Top Gear Botswana Cars May 2026

Clarkson, in a move that surprised absolutely no one who knows his love for flawed Italian flair, bought a rotting, rusty 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé for just over a grand. The Lancia Beta is infamous in car history for catastrophic rust issues—body panels literally dissolving in European rain. Taking one to the salt-crusted pans of Botswana was automotive suicide.

And yet. After a near-catastrophic suspension collapse and endless bashing, this Lancia refused to die. Clarkson named it “The Indestructible Lancia”—a title no Lancia has ever deserved less, yet earned through sheer spite. It finished the challenge, albeit with every panel dented, the rear window held in by tape, and the exhaust dragging. It remains a glorious monument to stubborn Italian spirit. “Oliver” top gear botswana cars

Oliver lives on. The Lancia was scrapped. The Mercedes probably still starts on the first turn of the key. Clarkson, in a move that surprised absolutely no

While Clarkson bought drama and Hammond bought heart, May bought a bank vault. His 1979 Mercedes-Benz 230E (W123) was already old, beige, and terminally boring—exactly how May likes it. But the W123 is widely regarded as one of the most over-engineered, indestructible cars ever built. And yet

Here’s a write-up on the iconic Top Gear Botswana Special, focusing on the three cars chosen by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. In the pantheon of Top Gear adventures, the 2007 Botswana Special (“Africa Special” Part 1) stands as a masterclass in cheap-car endurance. The challenge was simple yet brutal: buy a second-hand car for £1,500, drive it 1,000 miles across the harsh salt pans, scrubland, and unforgiving terrain of Botswana, and end at the Makgadikgadi Pan. No backup, no fancy 4x4s—just questionable engineering and stubborn British will.

The resulting trio remains one of the most beloved in show history. They weren't fast, reliable, or pretty. They were survivors. “The Masochist’s Choice”