THE MIDDLE LANE

It's time we started appreciating those who spend big on new car companies, says TGTV's Sam Philip

- Sam Philip

So how about a bit of love for the billionaires?

They cop a lot of flak, the old 0.001 per cent. But I've just spent a few days happily thumping around the Highlands in the Ineos Grenadier - the rugged off-road brainchild of petrochemical moneybags Jim Ratcliffe - and my main takeaway is: won't someone give the poor petrochemical moneybags a break?

This is a guy who's plunged a reported £1.3 billion into Ineos Automotive to get it off the ground. Yet, to judge by the internet at least, the majority verdict on his investment seems to be, "Yeah but your car looks like an old Defender knockoff, mate."