From humble beginnings as a 1970s motoring show, Top Gear has gone on to achieve diesel-powered world domination. After Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman successfully pitched a new format to BBC bosses, Top Gear returned to become the irreverent, funny and often controversial show we now know and love. The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, the Cool Wall and Power Laps by the mysterious Stig have all become staples of Britain's favourite Sunday evening entertainment. Recent series have been defined by their madcap challenges such as driving across Africa in clapped-out bangers – with predictably hilarious results. However, the show's most shocking moment came in 2006, when Hammond suffered serious head injuries while driving a Vampire turbojet drag racing car at over 300mph. Clarkson, Hammond and May; they are the politically-incorrect-joking, stone-washed-denim-wearing, bloke-hero trio for the modern(ish) age. This brilliant, detailed book is fitting tribute to the show, its presenters and its most memorable moments.
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Martin Roach. The Top Gear Story - The 100% Unofficial Story of the Most Famous Car Show... In The World
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
‘Old’ Top Gear
Jeremy Clarkson, Part I
The Hamster and Captain Slow, Part I
The ‘New’ Top Gear
The Star in a Reasonably Priced Car
Caravans
‘How Hard Can It Be?’
The Top Gear Specials: ‘US Road Trip’
The Stig: Top Gear’s Tame Racing Driver
Jeremy Clarkson, Part II
Top Gear Haters
Cheap Car Challenges
The Bugatti Veyron
Richard Hammond, Part II
James May, Part II
Jeremy Clarkson, Part III
The Crash
Supercars and Top Gear
The Polar Trek
The Stig Versus Top Gear
Nothing Changes, Nothing Stays the Same
Headlines and Heat
Back in the Game
The Best Job In The World!
Appendices. Appendix I: ‘Old Top Gear’ Presenters
Appendix II: ‘New Top Gear’ Presenters
Appendix III: Guests on New Top Gear. SERIES 1
SERIES 2
SERIES 3
SERIES 4
SERIES 5
SERIES 6
SERIES 7
SERIES 8
SERIES 9
SERIES 10
SERIES 11
SERIES 12
SERIES 13
SERIES 14
SERIES 15
Appendix IV: Top Gear Trading Cards
Copyright
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For my two little petrol-heads,
Super Sport and Little Turbo
.....
‘I’d become established as a producer [by then so] I felt in a strong position to back my hunch, arrange a screen test and convince my boss we should hire him. Of course these days if you feel like screen testing someone, you can just point your phone at them and record a video. Back then, in 1988, it was almost before the days of even VHS camcorders and you’d need a bit of investment in a crew with a sound recordist to go out and shoot a screen test, so I had to convince the powers-that-be to invest in a screen test day.’
A full day of screen testing was arranged at Shugborough in Staffordshire and Clarkson, along with an array of other potential presenters including several high-profile car magazine editors and writers, was invited along. ‘I tested Jeremy [on that day] along with a few other people I thought might have potential. I asked people to bring along a car of their choice and talk about it for two minutes then I would supply a surprise car for them to talk about unprepared. I chose the 2CV because I thought it was universally known and the sort of car everyone would have an opinion on.
