Good evening…
interesting thread this I often look in.
Sadly I have nothing to offer re the main subject matter, however the mention of Tiff Needel triggered a memory that may be of interest to som or none 
In the mid Eighties I did a bit for an endurance racing team based near Andover, to be honest they were nothing better than Midfield runners but I was charged with taking the car etc to various circuits in UK and Europe.
On one occasion there was a test day at Thruxton and a guest driver was to evaluate the car and do a report for Autosport. The driver concerned was Tiff and as this was before any tv work and he wasn’t that well known .
Our regular driver was James Weaver who went on to bigger things ( and better teams ) …
We’d arrived at the circuit Early and later in the morning I had to go out and move the truck, only to find it blocked in… I walked backed into the garage and said to the Chief mechanic who was deep in conversation “some ■■■■■ parked his Jag right in front of the truck “ … Oh, I’m terribly sorry that’s me says Tiff 
All the best, Baldrick.