Continuing on Five this week is the series that sees Chris Barrie examine the evolution of machines designed for speed. Tonight, he focuses on sports cars, tracing their history from the Bugatti Type 23 of the early 20th century, to its modern-day equivalent, capable of reaching 254mph.

“Sports cars –they’re fast, they’re agile and most of all, they’re fun,” says Chris Barrie. “But where did sports cars come from?” In tonight’s programme, Chris explores how these highly desirable machines have developed from their origins in motor racing at the beginning of the 20th century, to the supercars of today. His first stop is the Prescott Speed Hill Climb in England –a racing course dedicated to the work of the man who created sports cars as they are known today.

Born in Italy in 1881, Ettore Bugatti set up a car factory in France when he was 28 with the intention of producing the greatest cars ever made. In 1908, the Panhard Grand Prix car, with its huge 13-litre engine, set the standard for motor sport. But Bugatti spotted a weakness in the car’s design –since it was so large and heavy, the Panhard was terrible at cornering. Bugatti began work on a design that would revolutionise motor sport, scrapping the heavy engine and investing in more engineering to achieve better handling. The result was the Type 23 –a machine dwarfed in size, power and weight by the Panhard, but with better grip, acceleration, cornering and braking. Built in 1926, Bugatti’sType 35 became the most successful racing car of all time, winning an incredible 501 races in one year. The Italian had shown that smaller, lightweight cars were key to success in motor sport, but his greatest legacy was in proving that success on the track meant big profit in the showroom.

Capitalising on his growing fame in Europe, Bugatti started to make street - legal versions of his racing cars to be sold to people wealthy enough to afford them –he had created the sports car. “It’s difficult to believe in this day and age,” says Chris as he climbs behind the wheel of the Type 37A –the street-legal version of the Type 35, “but buying one of these cars in the 1920s was the equivalent of buying a Formula 1 car today.”

By the 1950s, sports-car racing was big business. The ultimate prize in the sport was the 24 Hours of Le Mans –a gruelling test of speed and endurance, victory at which brought huge financial reward. In 1952, German car manufacturer Mercedes wanted a slice of the Le Mans pie so gave Alfred Neubauer, the head of racing at the time, a big budget and 12 months to design a vehicle that would compete with the Jaguar XK120. Neubauer created the 300SL – or Gullwing –the fastest car of its era. The Gullwing had less power than the Jaguar, but had a clever engine design which allowed it a low centre of gravity and great control. In 1952, the Gullwing took first place at Le Mans. The road version of the Gullwing cost some $10,000 in 1954, but is now worth half a million. “It’s one of the most desirable sports cars of all time,” enthuses Chris. “The whole car just smacks of absolute quality.”

Up until the 1960s, European cars were the undisputed kings of the track, but their reign came to a dramatic end in 1963. The grandson of Henry Ford, also called Henry, decided that it was time an American car won Le Mans so met with a small British car manufacturer called Lola. Together, they built the GT40, a 40-inch high machine whose seven-litre V8 engine allowed it to reach 200mph.

“It’s shorter than a Shetland pony, but a whole lot more fun to ride,” says Chris. In 1966, the Ford GT40 took first, second and third place at Le Mans, with the fourth-place car miles behind.

The last stop on Chris’s tour takes him full circle, back to the beginning of his quest. In 1998, VW boss Ferdinand Pïch bought the Bugatti brand and announced that he was going to build the world’s fastest car, with a 1,000bhp engine. It took many years and a huge investment, but in 2005, the Bugatti Veyron reached the production stage. Capable of accelerating from 0-100kph in just 2.5 seconds and with a top speed of 254mph, the Veyron became the fastest car in the world.

Friday 15 February / 7:30pm