Early-life: Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson was born on April 11th, 1960, and claims he could say 'Maserati' before he could say 'mummy'. He was the only son of affluent parents who manufactured Paddington Bear dolls. His passion for cars began as a child, but he admits to losing interest during his teens when he discovered girls and punk rock. Jeremy attended public school for five years, but was expelled shortly before he was due to take his A-levels. His first car was a Ford Cortina.

Early-life: Richard Mark Hammond was born in Birmingham on December 19, 1969. His mum Eileen, father Alan and younger brothers Andrew and Nicholas moved to Ripon where his father ran a probate business. After attending Harrogate College of Art and Technology, Richard decided not to pursue a degree and instead took a series of part-time jobs, including working behind the bar of a pub and being a 'chicken chaser' at a local farm.

Early-life: James Daniel May was born on January 16, 1963, in Bristol. He has a brother and two sisters. He attended school in Rotherham with Life on Mars star Dean Andrews before heading to Lancaster University to study music. After graduating, May made ends meet in a series of jobs, including working in a hospital. During a stint with an engineering company, he produced a leaflet and liked what it involved, so applied for a job as a magazine sub-editor. He then worked for Autocar, but was fired after inserting a 'secret' message in the text.

Early-life: Born James Hillier Blount in Tidworth, Wiltshire, on February 22, 1974 to Jane and Charles. He split his early childhood between England, Cyprus and Germany, where his father had been posted with the British Army Corps. James gained an army-sponsored place at the University of Bristol, where he first studied aerospace manufacturing engineering before switching to sociology. He went on to train at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and joined the Life Guards, a unit of the Household Cavalry, where he rose to the rank of captain. During his six years in the army, James served as an armoured reconnaissance officer in Kosovo, joined the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London and stood guard at the coffin of the Queen Mother during the days of her lying in State.

Early-life: Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985, in Stevenage. He was named after the American athlete Carl Lewis. His parents divorced when Lewis was two years old. He has two half sisters and a half brother. His love of cars began at the age of six when his father bought him a go-kart. At school he enjoyed football, but at 10 years old, he approached McLaren boss Ron Dennis and told him he would race for him one day.