• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Top Gear’s Renault Espace Challenge

August 22, 2014 By Nadeem Muaddi

Auto Upholstery News - The Hog Ring - Top Gear Renault Espace Convertible

We’ve seen some terrible DIY convertible tops, but the folks over at Top Gear win first prize for the worst of all time.

Back in 2009, they chopped the top off a Renault Espace minivan to create their own retractable soft top. The result was comical (to says the least), but the real fun didn’t start until they were challenged to put it through its paces.

Watch as they drive their custom flop-top Espace convertible over 100 mph, through a wild safari and even a high-power carwash…

Needless to say, Top Gear did NOT pick up that convertible top from Electron Top or Kee Auto Top, and it definitely wasn’t made using Haartz fabric.

Filed Under: Archive, Funny Upholstery Repairs, Ugly Upholstery Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Convertible Top, Groupe Renault, Renault Espace, Top Gear

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. frozen-stitches says

    August 22, 2014 at 9:07 pm

    Looks like a boat Bimini top that was retrofitted. Top gear and pimp my rides have the best comical mods done to cars.

  2. Geoff says

    August 22, 2014 at 9:10 pm

    The back almost looks like it came off a Tracker.

  3. Gjudd says

    August 22, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    Thay have a great fun them boys! I managed to get tickets to watch them do a show in the studio which is in a hanger at RAF dunsfold in surrey, the test track is on the air field out the front.

    Great fun it was like being in a bar just having a laugh then they edit it into the show

  4. Gjudd says

    August 22, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    In the episode you can see them make it which I guess is on you tube

  5. Lairds Customs says

    August 23, 2014 at 3:16 pm

    Top gear on BBC is one of the best shows ever!!
    Those guys are awesome. They come up with some crazy stuff. NOT to be confused with top gear America, (they just rip off everything that the real show does)

  6. Ed Wolford says

    January 4, 2015 at 2:27 pm

    That really shows What a person with Three years experience can do and they claim they are upholsterers
    Set up shop and start cutting prices

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Douglass Interior Products
  • Hyde Leather
  • Keyston Bros
  • MasterTech Expo 2026
  • Albright's Supply
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring

THR Favorites

10 Questions for Trimmer Shannon Walters

If you were to poll the hot rod community to … [more] about 10 Questions for Trimmer Shannon Walters

Selecting the Correct Needle Point

Keystone Sewing Company has made available a … [more] about Selecting the Correct Needle Point

10 Questions for Sue of Fast N’ Loud

Thanks to a regular appearance on Discovery … [more] about 10 Questions for Sue of Fast N’ Loud

The Hog Ring - How to make a french seam lay flat

How to Make a French Seam Lay Flat

Did you ever wonder how automakers make … [more] about How to Make a French Seam Lay Flat

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Faurecia flat-seam stitch

Faurecia Introduces Flat-Seam Stitching

Faurecia, one of the largest automotive … [more] about Faurecia Introduces Flat-Seam Stitching

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro - JNG Creations

JNG Creations’ Custom 1969 Camaro

Jean-Noël Greffeuille of JNG Creations in … [more] about JNG Creations’ Custom 1969 Camaro

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • Keyston Bros Brings the Distressed Leather Look to It’s New Vinyl Collection
  • Jason Bowen Built a Successful Auto Trim Shop. Now He’s Building a Community.
  • Design It Before You Build It: Ben Hermance Headlines MasterTech Expo’s Design Session
  • Automotive Foam Market to Reach $82 Billion by 2030
  • Leather or Not, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Still Costs the Same

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2026 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in