The Grand Tour – One for the Road

All good things must come to an end. We realise that may be a rather trite aphorism but it doesn’t alter the fact that it’s absolutely true. As a forty-something year old I stopped partying like I was in my twenties, well, when I was in my twenties actually, and we all have to come home after that particularly relaxing holiday to pick up “normal” life where we left off. The chequered flag at Le Mans has to be waved after 24 Hours, too and sadly those three self-proclaimed (loveable) idiots from Top Gear have to stop making The Grand Tour. Booooo.

For years Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have been making us laugh, cry and shout at our televisions as we loyally followed them on their various petrolhead adventures around the world, first with BBC’s Top Gear and then later with The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime Video since 2016.

Over the course of that time this trio of car fanatics has gone from a bunch of little known motoring journalists to full on international celebrities, such is their popularity, and it’s a popularity that’s stoked by their incredibly natural and incandescent chemistry, well and truly cauterizing them into the collective consciousness.

Love them or loathe them there’s no denying the impact and influence they’ve had on generations of motoring enthusiasts across the globe, ourselves included, and it’s testament to their enduring likeability that they have transcended the boundaries of “car people” to become something more, striking a chord with the general public regardless of their opinions on the motoring industry.

One of our lead auction consigners Henry Smith remarks: ”As a ’90s child and a fan of old Top Gear, receiving Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘Unleashed on Cars’ VHS for my 7th birthday in 1996 was a pivotal moment in my love for cars. The camaraderie, humour and chemistry of the now infamous trio only elevated this passion when Top Gear was rebooted in 2003. They made a profound impact on motoring culture and remain a crucial part of my childhood, but most importantly of all, they spoke the language of cars in a dialect that resonated with me. I will miss them. A lot.”

It’s been a roller coaster of a ride, that’s for sure. Some have matured gracefully whilst others have aged like a fine milk (we’ll leave you to figure out which is which) but all three are unquestionably getting on a bit and despite being covered in a fine veneer of comedy, producing a Grand Tour episode is quite the feat of physical and mental endurance. It’s a young man’s game, and none of these guys could, with any good grace, be considered particularly spritely any more.

James May is under no allusions, as he told the Sunday Times: “We’re old now. I set off as a puffy-faced youth with lustrous long dark hair that seemed to be permanently tousled by a warm zephyr, believing I’d landed a gig that might last a couple of years. I parked up grey, stooped, with a bad back, looking for my glasses”.

Richard Hammond was in an equally reflective mood when chatting to The Independent, claiming: “We started together on Top Gear together 23 years ago and it went berserk. We didn’t know it was going to do that and we wanted to make sure when we finally landed our partnership together that it was on our own terms”.

As for Clarkson, he’s already got various other projects well under way what with his farm and new pub keeping him busy, but that doesn’t mean he’s not sad to see TGT come to a close. Often the most emotional of the bunch it’s clear that to him The Grand Tour was always more than a car show. It was about friendships, camaraderie, and indeed, taking the piss, things that we can all relate to. But as he rightly points out: “We’ve had the same crews for years. We’ve all grown up together. We’ve camped together. These are the guys who really made those shows. They’re the ones who kept the cameras and the microphones going even when it was cold or dangerous”. It’s a beautifully selfless statement but that’s not to say he doesn’t consider the three protagonists as: “the luckiest people on Earth”, and rightly so.

So with the news that the latest episode of The Grand Tour – aptly titled “One for the Road” – will be Clarkson, Hammond and May’s last hurrah, we thought we’d take a look at the three cars featured because at the end of the day, the cars have always been the real stars, for us petrolheads at least.

 
The final episode sees the triumphant trio head back to Zimbabwe in Africa in three classics they’ve always hankered after — Clarkson in a Lancia Montecarlo, Hammond in a Mk I Ford Capri 3.0-litre and May in a Triumph Stag, any of which we would be proud to pootle to the shops in, let alone take on a trip across Africa! All rear-wheel drive, all beautifully styled and all with cracking engines the three cars the boys have chosen for their final foray unto the breach are worthy steeds indeed, but will they make it back intact?

The cars are driven east-to-west across Zimbabwe, before finishing up over the border on the salt pans in Botswana and it’s sure to be an emotional ride, not just for the presenters but for those watching at home, too. We haven’t seen it yet but we’re pretty sure you’re going to need tissues at the ready folks. You have been warned.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to end there for you lot. You could live vicariously through our intrepid heroes by picking up your very own Montecarlo, Capri or Stag right here on Car & Classic and making your own memories. There are plenty on site to choose from but it’s up to you whether you take them around the world or not.

Does the Montecarlo tickle your fancy?

Or maybe you prefer the Capri?

What about the Stag? (Yes, that is the actual TGT car that was sold right here on Car & Classic)

And so, after 22 years of blackguarding, tomfoolery and many, many happy memories, the three will go their separate ways. It’s safe to say they got the formula spot on. It was very much a case of the right people at the right time and we seriously doubt it will ever be bettered. That’s OK though, because boy, what a legacy they leave behind!

But perhaps, as Richard Hammond so eloquently puts it: “you just savour the sadness”. And so for the last time… here we go.