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Set to air on 13th September, this historic episode will mark the end of a two-decade old on-screen partnership for Clarkson, Hammond and May
by Khris Bharath on August 22, 2024, 19:30Remember how Jeremey pointed out at the end of Season 3 of The Grand Tour back in 2019, that although their studio format had come to an end, they would continue to produce their annual GT specials for a while? Well, this is it, the last one. The final time you’ll see Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May on The Grand Tour. They’ve just dropped a teaser of their upcoming annual special dubbed ’One For The Road’.
The End Of An Era For Clarkson Hammond And May
The boys are out and about in the wild once again, coming to you from Zimbabwe this time around. Clarkson is behind the wheel of a Lancia Montecarlo, Hammond is in a Ford Capri, and May is in a Triumph Stag. Now the African continent is not new to the lads. We’ve seen them traverse the bush across several specials on both TopGear and The Grand Tour. One of my personal favorites has got to be the Botswana Special where they drive across the salt pans. Remember Oliver? Another African favorite, this time from GT, was the Namibia Special and more recently, The Sand Job.
This latest teaser not only shows us a frankly emotional montage of this year’s Grand Tour Special, but it also celebrates 22 years of friendship and the on-screen chemistry between three of the most influential automotive personalities on Television. But the reason why this chemistry was so magical was that when Clarkson, Hammond, and May came together on screen (starting Season 2 Episode 1 of Top Gear), they strived to make films that were not just for car people, but for a wider demographic. There was drama, humor, and a sense of adventure, especially when it came to the annual specials. On occasion, I would go as far as to say that it was educational because I learned more about geography on TopGear than I did at school. I was particularly fond of Clarkson’s analogies. Basically, you didn’t have to be a car person to enjoy the show.
Since we here at MotorHeads focus on Porsche content, I’d like to refresh your memory on what each of the trio thinks about the German marque. Jeremy has always maintained that the 911 was a VW Beetle. The only Porsche that I vividly remember Clarkson wholeheartedly raving about was the Carrera GT. He also holds a special place in his heart for the 928. Hammond and May, meanwhile are Porsche people through and through. Richard currently owns not one, but two 992-generation 911s.
But as far as adventures go, since this is the end of the road for The Grand Tour, it really marks the end of an era that inspired an entire generation of gearheads, including myself. For someone who has watched every single episode of both shows since the beginning, this is a bittersweet moment and I probably wouldn’t have even been in this career if it wasn’t for Jeremy, Richard, and James. ’One For The Road’ is set to air on Prime on the 13th of September 2024 so let’s savor the magic one last time.
Mercifully, it’s not the end of the road regarding content from the three presenters on their projects. We’ve got DriveTribe that continues to feed us bits and bobs about TopGear from back in the day, Clarkson’s Farm, James May’s Planet Gin,, and Richard Hammond’s workshop.
Khris Bharath
Khris is a Mechanical Engineer and a classic car aficionado, who adores his Jags, Alfas, and old-school American muscle cars. He keeps tabs on everything from super exotics like an old EB 110 to the latest from Lucid and geeks out on three-row family haulers. Formula One remains very close to his heart, and he diligently makes time to tune in for the Grand Prix on Sundays. Khris also loves his road trips and he prefers a stick shift over an auto. Read full bio
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