The thirty-second series of Original format Top Gear, starring presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Tiff Needell, and Quentin Willson alongside a plethora of other hosts premiered on the 22nd of September, 1994 and concluded on the 22nd of December, 1994. It marked the debut of female presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson, who would star in two episodes, though would not return for a full-time role until Series 38 in 1997, three years later.
It was also the on-screen debut of producer Andy Wilman, long-term friend of Jeremy Clarkson since childhood, and Russell Bulgin, respected writer for Car magazine whose three appearances in this series marked the only time he ever appeared on any form of video-based media prior to his death in 2002.
This series marked the introduction of a new title sequence and on-screen graphics, which would be used through to Series 39 in 1998. It was largely based on an orange and black chevron motif, with the new intro employing both toy cars and manipulated photos of full-sized vehicles enhanced with digital effects, including a Messerschmitt KR200 comically shrinking itself down further in order to fit in a very tight space, as well as a model Ferrari 456 getting spray-painted black and slid down a makeshift skidpan, with the Top Gear logo visible under the water.
The first series of Willson's spin-off programme The Car's The Star premiered three days after the first episode aired, and was centred around cars that had made themselves "stars", either due to their notoriety or through playing the part of a hero in film and television. This programme would last for six series, all the way through to 1999.
Lineup[]
The hosts for this series were:
- Jeremy Clarkson (main host - 10 episodes)
- Quentin Willson (10 episodes)
- Steve Berry (8 episodes)
- Tony Mason (8 episodes)
- Tiff Needell (7 episodes)
Recurring presenters[]
- Chris Goffey (4 episodes)
- Michele Newman (3 episodes)
- Vicki Butler-Henderson (2 episodes)
Guest presenters[]
- Russell Bulgin (Episodes 3, 5 & 11)
- Andy Wilman (Episode 4)
- Stephen Bayley (Episode 7)
Episodes[]
| Episode Number | Synopsis | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | In the first programme of the autumn series Jeremy Clarkson test drives the £180,000 Bentley Continental R to find out if it's just a stately home on wheels, while Quentin Willson takes the new Mazda 323 out to see if its performance matches its good looks. And Steve Berry takes a nerve-shattering trip with motorcycle stunt rider Gary Rothwell. | 22/09/94 |
| 2 | On tonight's programme, Jeremy Clarkson is in the Highlands to test drive the new Jaguar XJ series, including the supercharged four-litre XJR, which was unveiled only yesterday. Tiff Needell puts the first all-new Range Rover to be launched for nearly a quarter of a century through its paces on a 350-mile trip from Solihull to Scotland. Tony Mason peers at the Perthshire scenery through the mud on the lens during the third round of the Top Gear British Rally Championship. | 29/09/94 |
| 3 | The work of an almost forgotten design genius is reviewed on tonight's programme when Jeremy Clarkson drives four million dollars’ worth of some of the most beautiful cars ever built – the three BAT cars created for Alfa Romeo by styling genius Franco Scaglione back in the '50s. Plus Quentin Willson looks at the new Mazda MX-5. | 06/10/94 |
| 4 | On tonight's programme, Jeremy Clarkson tests the new ultra-light aluminium-bodied Audi A8. And Steve Berry meets the Pre-50 American Car Club and drives some of the most stylish US models from before the era of fins and chrome. | 13/10/94 |
| 5 | Jeremy Clarkson and Quentin Willson run the rule over the star exhibits at Britain's biggest motoring event – the British International Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. Away from the crowds, Tiff Needell gets to grips on road and track with a car that's got Formula 1 pedigree. | 20/10/94 |
| 6 | Jeremy Clarkson hands over the driving seat to Michael Schumacher, who pushes the new Ford Mustang to the limit round Silverstone. Plus Steve Berry on the latest motorcycle from MZ, formerly an East German company regarded in motorcycling circles with about the same degree of enthusiasm that Lada and Skoda generate among car buffs. But their new British-designed bike, the Skorpion, is set to change all that. | 27/10/94 |
| 7 | Volkswagen's Beetle and Golf were trendsetters in their day but the Polo was always the runt of the litter – it's not been a top seller in the small car market for years. Stephen Bayley decides whether the re-born Polo, launched in Britain at the end of last month at prices from £7,000 to £11,750, will fare better. Plus Tony Mason in the Manx Rally, the final round of this year's British Rally Championship. | 03/11/94 |
| 8 | Tony Mason follows the careers of two drivers taking part in next week's RAC Rally, Britain's round of the world championship. Bradford sisters Stephanie and Rachael Simmonite, who first appeared on Top Gear last year, have progressed over the last 12 months from complete novices to their first RAC entry. Jeremy Clarkson drives new roadgoing versions of two rally-bred sports cars, the Toyota Celica GT-Four and the latest Ford Escort Cosworth. | 17/11/94 |
| 9 | Steve Berry visits the East Los Angeles Car Show for the low-down on Lowriders – a youth movement which embraces thousands of people from the city's large Hispanic community. In this unique form of car culture American cars from the 1940s to the present day are extravagantly decorated with ornate gold-plated wheels, acres of velour and custom-designed murals. Plus, Tony Mason reporting on the RAC Rally. | 24/11/94 |
| 10 | Quentin Willson tests BMW's new Compact – at £13,000 something of a step downmarket for the company, which reckons it can compete with small sporting hatchbacks like VW's Golf GTi or Citroën's ZX Volcane. Will it open up the pleasures of BMW motoring to a wider clientele or simply cheapen a highly respected brand? Also, Jeremy Clarkson finds out what it's like to drive a full racing-spec touring car when he takes Tiff Needell's Nissan Primera for a high-speed drive around the Oulton Park race circuit. | 01/12/94 |
| 11 | Within the next decade, South Korea could be making many of our basic cars. They already make nearly two million vehicles a year, significantly more than Britain's motor industry, and even the mighty Japanese are worried by Korea's manufacturing potential. But this rapidly advancing nation has some quaint ways of doing business – like the way customers are actually encouraged to do their own repairs. Top Gear road tests the Hyundai Accent and looks at some of the extraordinary ways Koreans use cars. | 08/12/94 |
| 12 | Would James Bond approve of the new DB7? At £80,000 it is cheap for an Aston Martin, but it now has to compete with "mass-produced" luxury sports cars like the Porsche 928 and BMW 850 – cars which are not merely for special occasions but serious everyday transport. Jeremy Clarkson looks back at classic Aston Martin models and tests the new one. | 15/12/94 |
| 13 | In this year's Christmas special, Australian rally ace Ross Dunkerton reports on the intrepid team who are driving 50 crazy cars 1,600 miles across the outback for their Variety Club Bash. Steve Berry tries a Harley-Davidson, and there's an offbeat look at how viewers think Top Gear should be presented. | 22/12/94 |
[]
| Series 32 (1977 format) | |
|---|---|
| Presenters | Jeremy Clarkson | Quentin Willson | Steve Berry | Tony Mason | Tiff Needell |
| Recurring | Chris Goffey | Michele Newman | Vicki Butler-Henderson |
| Episodes | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 Episode 9 | Episode 10 | Episode 11 | Episode 12 | Episode 13 |
| Series (1977 format) | |
|---|---|
| Needell-era | Series 41 | Series 42 | Series 43 | Series 44 | Series 45 |
| Clarkson-era | Series 26 | Series 27 | Series 28 | Series 29 | Series 30 | Series 31 | Series 32 | Series 33 | Series 34 | Series 35 | Series 36 Series 37 | Series 38 | Series 39 | Series 40 |
| Woollard-era | Series 6 | Series 7 | Series 8 | Series 9 | Series 10 | Series 11 | Series 12 | Series 13 | Series 14 | Series 15 | Series 16 | Series 17 Series 18 | Series 19 | Series 20 | Series 21 | Series 22 | Series 23 | Series 24 | Series 25 |
| Rippon-era Edmonds-era Jackson-era |
Regional Shows | Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Series 5 |