Top Gear — Botswana Cars
Fans of the show often ask: Are these cars still alive?
The Top Gear Botswana Special represents a bygone era of television. It captured the spirit of adventure in a way that felt spontaneous and real. It gave us "Oliver," it gave us Clarkson hacking his car to pieces with an axe, and it proved that a Mercedes W123 is essentially indestructible.
Years later, automotive enthusiasts still talk about that trek across the Kalahari. It wasn't just about cars; it was about perseverance, friendship, and the joy of a terrible journey in good company.
Botswana Special (Series 10, Episode 4) is legendary for proving that cheap, two-wheel-drive "bangers" could survive 1,000 miles across some of Africa's most punishing terrain. The Core Trio
The presenters were given £1,500 to buy cars that were NOT designed for off-roading. 1963 Opel Kadett ("Oliver") : Driven by Richard Hammond. Performance top gear botswana cars
: The "hero" of the trip. Due to its extreme lightness, it skipped across the Makgadikgadi salt pans while the others sank.
: Hammond loved it so much he shipped it back to the UK, where it has since undergone multiple restorations and still appears on his DriveTribe 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E : Driven by James May. Performance
: Chosen for its legendary African durability. It survived the trip with relatively few mechanical failures compared to the others, though it did require significant weight-shedding (stripping doors and glass) to cross the salt pans. 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé : Driven by Jeremy Clarkson. Performance
: Infamously unreliable. It suffered from constant electrical issues, broken dials, and total brake failure by the end of the trip. Fans of the show often ask: Are these cars still alive
: Long thought lost or crushed, it was recently rediscovered by fans on blocks in a yard in Botswana. The Backup & Support The Volkswagen Beetle
: This was the "backup" car if any presenter's car failed. Because the trio hated the Beetle, they were highly motivated to keep their own cars running. Ironically, the Beetle completed the entire journey without a single breakdown. Production Vehicles
: The crew used much more practical vehicles to film, including Toyota Land Cruisers Land Rover Defenders , which are generally the recommended vehicle types for actual travel in the region. Survival Modifications To survive the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
, the cars had to be stripped of all "unnecessary" weight to prevent them from breaking through the thin salty crust into the "primeval ooze" below. It gave us "Oliver," it gave us Clarkson
What separates this special from standard car reviews is the emotional narrative arc of Richard Hammond and "Oliver."
Throughout the trip, Hammond babied the Opel. He cleaned it, talked to it, and fixed it with care. By the time they reached the final stretch—a race to the border along the "animal roads"—Hammond had realized that he couldn't leave the car behind.
The climax of the episode saw the trio racing against the sunset. Clarkson’s Lancia was held together with duct tape and hope, May’s Mercedes was cruising effortlessly, and Hammond was pushing the little Opel to its absolute limit.
They crossed the border into Namibia. They had survived. The cars had survived.
In a heartwarming post-script, Hammond revealed that he had arranged to ship "Oliver" back to the UK. He restored the car, and to this day, "Oliver" remains a fixture in Hammond’s garage, appearing in his subsequent shows and social media. It was a testament to the idea that a car can be more than just a machine; it can be a companion.
