Top Gear Botswana Cars -
If you’re planning a real Botswana trip, take a W123 Mercedes, old Toyota Hilux, or Land Rover Defender – not a Lancia.
The Top Gear Botswana Special is widely considered one of the greatest automotive adventures ever filmed. First aired in November 2007, it followed Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May as they attempted to cross Botswana in three two-wheel-drive cars bought for less than £1,500. Their mission: to prove that simple, used cars could be better suited for rugged terrain than modern "Chelsea Tractors" (SUVs). The Three Main Contenders
The presenters chose vastly different vehicles to tackle the 1,000-mile journey from the Zimbabwe border to the Namibian border.
In the 2007 Botswana Special, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May were tasked with driving across Botswana in used, two-wheel-drive cars bought for less than £1,500. Their mission was to prove these cars could handle rough terrain just as well as expensive SUVs. The Main Vehicles Opel Kadett
(nicknamed "Oliver"): Chosen by Richard Hammond, this small 1963 car became the breakout star of the episode. Hammond grew so attached to "Oliver" that he brought the car back to the UK, where he still owns it today. Mercedes-Benz 230E
: Selected by James May for its reputation for durability in Africa. During the journey, it underwent extreme weight-saving modifications, including removing all body panels. Lancia Beta Coupé
: Jeremy Clarkson's choice, picked for Lancia's rally pedigree. Despite frequent mechanical failures—particularly with its starter motor—it managed to finish the 1,000-mile journey. Volkswagen Beetle
(The Backup): This car served as the penalty for any presenter whose car failed completely. It was painted in a bright "backup" color to humiliate the driver. What Happened to Them?
The Top Gear Botswana Special (Series 10, Episode 4) is widely regarded as the episode that defined the "special" format: three cheap, two-wheel-drive cars attempting to cross a country to prove they are better than expensive SUVs. The Lineup: Three Unlikely Heroes
Tasked with finding a car for less than £1,500 that had no off-road pedigree, the trio selected three very different machines:
Richard Hammond’s 1963 Opel Kadett ("Oliver"): Hammond chose this small, lightweight car for its simplicity. He famously fell in love with it, shouting "Oliver!" whenever it faced peril. It was the only car of the three that didn't have its weight stripped to cross the salt flats. Jeremy Clarkson’s 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé
: Clarkson chose a Lancia because the brand was legendary in rallying. However, this specific model was an automatic and plagued by reliability issues, breaking down almost immediately at the start of the journey. James May’s 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E
: May banked on German engineering and the Mercedes' reputation for being "the car of Africa." Despite its age and being rear-wheel drive, it proved remarkably resilient throughout the 1,000-mile trek. The Backup: Volkswagen Beetle
: In a running gag for the special, the producers provided a Beetle as a backup car. Because the trio hated it, they were highly motivated to keep their original cars running to avoid having to drive it. The Journey: 1,000 Miles of Punishment
The mission was to drive from Botswana’s eastern border with Zimbabwe to its western border with Namibia, crossing some of the harshest terrain on Earth.
The Makgadikgadi Pan: One of the world's largest salt flats. To prevent their thin-tired cars from breaking through the "creme brulee" crust into the ooze below, the presenters had to strip their cars of almost all weight, including doors and interior panels.
The Kalahari Desert: A grueling test of cooling systems and suspension.
The Okavango Delta: The final push involved navigating through water and wildlife-rich terrain. Where are they now?
While many Top Gear cars are scrapped after filming, the Botswana trio had a different fate:
In the 2007 Botswana Special (Series 10, Episode 4), Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May were tasked with buying a two-wheel-drive car for less than £1,500 to drive 1,000 miles across Botswana. The journey spanned from the Zimbabwean border, across the Makgadikgadi salt pans, through the Okavango Delta, and finally to the Namibian border. The Main Vehicles Richard Hammond Opel Kadett ("Oliver")
Hammond became emotionally attached to "Oliver," eventually shipping it back to the UK for restoration. Mercedes-Benz 230E
Chosen for its reputation for African durability, it survived the trip despite various mechanical issues. Jeremy Clarkson Lancia Beta Coupé
Plagued by constant breakdowns and electrical failures, it was widely considered the most unreliable of the trio. The Backup Car Volkswagen Beetle : The producers provided a
as a backup car. If any presenter’s car failed completely, they would be forced to drive the
for the remainder of the trip—a prospect all three hosts famously loathed Key Challenges & Modifications Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
: To avoid breaking through the thin salty crust into the "primeval ooze" beneath, the hosts stripped their cars of all non-essential weight, including seats, interior trim, and even window glass. Okavango Delta top gear botswana cars
: The cars faced deep sand and river crossings. Hammond famously "drowned"
in a river, but the car was miraculously revived by the team's bush mechanics Wildlife Protection
: In the game reserves, the hosts attempted to rebuild sections of their stripped cars using makeshift materials to protect themselves from lions and other predators. Where Are They Now?
Here’s a blog post draft tailored for car enthusiasts, travel lovers, and Top Gear fans. You can adjust the tone or add personal anecdotes as needed.
Title: Three Clapped-Out Heroes: Why Top Gear’s Botswana Special Is the Ultimate Road Trip Blueprint
Intro: More Than Just a Car Show
Let’s be honest: most car reviews are about specs, 0–60 times, and leather interiors. But Top Gear at its peak was never really about cars. It was about character. And no episode proves that better than Series 10, Episode 4: The Botswana Special.
The challenge? Buy a used car for £1,500 and drive 1,000 miles across the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana. No support crew. No paved roads. Just heat, dust, lions, and the constant threat of mechanical death.
The Three “Terrible” Cars
Clarkson, Hammond, and May didn’t choose sensible SUVs. They chose rolling disasters:
Why This Trip Matters
Most adventure content shows you pristine Land Rovers with roof tents and $10k of gear. Top Gear showed three idiots fixing a Lancia with zip ties, a hammer, and desperation.
Here’s what the Botswana special teaches us about real travel:
The “Oliver” Effect
The most moving moment comes when James May, the most emotionally reserved of the three, almost loses his Mercedes in a river crossing. He wades in, ties a tow rope around his waist, and shouts, “I’m not leaving Oliver!”
That’s the magic. That’s why people still talk about Botswana. It’s not about the destination – it’s about the dumb, stubborn, beautiful bond you form with a machine you probably shouldn’t have trusted in the first place.
Your Turn: A Botswana-Style Road Trip
You don’t have to fly to Africa. But you can:
Final Gear
The Botswana special isn’t a car review. It’s a love letter to imperfection, adventure, and the joy of almost dying in a Lancia. Seventeen years later, it still holds up as the greatest road trip episode ever made.
So here’s to Oliver, the Opel Kadett, and that suicidal Lancia. And here’s to your next stupid, wonderful road trip.
“Some say”… you should rewatch it tonight.
Like this? Share your own cheap-car adventure story in the comments below. Or just tell me: which Top Gear special is your favorite?
Top Gear Botswana Special is widely considered one of the show's most iconic episodes. The challenge required Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May to buy a used car in Africa for less than ($2,000) that was strictly two-wheel drive and not designed for off-road use.
Their 1,000-mile journey from the Zimbabwe border to the Namibia border took them across the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans Okavango Delta The Presenters' Cars If you’re planning a real Botswana trip, take
The trio selected vehicles they believed could outperform modern SUVs in "leafy country lanes". Engine / Specs Why It Was Chosen 1963 Opel Kadett Richard Hammond 1.0L, 40hp
Chosen for no specific reason, but became a fan favorite nicknamed " 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E
Chosen for Mercedes' legendary reputation for reliability across Africa. 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé Jeremy Clarkson 2.0L (Automatic)
Chosen because Lancias were historically successful rally cars. Performance and Modifications
To survive the treacherous salt pans, where heavy cars risk breaking through the crust into primeval ooze, the team had to make drastic changes.
In the 2007 Botswana Special, the presenters were tasked with crossing 1,000 miles of rugged terrain from the Zimbabwean border to the Namibian border using only two-wheel-drive cars bought for less than £1,500. 1963 Opel Kadett ("Oliver") : Driven by Richard Hammond
, this small car became the breakout star of the episode. Hammond famously fell in love with it, naming it "Oliver." Unlike the other cars, Hammond shipped Oliver back to the UK
after filming, where it was restored and remains in his personal collection. 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé : Chosen by Jeremy Clarkson
, this car was notoriously unreliable but surprisingly capable in the Makgadikgadi salt plains after being stripped of its doors and trunk to save weight. As of 2020, it was found partially reassembled in Maun, Botswana. 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E : Driven by
, this car was praised for its build quality despite the harsh conditions. After the trip, it was donated to an adviser who assisted the production team. 1968 Volkswagen Beetle
: This served as the "backup" car that the presenters had to drive if their primary vehicles failed. Since all three primary cars finished the journey, the Beetle was donated to a bush mechanic from the support team. specific challenges they faced or see where they revisited these cars in The Grand Tour
Relics of the Salt Pans: The Top Gear Botswana Special If you ask any fan to name the definitive Top Gear adventure, the 2007 Botswana Special
is usually the first words out of their mouth. It was the first time Clarkson, Hammond, and May were sent to a foreign land with a shoestring budget ($1,500 each) and a simple goal: drive 1,000 miles across the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta to the Namibian border.
But the real stars weren’t the presenters—they were three ancient, two-wheel-drive cars that had no business surviving the African bush. Here is a look back at the legendary machines that tackled the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. 1963 Opel Kadett (“Oliver”)
Richard Hammond’s choice became arguably the most famous car in the show's history. Small, lightweight, and surprisingly simple, the was perfectly suited for the sandy terrain.
The Bond: Hammond fell so deeply in love with the car that he named it .
The Fate: After nearly "drowning" during a river crossing—a moment that saw Hammond screaming in genuine distress—
was eventually restored and shipped back to the UK, where it remains in Hammond’s personal collection today. 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé
Jeremy Clarkson, ever the glutton for punishment, chose a Lancia. In true Lancia fashion, it was beautiful, fast, and fundamentally "made of tracing paper." The Struggle: The
suffered from constant suspension failures and electrical gremlins. To save weight for the salt pans, Clarkson stripped it down to a skeleton, removing the doors and most of the bodywork.
The Verdict: Despite being the most unreliable car on paper, it technically made it to the finish line, proving that "soul" sometimes beats logic. 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E James May opted for German reliability with a W123 Mercedes . It was the sensible choice—until it wasn't.
The Build: While the Merc was built like a tank, its weight was a massive disadvantage in the soft sand. May famously had to perform "field surgery" on the car, including a memorable moment where he used a part from a broken radio to keep it running.
The Aesthetic: By the end of the trip, the Mercedes was caked in dust and missing various parts, yet it looked like it could go for another 200,000 miles. The "Backup" Car: Volkswagen Beetle
Per the show's rules, if a presenter's car broke down beyond repair, they would be forced to drive the "backup" car—a Volkswagen Beetle
. Because all three presenters shared a deep-seated hatred for the Title: Three Clapped-Out Heroes: Why Top Gear’s Botswana
, the sight of it trailing them through the dust provided the ultimate motivation to keep their beat-up Lancias and Mercs moving. Botswana Special
proved that you don't need a modern 4x4 to explore the world; you just need a bit of grit, some basic tools, and a car with a name.
Which of the three Botswana legends was your favorite, or do you want to see a breakdown of the cars from the Bolivia Special next?
If you ask any Top Gear fan to name their favorite episode, the conversation usually drifts to the Polar Special or the Vietnam trip. But true connoisseurs know that the crown jewel of the Clarkson, Hammond, and May era is undoubtedly the Botswana Special.
Airing in 2007 as the finale of Series 10, it had all the ingredients of perfect television: stunning scenery, mechanical cruelty, questionable fashion choices, and three British men hopelessly out of their depth in the African bush.
But the real stars of the show weren’t the presenters; they were the cars. Tasked with buying a car for less than £1,500 and driving across the spine of Botswana, the trio bought three very different machines.
Let’s look back at the cars that conquered (and nearly died in) the Kalahari Desert.
The brilliance of the episode lay in the machinery. These were not rugged Land Rovers or tricked-out Toyotas; they were decrepit European saloons bought on a shoestring budget.
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.
The Top Gear Botswana Special (Series 10, Episode 4), originally aired in 2007, marked a turning point for the show as its first "Special" to follow the format of buying used cars for a cross-country trek. The episode was designed to disprove the idea that modern SUVs are necessary for light off-roading by challenging the hosts to cross 1,000 miles of African terrain in cheap, two-wheel-drive cars. The Presenters' Vehicles
Each presenter was given a budget of £1,500 to purchase a car that had no off-road pedigree. 1963 Opel Kadett
(Richard Hammond): Nicknamed "Oliver," this car became a fan favorite. Hammond chose it for its simplicity, though it initially suffered from a leaking fuel tank and brakes that only worked on one wheel. It was the only car not to be significantly modified or "lightened" to cross the salt pans. 1985 Mercedes-Benz 230E
(James May): May selected the Mercedes because it was a vehicle "Africa favored and loved". Known for its durability and old-school German engineering, it quietly completed the journey with minimal issues compared to the others. 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé
(Jeremy Clarkson): Clarkson chose the Lancia based on the brand's rally heritage. It was the most unreliable vehicle of the trio, suffering from broken dials, failed components, and frequent starting issues that famously caused "African Stig" to walk away from it during a lap test. The Back-Up Car
If a presenter's car broke down and could not be repaired, they were forced to drive the Volkswagen Beetle
. This was chosen because it is the presenters' collective "least favorite car of all time". Journey and Challenges
The route spanned 1,000 miles from the border of Zimbabwe to the border of Namibia.
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans: The cars had to cross one of the world's largest salt flats. To prevent breaking through the thin crust into the mud beneath, the hosts stripped their cars of all non-essential weight, including interior trim and even doors.
Okavango Delta: The final leg required driving through the brush of the delta, facing threats from local wildlife and deep water crossings. Legacy of the Cars The Botswana Adventure Part 1 | Top Gear
The "Olive Oil" Disaster
Jeremy, ever the romantic, chose a rust-orange Lancia Beta. In the world of classic cars, the Lancia Beta is infamous for one thing: rust. These cars were notorious for dissolving in European rain, let alone African river crossings.
Verdict: The underdog. It proved that Italian flair, even when terminal, has a soul.
The "Oliver" Phenomenon
Hammond famously bought a white, two-door Opel Kadett for just £400—well under budget. He named it "Oliver." This was the quintessential "Hamster" move: buying a car so old (over 40 years at filming) that it predated most safety regulations.
Verdict: Oliver is the most beloved Top Gear car of all time. Hammond later bought the car from the BBC and still owns it today, restored to its former glory.
In a move that baffled his co-hosts, Hammond bought a beige 1963 Opel Kadett. It was boxy, slow, and seemingly the least capable off-roader imaginable. Clarkson and May mocked him relentlessly, calling it "boring." However, the Kadett was built with simple, agricultural toughness. It was light, easy to fix, and unburdened by complex electronics. Hammond named the car "Oliver," and over the course of the trip, a genuine love affair blossomed between man and machine.