My First Car: Why Richard Hammond's first four-wheeled love was a Toyota

“I had motorcycles first which I loved, and still do,” said Richard. “But I really wanted a car. It was so important to me for the freedom, the independence. I loved it.”

But he said he “broke” it, sadly. “Yes, I crashed,” he said.

“But I loved cars and obviously still do.”

He was speaking at the Festival of the Unexceptional, an annual motoring event in Lincolnshire devoted to ordinary cars.

The event at Grimsthorpe Castle was attended by Richard and his team from The Smallest Cog, his car restoration company.

Richard, who was brought up in Ripon and later made his name as part of the Top Gear team alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May, famously owns a vast collection of cars.

But he struggles to name his favourite.

“To be honest, they are all my favourites but I’m happiest in my Land Rover,” he said.

He spent time looking at some of the hundreds of cherished yet unexceptional, ordinary everyday cars from years gone by.

PIC NIB

The British Motor Show to be held from August 18-21 aims to set three Guinness World Records at Farnborough International.

Two of these will be attempted by stunt driver Paul Swift, and the other will be down to the participation of visitors to the show.

The mass-participation record attempt will see The British Motor Show attempting to get the most photographs of people with the same car uploaded to Facebook in one hour.

The show’s other two attempts will take place in the Live Arena, where Darlington’s Paul Swift will attempt the tightest parallel park by electric car and most donuts (spins) around a motorcycle performing a wheelie in one minute.