Scrapheap Challenge events. Examples of challenges included making a jet car, a bridging machine, a car-crusher, and a machine to fling a British Leyland Mini as far as possible. Assistant producer Eve Kay had the idea for the show after watching a scene in the movie "Apollo 13", where NASA engineers had only a short period of time to construct a carbon dioxide filter out of parts available on the space capsule. The show also draws its inspiration from the 1980s TV series "The Great Egg Race". The UK show was originally presented by Robert Llewellyn, joined in series 2-4 by producer
Dick Strawbridge which he was the main presenter, "Planet Mechanics", and as a regular guest presenter on "Coast". Following his switch of career to television, Strawbridge often refers to himself as a "telly tart". Strawbridge began his career in television as the 'Yellow Team Leader' for six episodes in the first series of 'Scrapheap'. He has to date appeared in over 30 programmes of "Scrapheap Challenge" and "Junkyard Wars", winning the "Scrapheap Challenge" trophy in series 3 with his two younger brothers David and Bobby as 'Brothers in Arms', and the "Junkyard Megawars" trophy in 2003. On 5 June 2008, it was