Forced to live without support crews or modern 4x4s, the trio picked three vehicles that, on paper, were spectacularly bad choices for Africa. The "Olive Oil" Disaster
But the true stars of that 2007 episode weren't the presenters—they were the three rolling wrecks they bought for £1,500 each. The —a Lancia Beta Coupe, an Opel Kadett, and a Mercedes-Benz 230E—have since achieved mythological status. This article explores why these specific cars were chosen, how they survived (or didn’t), and where they are today. The Brief: The Worst Cars for the Worst Terrain The challenge was deceptively simple: Buy a car for no more than £1,500 that represents the "soul of motoring." Drive it from the Botswana/Zimbabwe border, across the brutal, waterlogged flats of the Okavango Delta, and finish 1,000 miles later at the Makgadikgadi Pan. top gear botswana cars
When we think of iconic road trips in automotive television history, one episode stands perched at the summit, dustier and more battered than the rest: Top Gear’s Botswana Special (Series 10, Episode 4). While the later Bolivia and Vietnam specials are masterpieces, the journey from the panhandle of Botswana to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans remains the purest distillation of what made the Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May era so perfect. Forced to live without support crews or modern
Sixteen years later, the image of three men pushing a flaming Lancia across a white salt flat remains the definitive image of old-school television motoring. It wasn't about speed; it was about survival. And as long as Richard Hammond keeps Oliver running in his garage, the spirit of that Botswana road trip will never die. If you enjoyed this article, check out our deep dives on the "Top Gear Vietnam scooters" and the "Top Gear Bolivia 4x4s." This article explores why these specific cars were