The January 30, 2011 episode of 'Top Gear' featured a segment on the Mastretta MXT, the first car of its kind to be manufactured in Mexico. “Cars reflect national characteristics, don’t they?” host Richard Hammond asked. And then, “Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.”
Following the remark, Mexican Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora called for a public apology "…for offenses against Mexico, Mexicans and State Representative, made by the presenters of the TV show 'Top Gear' of BBC 2, who ridicule the occasion of the Mexican Sports car Mastretta, made comments that this representation considered demeaning and xenophobia against Mexicans."
While the use of offensive stereotypes caused an uproar among listeners, the show’s credibility was further damaged by the revelation that the show hosts hadn’t even tested the car. In an interview with respected Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui, Mastretta company president Carlos Mastretta noted that "they (the drivers for TV) took a picture off the internet, and from there [made] this unfortunate comment."
"It was a real annoyance, because in truth, the show used the car as a pretext to make comments said to be humorous, but which in reality were xenophobic, discriminatory and racist," Mastretta said at the company's factory in Ocoyoacac, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Mexico City.
According to the Independent, the BBC did issue an apology, but defended the comments, saying that they were exemplary of British humour. "The show has explained they were making comic use of a stereotype; a practice with which regular viewers of 'Top Gear' will be familiar," the broadcaster said.
All the publicity appears to be having an unintended benefit for the car company: Mastretta is enjoying newfound fame, an increase in traffic at its web site, and a boost in advance sales – some of which are coming from the UK. “I have various agreements with distributors in Europe and we're in initial talks with countries in Latin America like Brazil and Chile," said Carlos Mastretta.
As it happens, this is not the first time the show’s taken a shot at the carmaker. In the summer of 2008, 'Top Gear' ran a story titled "Tequila Slammer". "Mexico: world leader in the fields of refried bean cuisine, high-level corruption and giant hats," the article begins. "But not sports cars. Not yet, anyhow."
