RICHARD Hammond and his The Grand Tour co-stars are bidding farewell to the show, as it begins its final series on September 13, 2024.
But who is the Grand Tour presenter and what cars does he own? Here’s everything you need to know.
Beloved TV presenter
Richard Mark Hammond was born December 19, 1969, and is a British presenter, writer, and journalist.
He also has the nickname “Hamster”, which he is loving referred to by fans.
He is best known for hosting Top Gear (from 2002 to 2015), and the Grand Tour (from 2016-2024) with Jeremy Clarkson and James May.
He has also presented Brainiac: Science Abuse (2003–2006), Total Wipeout (2009–2012) and Planet Earth Live (2012).
Car aficionado
Richard has had a massive collection of cars from throughout history.
As well as a vast car collection he is also an avid motorcycle fan and also owns his own tractor.
Just some of the cars he has owned are:
- 1931 Lagonda 2-litre Superchards
- Land Rover Defender
- Lotus Esprit 350 Sport
- Porsche 911 GT3 RS
- Bentley S1
- 1979 MG Midget
- 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 in Highland Green
- 1958 Jaguar XK150
Journalist wife
Richard married Amanda “Mindy” Hammond in 2002, after the birth of their first daughter.
Mindy is a columnist for The Express, who writes about her life.
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They have two children together, Isabella and Willow.
Isabella now presents the podcast Who We Are Now, with her dad.
The series dives into discussions of men’s mental health and how to raise daughters in the modern world.
Horror crashes
Richard has cheated death twice after having two horror crashes.
2006 crash
On September 20, 2006, Richard suffered serious head injuries after a jet-powered car spun out of control at 288mph while filming extra footage for Top Gear.
He was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary’s neurological unit where he remained in a coma for two weeks.
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It was touch and go on whether he would survive and Mindy revealed that he didn’t recognise her when he woke up.
Richard revealed that because of his brain injury he has suffered memory loss, depression and sometimes finds it hard to “connect emotionally”.
2017 crash
On June 10, 2017, Richard had to be airlifted to hospital after cheating death again in another crash in Switzerland while filming The Grand Tour.
He was driving a supercar worth £2million for the Amazon show when he lost control before it flipped and then burst into flames.
Luckily, Hammond escaped with only a fractured knee.