9 Times Top Gear Crossed The Line

9. The Broken Jaguar C-Type

A certain amount of destruction is always expected - even hoped for - in most Top Gear episodes. By now, viewers are used to seeing the ritual annihilation of caravans, reasonably priced cars, and Morris Marinas, so the odd dent or scratched fender here and there slips by without too much fuss. But when it comes to a £1 million classic Jaguar, a veteran of Le Mans and one of only three in existence, a certain amount of care and respect is expected to be taken. The C-Type's owner Adrian Hamilton was certainly of this frame of mind, and was therefore justifiably shocked when the car was returned to him with bald tyres, a faulty clutch, and a twisted drive shaft. The BBC apparently agreed to cover the cost of repairs, but as Hamilton said, "It was a very shabby thing of them to do." Following the incident, the Top Gear presenters were branded as yobs, a title that has stuck with them ever since.