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Stig (origins...)

mmap

mmap

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went through an old thread were the meaning of the word stig was discussed and no one seemed to know the answer as to why the stig is called the stig etc...

In the olden days of rallying there was a rally driver called Stig Blomgvist (swedish fella) he became so famous for his style of driving that his name became synonomous with an excellent driver... hence the stig is called stig, because he is an excellent driver. And when tiff is giving a car the Stig or the stick (which ever it is he is saying, both make sence) it basically means that he will complete thrash the car i.e. drive really really fast!
 
I think it's Stig Blomqvist and I think he's still driving (after 30, 40 years or so).
 
Oh, and by the way, when you say you are "givin' it some stick" (UK English for driving hard) or "floggin' it", both date back to horse-driven carts and carriages. I.e., if you hit the horse with a stick it went faster (as jockeys still do today in horse racing).
The bit about the Stig is pretty credible, although it may come from that story or cartoon called "Stig in the Dump" (any old fellas from the UK remember that one?)
The saga continues....
 
When I started out watching Fifth Gear, I swore Tiff called him The Stick.
But after Top Gear, like 3 eps I found it was Stig, this makes much more sense and puts my mind to ease 8)
 
Haha, I don't think we'll ever find out who The Stig is. For now, though, I say it's just Richard Hammond. He drives as Richard horribly to cover up his "stig"-ness as The Stig.
 
hmm you guys gave me an idea of my next plate number! SITG .. if you steal my idea, i'll cut you!!!!one!!
 
errr :p typo typo! i mean STIG ..
 
Phix said:
Haha, I don't think we'll ever find out who The Stig is. For now, though, I say it's just Richard Hammond. He drives as Richard horribly to cover up his "stig"-ness as The Stig.
Click to expand...

I would be lauging my ass of if it were him :lol:
 
Don't think so. Richard was standing on the side of the track, laughing at the POS Rover 214 while Stig was thrashing it.
 
Someone in another board once posted that the old(black) stig would've been Perry McCarthy(a succesful sportscar racer and also known for his less-succesful effort in F1).

I've been wondering on where the word "stig" originates. I could believe it's from Blomqvist. If it is, I must say it's a very big tribute to a great driver. I don't think Blomqvist drives today(since he is rather old, after all, he won his world title 20 years ago) besides some exhibition runs here and there...
 
Blomqwvist actually still drives... He is, for exampsle, competing in the Pikes Peak competition in a modified Ford RS2000 and it was only a year ago when he was in the Swedish WRC in a Skoda to mark his XX year in rallying.
 
Got a short friend called "Stig" who loves cars.

It's no psynonym, it's the name.
 
Saw this Lotus about a year ago at Crystal Cove and snapped a pic.

stiglotus.jpg
 
STIG comes from what they used to call new people at clarksons school. It spells 'gits' backwards.
 
Blomqvist still drives. He finished 5th overall in the Group N class of the WRC in 2001. Pretty good for a 55 year old (at the time). He also drives the Swedish almost every year getting good results.
He also takes part in some other rallies as well. 2 or 3 years ago he drove the Oregon Trail Rally in the USA and won it.
This year he is competing in the Safari Classic. Everyone with some interest in rallying knows the Safari is a rough and tough SOB. He is driving an MKI Escort.

Blomqvist is also recognized as the inventor of Left-foot-braking. He came up with it while driving for the SAAB works team.
 
sl55 amg said:
STIG comes from what they used to call new people at clarksons school. It spells 'gits' backwards.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Wilman and Clarkson called the new kids "Stig" All this talk about Blomquist is irrelevant.
 
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