Top Gear UK was a juggernaut, vastly exceeding the broadcaster’s viewing projections. Each episode drew a worldwide audience of 300 million, making it the most successful automotive show in television history. When the BBC decided not to renew Jeremy Clarkson’s contract in April 2015, his fellow hosts, James May and Richard Hammond, resigned, and the trio signed a contract with Amazon Prime to deliver a new program called The Grand Tour. The chemistry from the Top Gear days was clearly visible in The Grand Tour, but after working together for over twenty-two years, the team decided to retire on a high. The final episode, titled “The Grand Tour: One for The Road,” which aired in September 2024, featured a road trip across Zimbabwe, with each presenter choosing a classic car they had always wanted to own. Clarkson chose a 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider, and when filming ended, he bought it from Amazon to add to his private collection. However, Clarkson has decided to downsize his collection and is offering the Montecarlo here at Iconic Auctioneers in Birmingham, UK. It is set to go under the hammer on November 14th in a No Reserve auction.
Lancia released the Montecarlo in 1975, with the updated Series 2 remaining on sale from 1980 to 1982. Our featured car is from the final production year and is a rare classic in its own right. Lancia produced the Montecarlo as a Coupe and a Spider, and this car is one of 817 Series 2 Spiders produced. The styling, penned by Pininfarina, is crisp and received significant praise at the time. Typically, vehicles used for the Top Gear and The Grand Tour Specials started unchanged and were modified during the journey to better cope with prevailing conditions. “One for The Road” strayed from that formula, with each presenter modifying their chosen vehicle before the adventure began. Cosmetically, Jeremy Clarkson repainted the Montecarlo in Lotus Blue Metallic, fitted it with a grille, headlights, and wheels from a Delta Integrale, and taillights from a Ferrari 308. The Montecarlo remains in this form, though he replaced the front bumper that was destroyed during the journey. The vehicle looks very presentable, with no significant cosmetic shortcomings. Clarkson wanted to preserve this gem in essentially the form it was when filming ended, performing no panel repairs. Mild surface corrosion is evident in the engine bay, but there appears to be no penetrating rust. Overall, this beauty looks like a winner for enthusiasts seeking a driver-grade classic.
The modifications performed during many Top Gear and The Grand Tour Specials were quite radical and often created more problems than they solved. Clarkson fitted the Jaguar XJS he chose for the India Special with larger wheels and tires, and an exhaust stack poking through the hood. The larger tires rubbed mercilessly on the wheel arches, and the stack made the car noisier and reduced visibility. For “One for The Road,” he removed the Montecarlo’s leather seats and steering wheel, replacing them with cloth-covered Recaro seats and a Momo Alcantara wheel. The changes made the car more comfortable, especially on hot days when the leather would have been unbearable. He also added a Bluetooth stereo and a drink cooler where the glovebox should have been, though he removed the last item once the car returned to the UK. The car’s interior is serviceable, and since it has clocked so few miles since it arrived at the start line in Zimbabwe, the lack of seat and wheel wear is unsurprising. Clarkson chose preservation when he bought the car, and I suspect the new owner will leave the interior as-is.
One unusual aspect of this Montecarlo, compared to cars Jeremy Clarkson used in other Specials, is that he left the vehicle essentially mechanically unmodified. He fitted an upgraded exhaust, but left the drivetrain in its factory form. The mid-mounted 1,995cc DOHC four should produce around 118hp and 126 ft/lbs of torque, fed to the road via a five-speed manual transaxle. When the team began the “One for The Road” journey, the Lancia’s prospects didn’t look promising. It had covered under thirty miles on smooth sealed roads before it developed a severe misfire. A quick check revealed two minor problems, including a faulty spark plug tip and a failing high-tension lead. With both issues fixed, the car ran perfectly, and apart from a stuck throttle at one point and the transaxle occasionally popping out of gear, it never missed a beat for the rest of the trip. When Clarkson returned to the UK, he handed the Lancia to Max500 Ltd in Guildford, Surrey, who went through it to eliminate any mechanical issues. The Montecarlo runs and drives well, and is a turnkey proposition.
Jeremy Clarkson chose a 1982 Lancia Montecarlo for his last The Grand Tour adventure, not just because he had always wanted to own one. In 2007, the Top Gear team embarked on its first “Special” challenge. It involved traveling across Botswana from east to west in two-wheel-drive cars costing under £1,500. Clarkson chose a 1981 Lancia Beta Coupe; while it proved unreliable, it still completed the journey. He decided that since he had selected a Lancia for the first Special, the same marque would provide a fitting end. At the Zimbabwe-Botswana border, the team decided to continue to Kubu Island in the Makgadikgadi Pan. They felt that, since this had been an iconic location during their first Top Gear Special, it was the most appropriate place to close. In those final minutes, a poignant, unscripted moment surprised the presenters as Clarkson and May reunited with the Beta and 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E they had chosen for the first trip. It gave them a chance to reflect on the career journey they had followed and how fortunate they had been. When filming wrapped, each presenter bought their “One For the Road” car from Amazon and shipped it back to the UK. Clarkson admits he no longer has time to enjoy his Montecarlo as it deserves and wants it to find a new home with an enthusiast who will. So, if you’ve ever wanted to own a classic car that is also part of television history, this Lancia might be the ideal choice.
Great show 📺 Great article Clarkey 👏
Thanks so much for that, Stan. Both shows were pretty awesome, and I watch Clarkson’s Farm because it’s a bit of a laugh.
Might have been a hell of a racer but he ain’t no farmer! It’s a hoot watching Calab give him hell!
I’ll second that!!! Both about Adams write up and the show. I have great memories some years back watching Top Gear with both my sons. The huge laughs we would get. It would be late and I was supposed to go to bed to go to work the next day, my younger son would say want to watch another one Dad? And I would. And I’m glad I did.
We would always impersonate Jeremy saying YEEESSS!!!!!.
Thanks for the write up Adam, it’s a great car and I hope it goes to a good new home.
I appreciate the kind words, Driveinstile. I have almost every Top Gear episode, and I recently watched the final episode of The Grand Tour. My favorite Top Gear challenges were the times they tried to build amphibious cars. Clarkson’s catchphrase, “How hard can it be?” proved apt, because it turned out to be very hard!
Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond have an amazing chemistry. “How Hard can it Be?” Is now ringing in my head!!! Thanks again Adam!!!
Just a bad a$$ car. Love the stance and attitude. I liked the show too when ever I caught it, which wasn’t often. I think I would put the drink cooler back in where the glove box is
I have a series 1 montecarlo and encourage bidding for any Americans who love top gear and want a great driver’s car.
I drive mine more than my delta and it’s been highly reliable most of the time.
Looks like a skinny version of a Pacer.
The two worst cars I ever owned were mid 70s Lancias. They drove great, when they drove. I hope they got better.
Apparently, they did. With Al Consentino’s FAZA catalog as my guide, my desmogged 1977 Beta Berlina was a reliable, and comfortable long-distance cruiser. Despite claims of tin worm problems on early 1975 models in the UK market, my Beta had adequate corrosion protection to tackle years of salted winter roads in the Northeast States. When I sold it to a Midwest collector 12 years later, there was some surface rust on the subframe but, the body panels had no visible rust (Lancia’s corrosion protection was much better than my ’69 BMW 2500 where salt rotted out the front fenders). The Beta was great car, fun to drive.
Lancia and Top Gear!!! The Lancia shown was sold in the USA as a Scorpion. I own one that was modified to become a closer candidate to the Lancia 037. The cars are not only well engineered but occupy a berth of World Championships to their credit. My engine , a Lampredi, was modified to factory specs with the addition of dual Weber Carbs, balanced crank , ported and polished and overbore. I would have thought Clarkson would have tried to do same with this car ( make closer to the championship 037 cars)..
This is a classic, nicely kept Lancia, but Clarkson does have a way of damaging some vehicles. Highly collectible and most definably a sound investment. As a guess…..hammer drops at over $100,000! $50,000-$65,000 for the car and the rest for Clarkson ownership!
George,
Twin sons of different mothers? I’ve wanted one of these since they were initially marketed as a Fiat 1/20. Checking prices on even 037 Stradales, show me they’ll forever be out of reach.
You have to be kidding me, you would actually use Clarkson’s name to PROMOTE a car, LMAO! Thanks for the warning!
If you haven’t seen it, one of the greatest Top Gear bits of all time is the North Pole trip.
I may be the only white male on planet Earth who never liked Top Gear, and I also think most Lancias have styling that took place in the engineering intern department.
i think my Beta Coupe had the same dash and frnt grill. Cant remember the motor but think it was transverse, ? but Not frnt WD? Boy, its been a few yrs (over 40) and deffinatly my last vert AND Italian. Wish that company was still around (like the pre Nail Head buick – an i8, a fav motor).
The Lancia Beta coupe, sedan, HPE and Zagato/spider all had a transverse FWD powertrain.
For the Montecarlo/Scorpion, they mounted this powertrain in a rear-mid engine position, same trick that Fiat had previously applied in developing their X1/9.
Coulda, woulda, but really couldn’t. There was a Scorpion up the street in a neighbor’s parking but he wouldn’t sell it, and I had no free cash anyway. But since I am a Scorpio I thought it should belong to me. Maybe next time…
For those who wish to watch: https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1982-lancia-montecarlo-spider-rec17501-3-nec-1126?pn=1&el=37752&pp=100
Good wite up Adam. The car was initially designed as a X1/9 follow up that customers had asked, named X1/20, then they changed the name as Montecarlo in Europe, Scorpion in the States. The stuck throttle is a minor problem in the X1/9 as well, due to the rear hood that includes air openings on top and attracts dust. The rubber seal in the final section of the throttle should be carefully maintained to be on the safe side. Nothing more frustrating than a stuck gas throttle in the middle of a tight mountain turn, it happened to me!
Nice