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Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure

Top Gear, Grand Tour and Twenty Years of Magic and Mayhem

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Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure

By: Andy Wilman
Narrated by: Andy Wilman
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Brought to you by Penguin.

Top Gear turned gloomy Sunday nights into celebratory Friday nights. It made household names of presenters Clarkson, Hammond and May, their unique chemistry and buddy movie antics proving irresistible to a vast global audience. With these three at the helm, Top Gear earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular factual TV show on the planet.

Then, a short while later, it was all gone.

How did a thoroughly sensible little consumer advice programme on cars turn into a global phenomenon in the first place, though? How did it all go wrong? And how did they rise from the ashes as The Grand Tour, and go on to scale even greater heights?

One man has all the answers.

There from the beginning, Top Gear and The Grand Tour co-creator, and Jeremy’s oldest friend, Andy Wilman, opens the bonnet on over twenty years of motoring mayhem. In Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure, the mysterious man in the shadows tells the inside story of your favourite TV shows for the first time.

Irreverent, joyful and as laugh-out-loud funny as the shows themselves, it’s the best book about Top Gear and The Grand Tour . . . in the world.

© Andy Wilman 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Direction & Production Engineering Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Funny Witty Inspiring Thought-Provoking
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Really, really enjoyed this book. Written very well with some great and funny anecdotes from behind the scenes of both Top Gear and The Grand Tour. I especially liked the aeroplane analogy that runs through the whole book, the very last aeroplane analogy had me welling up..

Thank you Mr Wilman....Thank you

Best top Gear book.......In the world

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Just like the shows we need more. The stories the behind the scenes it’s all apart of us all who loves proper top gear and grand tour

Outstanding

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What a fantastic recount of your journey as band mates creating unique storylines based around four complementary and compatible individuals, who shared 22 years of a TV-to-streaming automotive programme that captured a world audience.

The book beautifully reveals the eccentricities of each of the presenters and the highly creative approach to storytelling that made the show so distinctive and engaging. It is a rarity to have experiences like this — akin to winning an Olympic gold — and this audiobook was a wonderful way to relive and better understand the journey behind it all.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening and will return to it again and again. Please write more — I can’t wait to read your insights into working with Jeremy on Clarkson’s Farm.

Incredible Life Adventures

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Wonderful book expertly delivered by a true storyteller. Listening to this was as interesting as it was nostalgic and heartwarming. In my mid-30s so Top Gear and GT have always been apart of my life and remain a kind of treasured comfort blanket. Thanks for writing Mr Wilman. I enjoyed your amazing personal story as much as the TG story.

Wonderful book expertly delivered by a true storyteller.

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Dear Mr Wilman,

Thank you for writing this book. It is so great to get a behind the scenes look at your motoring adventure that has also been part of my life for many, many years. I feel like you have always been there for me. You are right, you do feel like friends and part of my life. That is the reason that new Top Gear is broken and just not the same. I don't think the BBC really ever understood that. It is also the reason that I will read or watch anything that the 4 of you make. You could make a show about the contents of your fridge, and I (and probably millions of others) would watch it.

Thank you for everything.
Chris

Dear Mr Wilman. Thank you!

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