Ex-Top Gear producer reveals iconic Grand Tour opening sequence cost the same as a new Bugatti

Andy Wilman, the unsung hero behind both Top Gear and The Grand Tour, revealed the cost of the opening scene that kick-started the car show on Amazon Prime Video.

We all sort of assumed the price had a lot of zeros in it, and now we know for sure.

But it was probably even more expensive than we thought.

And there’s also a clip that didn’t make the final cut because Wilman vetoed it.

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The idea behind The Grand Tour opening scene

Speaking to British DJ Chris Evans on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin Radio, ex-Top Gear producer Andy Wilman revealed the seven-figure cost of the opening sequence for the very first episode of The Grand Tour.

It’s a 10-minute scene, and it cost around £2.5 million – equivalent to around $3.3 million – which is basically the price of a new Bugatti Chiron.

But it’s easy to see where that money went.

Wilman explained how the opening scene came to be, and that it was basically Clarkson’s idea.

He said that it all started with the song, I Can See Clearly Now by the Hothouse Flowers, and then he built the story around it.

A lot of what we saw in the opening sequence was symbolic.

For example, the clip starts with Jeremy Clarkson leaving the BBC building – it’s not mentioned, but clearly implied – handing over his badge and hopping in a Black Cab in the rain in London.

He then gets to Los Angeles, and we can already notice two major changes.

The rain has stopped – hence why Clarkson chose the song that goes ‘I can see clearly now, the rain is gone’ – and he’s now in a shiny Ford Mustang.

Maybe this was also a slight dig at the BBC and Top Gear.

Like a message, as if to say ‘not only have I landed on my feet, but I’ve landed a better job as well’.

And in hindsight, that’s exactly what happened.

At Amazon, Clarkson and co. had a much bigger budget, full editorial control, and freedom, and they managed to outlast Top Gear with The Grand Tour.

Andy Wilman actually stopped Clarkson from including a specific clip in the film

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May were the stars of the show, but Andy Wilman was the brains of the operation for both Top Gear and The Grand Tour.

Wilman, along with Clarkson, always had the final say about everything and anything, which is why there was one specific clip we didn’t get to see because Wilman vetoed it.

Apparently, Clarkson wanted to include a scene on the plane… in Economy.

At that point, Andy Wilman told him that wasn’t going to happen because it wouldn’t be believable.

“I’m like, ‘no, [Jeremy], you’re not in economy, everyone knows you’ve got a few [pennies] so you’re not in economy’,” he explained, which is why they ended up just ditching the plane scene altogether.

Interestingly, the £2.5 million opening scene still cost significantly less cash than the iconic Grand Tour tent.

Somehow, that ended up costing the production team $6.6 million.

All the cars featured on Grand Tour Specials and road trips

Here’s a complete list of all the second-hand vehicles that the trio bought specifically for Grand Tour adventures and specials:

Season 1

• Episode 7 and 8 The Beach ‘Buggy’ Boys (Namibia, 2016) – Three modified VW beach buggies
• Episode 11 Italian Lessons (France, 2017) – Maserati Biturbo S Coupé, Maserati 430 Saloon, Maserati Zagato Spyder

Season 2

• Episode 6 Jaaaaaaaags (Colorado, US, 2018) – Jaguar XJR, XK8 Convertible, 420G, XJ6, XJ-S
• Episode 11 Feed the world (Mozambique, 2018) – Mercedes-Benz 200T Estate, Nissan Hardbody, TVS Star motorcycle

Season 3

• Episode 2 and 3 Colombia Special (Colombia, 2019) – Fiat Panda 4×4 Sisley, Jeep Wrangler, Chevrolet K250
• Episode 6 Chinese Food for Thought (China, 2019) – Mercedes-Benz S600, Cadillac STS, BMW 750iL
• Episode 7 Well Aged Scotch (Scotland, 2019) – Alfa Romeo GTV6, Lancia Gamma Coupe, Fiat X 1/9
• Episode 8 International Buffoons’ Vacation (Nevada, US, 2019) – International Harvester S series, Fleetwood Pace Arrow, National RV Tropi-Cal 6350
• Episode 13 Survival of the Fattest (Mongolia, 2019) – Self-constructed Land Rover-based vehicle named ‘John’

Season 4

• Episode 1 Seamen (Vietnam and Cambodia, 2019) – Scarab Thunder, PBR boat (replica), 1939 Wooden Cruiser
• Episode 2 A Massive Hunt (Madagascar and Réunion, 2020) – Bentley Continental GT V8, Ford Focus RS, Caterham 7 310R
• Episode 3 Lochdown (Scotland, 2021) – Lincoln Continental Mark V, Buick Riviera, Cadillac Coupe de Ville, Chrysler Voyager, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Pontiac Aztek, Ford Shelby Mustang GT500, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Dodge Charger R/T
• Episode 4 Carnage a Trois (England and Wales, 2021) – Citroën CX Safari, Matra Murena, Renault Avantime, Citroën Berlingo, Renault Scénic, Peugeot 407, Citroën SM

Season 5

• Episode 1 A Scandi Flick (Norway, Sweden, and Finland, 2022) – Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, Audi RS4
• Episode 2 Eurocrash (Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia, 2023) – Chevrolet SSR, Mitsuoka Le-Seyde, Crosley CC Convertible, Ford Popular Hot Rod, Škoda 1100 OHC
• Episode 3 Sand Job (Mauritania, 2024) – Maserati GranCabrio, Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Jaguar F-Type

Season 6

• Episode 1 One for the Road (Zimbabwe and Botswana, 2024) – Triumph Stag, Ford Capri GXL, Lancia Montecarlo