Singer: The Rock Star, the Brown Bomber and the Million Dollar Porsches · Gentleman Car World Podcast · Radar

Rob Dickinson Before Singer2:09 – 4:47

DavidNarrator

2:09

Rob Dickinson was born in Norwich, in the east of England, on the 23rd of July, 1965.

DavidNarrator

2:16

If the surname sounds familiar, it should.

DavidNarrator

2:18

His cousin is Bruce Dickinson, the singer of Iron Maiden.

DavidNarrator

2:22

Two frontmen in one family, and only one of them ended up building cars.

DavidNarrator

2:27

The car bug came early and in the most ordinary way.

DavidNarrator

2:30

As a boy, he was in the family Volkswagen Beetle on a French auto route when his father pointed out a Porsche 911 overtaking them.

DavidNarrator

2:38

He has pointed to that moment ever since.

DavidNarrator

2:42

He did the sensible thing first.

DavidNarrator

2:44

He studied car design in Coventry, the city that was once the centre of the British car industry.

DavidNarrator

2:50

Then he went to work at Lotus, under a designer called Peter Stevens, alongside Julian Thompson and Simon Cox.

DavidNarrator

2:57

Keep Peter Stevens in mind.

DavidNarrator

2:59

A few years later, he would design the body of the McLaren F1, the car Christian von Koenigsegg set out to beat in last week's episode.

DavidNarrator

3:07

The car world is small.

DavidNarrator

3:09

And then Rob Dickinson did the unsensible thing.

DavidNarrator

3:12

He left car design and started a band.

DavidNarrator

3:16

Catherine Wheel came out of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, two towns on the English East Coast, and were active from 1990 to 2000.

DavidNarrator

3:24

They were part of the shoegaze scene, that early 90s sound of guitars drowned in effects pedals and then got heavier as the decade went on.

DavidNarrator

3:32

Five albums.

DavidNarrator

3:34

Ferment in 1992, which reached number 36 in the UK.

DavidNarrator

3:38

Chrome in 1993.

DavidNarrator

3:41

Happy Days in 1995.

DavidNarrator

3:43

Adam and Eve in 1997.

DavidNarrator

3:46

Wishville in 2000.

DavidNarrator

3:48

In America, the single Black Metallic reached number nine on the alternative chart and Crank reached number five.

DavidNarrator

3:54

A real band with real records that played real tours.

Rob Dickinson Before Singer2:09 – 4:47

DavidNarrator

2:09

Rob Dickinson was born in Norwich, in the east of England, on the 23rd of July, 1965.

DavidNarrator

2:16

If the surname sounds familiar, it should.

DavidNarrator

2:18

His cousin is Bruce Dickinson, the singer of Iron Maiden.

DavidNarrator

2:22

Two frontmen in one family, and only one of them ended up building cars.

DavidNarrator

2:27

The car bug came early and in the most ordinary way.

DavidNarrator

2:30

As a boy, he was in the family Volkswagen Beetle on a French auto route when his father pointed out a Porsche 911 overtaking them.

DavidNarrator

2:38

He has pointed to that moment ever since.

DavidNarrator

2:42

He did the sensible thing first.

DavidNarrator

2:44

He studied car design in Coventry, the city that was once the centre of the British car industry.

DavidNarrator

2:50

Then he went to work at Lotus, under a designer called Peter Stevens, alongside Julian Thompson and Simon Cox.

DavidNarrator

2:57

Keep Peter Stevens in mind.

DavidNarrator

2:59

A few years later, he would design the body of the McLaren F1, the car Christian von Koenigsegg set out to beat in last week's episode.

DavidNarrator

3:07

The car world is small.

DavidNarrator

3:09

And then Rob Dickinson did the unsensible thing.

DavidNarrator

3:12

He left car design and started a band.

DavidNarrator

3:16

Catherine Wheel came out of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, two towns on the English East Coast, and were active from 1990 to 2000.

DavidNarrator

3:24

They were part of the shoegaze scene, that early 90s sound of guitars drowned in effects pedals and then got heavier as the decade went on.

DavidNarrator

3:32

Five albums.

DavidNarrator

3:34

Ferment in 1992, which reached number 36 in the UK.

DavidNarrator

3:38

Chrome in 1993.

DavidNarrator

3:41

Happy Days in 1995.

DavidNarrator

3:43

Adam and Eve in 1997.

DavidNarrator

3:46

Wishville in 2000.

DavidNarrator

3:48

In America, the single Black Metallic reached number nine on the alternative chart and Crank reached number five.

DavidNarrator

3:54

A real band with real records that played real tours.