have been waiting for this!!!!!! Thank you ever so much!!!!!!! You can definitely tell that John & Pat, in particular, were pretty green in the beginning, but that is the beauty of this..........to see how much they have grown & changed along the way. There are a few tests that I would love to see again. The Chevrolet Sprint Plus, the Mercedes 190E 2.3 16, the Pontiac LeMans, the Volkswagen Fox, &.........I can't even believe I am actually saying this......the Yugo.
Over 2 years before I was born! Incredible classic footage.
I love that over the years MotorWeek has showed off cars that were released even before 1981.
If anyone is wondering, the car in the middle of the studio as the program begins is a FIAT Ritmo, called Strada in The US. I believe it never sold very well over there.
MotorWeek's first show!--and first test track, a parking lot behind Agway. 40-55 in 6 seconds, almost as fast as that bus parked by the lake at 5:42. These cars were unbelievably crude, clunky, and slow by today's standards, but there was an oil crisis going on and Motorweek was a new show, looking for ratings. Now John is 103 years old and still working! Amazing.
Almost 30 years since I've had a car with window cranks and cable controlled side mirrors. My 1st car didn't have passenger side mirror! This video brings back memories!
I Remember Watching "MotorWeek" When I Was 5 Back in 1998 It Came On PBS (Mississippi ETV/MPB) Every Saturday Afternoons Reminds Of My Late Grandma
Man! This is great stuff! The ULTIMATE Retro Review.
Love this show! John Davis looked so young! R.I.P. Pat Goss
This is awesome! Thanks so much for adding this.
Great first show John. Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John Davis should get Oscar for entertaining America no matter what products he was showing us. This is awesome educational TV.
thanks for uploading! brought back lots of memories! =)
Was a weekly ritual. Tuning into PBS and watching this program.
*What American of the 'Boomer' generation didn't own one of these innovative little Ford Escorts or it's sister, the Mercury Lynx? Also, I think we have all seen 10-15 year old Escorts with their third or fourth owner using it as a 'beater' or first car, with it's now fading, scratched and dented sheet metal and the torn and worn interior fabric, bouncing down the road. These were weak but quite worthy automobiles, considering all the variables. In '83 my blushing bride was driving our massive '72 Olds Toronado when she accidentally dropped her smoke in her lap, she veered off and utterly destroyed a brand new Ford Escort wagon, (still had the monroney sticker in the window) pushing the rear end all the way up to the back seat! The Olds... not a scratch. It's nice to see the younger version of the venerable, Mr. Davis, I'm so glad they haven't replaced him... he is like one of the family by now.*
back when John Davis had a full head of hair!
he never had a full head of hair
I began watching MotorWeek in 2010 and seeing these Retro Reviews makes me feel old, and I'm only 20.
Shut up stupid
Funny how the show talked about Hondas being recalled with a rust problem and one of the two featured cars was a Fiat, which at the time was notorious for rust. That being said, I have always loved Fiats and glad to finally see them back in the USA!
Love the old shows! Growing up in the 80s this was one of the shows I would watch with my dad! I remember this first episode!! Now I'm in my mid 40s and still watching motorweek! Keep up the good work motorweek. Hate that all car makers are going electric, nothing like working on a car engine with your hands!! I learned alot of cars from motorweek. I do everything myself except for big car repairs...
Thank you for everything John Davis !!!!!!
Thank you guys for this throwback. Love #tbt
MotorWeek and Entertainment Tonight are the same age. Time flies
And in 720P THANK YOU MW!!! John Davis is the Mister Rogers of car shows, bless you man.
Merry Christmas and Happy New year from me in Hamilton Ontario Canada
John said something like "torque steer kicks in when you *release* the throttle? Huh lol.
Haha yeah! At about 5:35. Silly John!
Wow, a Fiat Strada & metal topped cardboard oil cans that you stabbed with a filler tube, how far we have advanced today!! I forgot how good looking the Strada was especially the front where the headlights are equally wrapped by the hood and grill, a design very unique at the time, and has yet to be replicated. Also worth mentioning is how GM said the 'J' cars would be equipped with the 4 speed overdrive automatic transmission. Never happened until a redesign for the 1995-2004 model run.
Still watching this show in 2020... The earliest I can remember is when the show title included the year 1986. The show was called MotorWeek-86 back then. Does anyone else remember them tagging the year to the title, or is that a created memory on my part??? Anyway, I didn't grow up with John and Pat. I grew old with them. I was in my twenties when I first started watching. My only complaint about the show is that the staff has never met a car they didn't like - no matter how unreliable that car might be. I wish they would discuss reliability in each car review.
Man I'm always going to forever remember John Davis's voice he's been doing this for 30 plus years man's got to be in the 70s now I'm 33 and he was doing this before I was born 😂 you're the man John Davis I'll make sure my next car has a voltmeter
Really enjoyed watching this full episode, reminds me of our old format Top Gear over here in the UK, please put more of the early full shows up if you can.
Goss "Prolong the agony" - the only laugh he's ever gotten out of me.
Same here. I did that to my 1993 Escort that I bought as the last owner. Drove it 11 years from 2007-2018 before it crocked. Great car and fun to drive as a 5 speed wagon. Fun to squeel the tires every so often.
I'm new to your channel! Thanks for letting me in!
And I love that MotorWeek was featured in Test Drive 6. I love cars and I love video games.
Regarding the "Escort performance improves after 20k miles" - At 20k miles, driver gets fed up and starts to bury the gas pedal at every green light, thus improving performance.
Love the original intro theme.
I had a Fiat Brava 131 back in the early 80s, so I can relate to this. It's amazing to think that this show has lasted so long.
Wow! Episode #1! When John said Ford claimed the Escort engine started performing better after 20k miles & then said he thought that was a long break in period, I busted out laughing, those early Escort engines were complete trash! At 20k miles they were half dead! Those 1.6 liter 4 cylinders were well known for warping the head & blowing the head gasket at 40k miles & that issue sent tens of thousands of Escorts to the junkyard after only 5 to 7 years of life! There were so many being crushed where I live, that by the early '90s used parts were scarce for the '80s cars because the yards crushed them as quick as they came in. It made Ford alot of money but the car was junk, just like the infamous Pinto & later the Taurus. I'm glad all 3 cars are rarely seen today.
AWESOME!! Automotive time capsule
i love ur permanence, keep on please!
cool well this brings me back to the good old days LoL