1: Reliant Robin space shuttle

After realising that space ships are very expensive, Hammond and May decided to hunt for a car that’s light, cheap and has a shape that tapers like a rocket. What high-powered craft did they come up with? The three-wheeled Reliant Robin, that’s what. Although they did get the vehicle into the air by attaching it to the side of a fuel tank, the Robin met a sticky end nose down in the Derbyshire countryside.

2: Top Gear Car-Boat challenge

James acquired a Triumph Herald and decided to fit the car with a mast and sails, Hammond made the decision to turn a camper van into a houseboat, and Jezza plumped for a Toyota Hilux based on its indestructible nature and ability to house an outboard motor. Yes - on a cloudy day on a cold reservoir in Staffordshire, the boys braved the Top Gear Car-Boat challenge.

3: Build your own limo

When picturing the ultimate limo, visions of a Lincoln Town Car, or a blingtastic Hummer usually spring to mind. But not if you’re called Clarkson, Hammond or May, they don’t. The Top Gear fellas chose a Fiat Panda, an MG F and a cut-and-shut Saab 3000/Alfa Romeo combo as their vehicles of choice instead.

4: The Stig versus HMS Invincible

The original Stig, the man in black, was tasked with speeding along the deck of the legendary aircraft carrier, and told to take his Top Gear Jag up to 100mph in 200 metres. But on this occasion, Top Gear turned into Top Gun – and the Stig turned out to be Goose. He sped off the edge of the ship, the Jag headed to the bottom of the ocean and all that was left of the ‘tame’ racing driver was a solitary black glove. The Black Stig was gone…

5: Car football

Two tiny town autos, two team captains desperate for victory: When Hammond’s car football champs Aygo took on May’s VW Fox team in an all-new Car Football World Cup Final, there could only be one winner. And after a tense battle, a fair few prangs, and an intervention from the hand of God, Mr H. joyfully lifted the trophy, leaving Mr. M as sick as a parrot.

6: Radio controlled cars

Hammond and May joined the boffins from Cranfield University to indulge in a spot of supersized radio-controlled car-testing at a quarry in the East Midlands. The two men took it in turns to install each other in the back of a motor and whip it around the hastily-assembled track, and then attempted to keep a towed caravan from being crushed by a wrecking ball.

7: Caravan Road Challenge

The intrepid trio (plus Top Gear Dog) decided to embark on a caravan holiday, and after a collision, a spot of canine vomiting, some funky hat-wearing, receiving advice on filling up the loo from some veteran caravanners and James encountering a spot of difficulty in backing up their mobile home, they settled down to enjoy their break. Until an ill-advised decision to cook…

8: Skater boy v Mitsubishi Evo

Which would win in a case of car versus boy? Well, it depends on the car – and the boy, of course. When Hammond decided to pit an off road Mitsubishi Evo rally car against a 16 year-old skater called Tom going down a really steep hill in Wales, the outcome was far from… no, it was always going to be the car, wasn’t it? But it was a close one…

9: Plane v Radical SR3

When Hammond presided over a scientific battle between a super-light plane driven by an aerobatic champion (also called Tom) and a Radical SR3, driven by the Stig, viewers could be assured of a fairly exciting spectacle. Again, it was closely fought, but the Stig managed to snatch a win for the Radical, narrowly pipping the plane.

10: Caravan jump

Hammond decided to do something useful with the scourge of Summer roads - the caravan. He set up the ultimate stunt jump and asked - how many caravans can a Volvo 240 jump over? Although the intrepid Volvo attempted to fly over four, it turns out the answer is two – and the other two met a sticky end.

11: Engine-powered canoe

Another Hammond endeavour – this time, he challenged an engine-powered canoe to a drag race around an ice lake in Iceland… and despite the fact that The Hamster utilised a specially prepped offroad 4X4 called a Tomcat (which has the chassis of a Range Rover and a TVR V8 engine) the canoeist won. That’s some paddle power…

12: Grannies spin donuts

In an attempt to prove that old people aren’t necessarily bad drivers, the Top Gear team staged the Top Gear Granny Doughnut Challenge. After being inundated with volunteers, they narrowed down the eager pensioners to a group of five intrepid ladies happy to burn rubber in a Honda S2000. Although barely visible through a cloud of smoke, the nans acquitted themselves admirably and even got a reward hug from The Hamster into the bargain.

13: Parachute

Two Top Gear viewers, Tim the parachutist and Ben, his racing driver buddy, decided that they would also set themselves a challenge. Tim would jump out of a plane and land in Ben’s car whilst he drove at 50mph. Sounds easy? Not really. But right at the end of the day, as the light faded and the time began to run out, after a number of frustrating attempts, they did it - in a world first.

14: Wild Car stunt

Hammond was chosen to test how long it takes to escape from a car in a lake. He was sent off to learn some diving techniques and then plonked into an F-reg Vauxhall Carlton and dropped into a substantial body of very cold water. As the car sank, a clearly-spooked Hamster waited for the interior to fill up before attempting an escape. At that point, he should have been able to open the doors - but he couldn’t.