14 DAY TRIAL // As Jeremy Clarkson and the BBC are trying to quell the scandal caused by a seemingly offensive license plate on the Top Gear car which went to Argentina for a special episode, some in the press are eager to prove that the number was never an unfortunate coincidence like Clarkson said.
The Daily Mail claims that a second license plate with “BEII END” written on it is a clear reference to the Falklands War, more to the point, to the End of Belgrano, an Argentinian war ship sunk by the British in the confrontation.
A second offensive license plate is thought to be referencing the Belgrano war ship
The first number plate that sparked much outrage with locals in Argentina had written H982 FKL on it, but Clarkson and his production team have insisted that it was just a mere coincidence, not a reference to the Falklands War.
The BBC isn't sure and is conducting its own investigation, especially since Clarkson is known for his often scandalous jokes, sometimes deeply offensive, and in other cases simply racist.
The second set of plates was found in the convoy by local police, and originally it was thought that they were a local derogatory slang word, but now the Mail insists that they allude to an Argentinian boat whose sinking in 1982 by the British submarine HMS Conqueror is still viewed as controversial, since it was done in the Exclusion Zone.
Last week, fellow presenter on Top Gear James May jumped to Jeremy Clarkson's defense saying that people saw in the license plate only what they wanted to see and that it was all just a coincidence.
Clarkson still maintains the plates were an accident
However, a separate investigation revealed that the numbers on the car Clarkson was driving (also accidentally) were older ones which were reattached to the vehicle as soon as it entered Argentina. The number under which the Porsche in question was bought was H1 VAE. It's still not known why the producers chose to use the car's older numbers.
The public is now divided into two camps, as is the media, when it comes to whether or not the plates were an accident or a cleverly planned joke on behalf of the crew. Regardless of their intentions, for the Top Gear production team this was a serious crisis, since Clarkson revealed that the protesters searched for them in their hotel and that they were forced to hide under a bed to avoid being lynched.
The crew and the presenters managed to get out of the country under police protection. The presenters have been maintaining their innocence ever since, saying repeatedly and to anyone who was willing to listen that they were the victims of a stupid coincidence.
Meanwhile, Clarkson is awaiting the results of the BBC investigation to know whether or not he'll keep his job on Top Gear. The network's executives have warned him before about causing the BBC further embarrassment with his stunts and he was already placed on a “this is your final warning” list.