Guy Martin creates three-wheeled racing machine in Garage TV series

Guy Martin created a speedy version of the small Italian three-wheeler, Piaggio Ape, in the second episode of ‘Guy’s Garage’ on Channel 4 ‚ and not even a flooded racetrack postponing a race could dampen his spirits.

The motorcycle racer turned TV celebrity stars in the new four-part Channel 4 series, which was commissioned by North One TV, where he transforms iconic road vehicles into thoroughbred racing machines.

In his garage near Grimsby, he will be aided and abetted by his old friend and fellow mechanic Cameron “Camy” Whitworth and create four very different Frankenstein racers.

The first episode saw Guy transform a Volvo into a racing machine for Sweden’s competitive rallycross.

Guy tests a three-wheeled vehicle at Trent Raceway. | Photo: North One TV

Guy takes a Piaggio Ape for a spin on the driving range of a golf course before purchasing it. | Photo: North One TV

The second episode aired on November 29 and focused on the Piaggio Ape. Guy knows a lot about two and four wheels, but doesn’t have as much experience with three.

That doesn’t stop him from pulling out all the stops in his attempts create a speedy version of the Piaggio Ape, which is described as the “slowest vehicle to come out of Italy”.

In basic form, the Ape has 20 horsepower and a top speed of 40mph down hill. When he first tells Camy about the project he said they will “sling a bike engine in the back”, to which his best friend replies “that’s got hospital written all over it, hasn’t it?”

Guy heads to the small town of Carpegna in Italy, where he meets two local Proto Ape racers and takes a vehicle for a spin.

He then heads to Trent Raceway in Burton-on-Trent, where he drives a Robin Reliant, rolls it onto its roof and has a race.

He even wins a trophy saying: “I don’t keep many trophies, but I think I’m going to keep this one”.

Guy enjoys driving the Robin Reliant, rolling it onto its roof and using it in a race at Trent Raceway. | Photo: North One TV

He heads back to the garage to create his racing machine, but controversially instead of the 600cc engine used by Italians, he fits a 1000cc to his vehicle.

Guy makes his way back to the “heart of Ape racing country” in the middle of Italy near San Marino, some 1,400 miles from Grimsby.

Unfortunately, due to bad flooding of the track the race is postponed, but Guy’s newly made Italian friends create a small private race for him to compete in – find out how he got on by watching the episode on demand here.

Guy racing in his Piaggio Ape. | Photo: North One TV

Guy and Camy with their adaptation of a Piaggio Ape. | Photo: North One TV

Upcoming episodes

Episode 3 – Landrover – airing on December 6

Guy gets to grips with one of the most iconic and successful British cars of all time – the Land Rover Defender. He wants to build a super fast off-road machine capable of racing at speeds of up to 100mph.

Helped by expert racing Land Rover builder Dave Billings, their rusting heap slowly transforms into something amazing. Guy also competes in an ‘impossibly challenging’ Land Rover trials event.

Episode 4 – Trabant – airing on December 13

Guy choses an East German Cold War icon – the slow, basic and underpowered Trabant – for this challenge. After buying just about the only Trabant they could find in Britain, Guy and Camy give it a punishing test around the former motorcycle racer’s garden.