Jeremy Clarkson has announced the sale of three of the most iconic classic cars that have remained permanently linked to the history of the cult show The Grand Tour. The cars will be offered at an auction at a starting price, and the curious fact about the liquidation of this personal collection is that the real reason for parting with them will not be officially revealed until the next season of his successful television project Clarkson's Farm.
Among the three offered for sale stands out the 1982 Lancia Montecarlo Spider - the same car that Clarkson drove in the emotional finale of the show during the epic journey through Zimbabwe and Botswana, with which the three iconic presenters closed decades of television history. The Italian sports roadster has distinctive on-screen modifications such as wheels and a radiator grille from a Lancia Delta Integrale, as well as rear lights from a Ferrari 308, which give it an extremely aggressive and at the same time elegant retro look. Under the hood of this classic is a two-liter four-cylinder engine, although in the show the car had to undergo harsh tests on the difficult African terrain.
The Italian roadster's company makes up for another of its great weaknesses - the 1983 Alfa Romeo GTV6, which remained in the memory of fans from the episode with the tour of the Scottish route North Coast 500. This model is legendary with its naturally aspirated 2.5-liter V6 engine, whose characteristic and dense exhaust sound has become one of the iconic musical extravaganzas of the television episodes. The car is known for its perfect weight distribution thanks to the rear-mounted transmission, which gives it remarkable road behavior and enviable pleasure in the corners, although rust and the capricious Italian electrical system put Clarkson's nerves to serious tests during filming.
The third offer in the upcoming auction is the huge American cruiser Lincoln Continental Mark V from 1978, which marked the pandemic special episode in the United Kingdom. This luxury car impresses with its massive dimensions, a length of almost six meters and a classic American design with a long hood and hidden headlights. The drive is entrusted to a huge V8 engine with a large displacement, reminiscent of the golden age of American automotive engineering. Although its maneuverability on narrow British country roads was the reason for many comic situations on screen, this machine is now becoming an appetizing morsel for collectors looking for true American scale and comfort.