The show's logo.
The Car's The Star, occasionally referred to in related media as Top Gear: The Car's The Star, was a spinoff of Original format Top Gear hosted exclusively by Quentin Willson, with each episode focused on a particular classic car, whether well-loved or infamous. The show lasted for six series and 33 episodes, and aired from 1994 through to 1999, with repeats through to September 2001.
As part of BBC Four's "1997 Week" in March 2007, Series 4, Episode 3, which was dedicated to the Ford Capri, was reshown for the first time since August 1999. It would be repeated a week later.
Its concept perhaps inspired the later series James May's Cars of the People, which had a similar premise and was also presented exclusively by a Top Gear presenter, in this case James May.
Series[]
| Series | Episodes | Originally aired |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 25th September 1994 - 30th October 1994 |
| 2 | 6 | 17th February 1995 - 23rd May 1995 |
| 3 | 3 | 14th September 1996 - 16th November 1996 |
| 4 | 6 | 13th October 1997 - 17th November 1997 |
| 5 | 6 | 8th November 1998 - 27th December 1998 |
| 6 | 6 | 6th September 1999 - 11th October 1999 |
Releases[]
The show was never released on any home video media format, and only one episode, Series 4, Episode 1, is available for downloading on BBC iPlayer. As a result, much like other video media produced by Top Gear prior to its 2002 relaunch, the show is considered lost. However, many episodes survive through home recordings posted to video sharing sites such as YouTube. This was helped due to each episode's multiple re-runs through to late 2001, which was a privilege not enjoyed by the show it was spun off of.
In 1997, the show received an official board game under the same name, which was similarly focused on classic cars and trivia pertaining to them.