Grand Tour stars Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May bring their famous TV partnership to a close by agreeing to dissolve their production company

After 21 years, nan TV business betwixt Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May is definitively over.

Earlier this year, erstwhile nan penultimate Grand Tour typical was broadcast, each 3 men hinted that they wouldn't activity together again, meaning that a last special, already filmed successful Zimbabwe, would beryllium their past hurrah.

But Richard Hammond insisted earlier this twelvemonth that they 3 of them would make nan decision: 'at a place, successful a mode and astatine a clip of our choosing.'

He added: 'We decided a agelong clip ago. The 1 point we wanted to beryllium successful power of is deciding erstwhile and wherever and really we landed.'

That clip has now come, arsenic it tin beryllium revealed that each 3 person signed disconnected connected nan dissolution of their institution W. Chump and Sons, which made nan shows.

On July 11th, it revenge 3 documents pinch Companies House – declaring solvency, appointing a voluntary liquidator and making a 'special solution to upwind up.'

The astir precocious revenge accounts by nan institution bespeak an yearly turnover of £6 cardinal and assets of £3.8 million.

The extremity of nan roadworthy is genuinely nan extremity of a televisual era arsenic Top Gear was for complete a decade by acold nan biggest show connected nan BBC, generating monolithic profits for BBC Studios successful world sales, and it was followed by world occurrence for nan 3 men connected Prime Video's The Grand Tour.

Top Gear was besides 1 of nan corporation's astir beloved hits, and its devoted fans attended unrecorded events, bought merchandise and came to watch it being filmed astatine Dunsfold aerodrome.

One TV professional said that what made Top Gear typical was nan chemistry betwixt nan 3 men, who were friends successful a measurement which felt 'like a powerfulness struggle betwixt 3 spoilt delinquents from a luxury borstal.'

The 3 men became hugely able – erstwhile a jobbing motoring journalist, Clarkson is now said to beryllium worthy £55 million, Hammond £35 cardinal and May £31 million.

Clarkson bought nan authorities to Top Gear successful 2002 from nan BBC, and past persuaded them to revive it according to a blueprint devised by him and his friend, shaper Andy Wilman. It moved into nan studio, leaned into stunts, banter and nosy and featured 'The Stig' and different beloved elements.

Richard Hammond was successful nan relaunch, alongside Jason Dawe. He was replaced from 2003 by James May, known arsenic 'Captain Slow.'

In 2015, nan BBC chose not to renew Clarkson's statement aft an incident during filming successful which he was said to person struck a producer. Hammond, May and Wilman besides near and each went to make The Grand Tour for Prime Video. It was said that Clarkson was paid £10 cardinal a twelvemonth nether nan position of nan caller contract, pinch May and Hammond getting £7.2 cardinal each. Their astir caller 1 disconnected typical Sand Job went retired connected Prime Video successful February and they person made a further typical successful Zimbabwe which has yet to beryllium broadcast.

Hammond said their beardown narration proved adjuvant arsenic they filmed Sand Job successful nan aggravated power of Mauritania successful sports cars crossed nan Sahara, pursuing nan way of nan Paris-Dakar rally.

Hammond said: 'It was awesome to beryllium backmost retired location a spot tough. We couldn't autumn backmost connected our unthinkable unit to seizure a distant aliases dispute place.

'We had to autumn backmost much connected nan narration betwixt america 3 and nan banter and nan nonsense.'

He said erstwhile nan trio do reason it is only astir cars. He said: 'I cognize really to push their buttons. They cognize really to push mine. We're passionate astir what we do. If we'd each really fallen retired we couldn't do nan job, could we?'

Clarkson, who now presents nan hugely successful Clarkson's Farm connected Prime Video, said that nan show was a large beingness situation arsenic he was 'unfit and fat and old.'

He added: 'I've driven cars higher than anyone other and further northbound than anyone else. We've done everything you tin do pinch a car. When we had meetings astir what to do next, group conscionable threw their arms successful nan air.'

Of his costars he said: 'We've spent much clip successful each other's institution than our families' complete nan past 25 years truthful I don't deliberation it would person lasted arsenic agelong arsenic it did if we'd hated each different arsenic overmuch arsenic James likes to think.'

'James May thinks there's ne'er been a much absorbing clip for really we move astir and he's astir apt right, but I don't deliberation it's very absorbing television. An electrical car is nary different from a thorax freezer aliases a microwave oven. There's nary glamour aliases excitement. This week connected Top Chest Freezer! I deliberation it suits nan written media more.'

Top Gear was axed by nan BBC past twelvemonth aft presenter Freddie Flintoff was severely injured during filming.