The Stig is the anonymous driver who shows how it's done on Top Gear – but he never unveils his face. Since the show started in 2002, several people have been linked to the Stig and one man confessed to being the Stig for many years. The character is a play on racing drivers with their full-face helmets and a running joke that no one knows who is inside the Stig's suit. The Stig's main role is setting lap times. Originally, he would also instruct celebrities for the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment.
The idea for the Stig was part of Clarkson's concept for the show. The relaunched show introduced the Stig, madcap stunts, and a racetrack. Clarkson wanted a professional racing driver but couldn't find a driver adept at speaking on-camera. That's why the Stig is silent. Here are 15 weird facts no one knew about the Stig.
14 The Name Comes From Clarkson's Time At Repton School
Clarkson said that when he was at Repton School, all boys were called Stig. Stig means a person from a poor background with a poor dress sense. The word originates from the character in the book "Stig of the Dump". The producers wanted to hall the anonymous driver "The Gimp" but McCarthy objected.
13 Funny Quotes
We know hardly anything about the Stig. In fact, even the Stig doesn't know who he is. His introductions have cemented his oddness. Some of the quotes are hilarious, "Some say under his helmet, is another smaller helmet and under that is another helmet and under that is a poster of Miley Cyrus."
12 Top Gear Crew Didn't Know Stig's Identity
When the Stig was introduced in the Top Gear premier, Clarkson said "We don't know its name, we really don't know its name, nobody knows its name, and we don't wanna know, 'cause it's a racing driver." Even the crew didn't know the Stig's identity until someone observed him eating lunch.
11 He Is Silent
The Stig doesn't talk on screen, even though he can speak with celebrities off-camera while training them. Clarkson jokingly said that the Stig isn't a very talkative chap. When asked about his identity in an interview for the show Veronica Vibes, the Stig said that his memory was erased when he got the job.
10 The Stig Is An Amazing Driver
Top Gear has often compared Stig's driving skills to Formula One drivers. Clarkson said the Stig believed that the Suzuki Liana could do a lap time of 1:44. Former F1 driver Nigel Mansell, who was a guest on the show, posted a time of 1:44:6 and the Stig posted a time of 1:44:4.
9 "Some Say That..."
Initially, Clarkson heralded the Stig's appearance with humorous introductions. Slowly, the introduction began to follow a format of "Some say that..." Characteristics include something like "The drinks cabinet in his car contains 14 different types of custard" or "Some say that the Apollo missions were to deliver his love letters to the moon."
8 The Stig Is Single-Minded And Stubborn
When the Stig debuted, he was described as having a small brain. Richard Porter, Top Gear's script editor, described him as stubborn, single-minded and petulant. The Stig is compared to a teenage boy forced to go on holiday with his parents. Clarkson said he collected the Stig from the baggage conveyor.
7 The Stig Is A Top Gear Presenter
In the show's end credit, the Stig is credited as a presenter alongside Hammond, Clarkson and May. Many Top Gear episodes feature Stig's cousins, often when the episode is filming outside the UK. For example, the Stig has an African cousin with dark skin, wearing Puma racing boots and a loincloth.
6 He Has No Understanding Of Money
Top Gear editors have repeatedly said that the Stig has no understanding of money, and he has been shown using an Oyster card to access public transportation. His credit card is issued by the Bank of Money. In 2009, he appeared at the National Television Awards where he accepted an award without saying a word.
5 Some Introductions Refer To Current Events
Many Stig introductions have referred to current events and major scandals. For example, Clarkson referred to Zidane's headbutting incident in the 2006 World Cup finals saying "If you insult his mother, he will headbutt you in the chest." Clarkson also mentioned the 2013 horse meat scandal saying "He contains 47% horse."
4 The Stig's Opinion Is Worthless
Clarkson has written that the Stig isn't allowed to talk or comment on anything because his opinion is worthless. He has said that the opinion of all racing drivers is ignored. He's explained that, because racing drivers know so much about track-ready cars, they think all road cars are low-scale.
3 He Runs Over Cows
In 2009, Perry McCarthy said that in order to maintain the Stig's anonymity, he would put on a helmet while going through security gates and change the overalls in a separate room. And then Clarkson would say something like "Some say he runs over cows in a Bowler Nemesis in his spare time."
2 Many People Have Been Linked To The Stig's Role
Michael Schumacher lifted off the Stig helmet, but it was a joke. Before the Stig's identity was unveiled, it was reported that eight people shared the role, including Chris Goodwin, Dan Lang, Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen and Julian Bailey. Many fans think one person can't do everything the Stig does.
1 The Stig Unmasked Himself
Jeremy Clarkson said he was hurt that Ben Collins unmasked himself as the white-suited driver. The BBC couldn't stop Collins, the driver who's played the Stig since 2003, from publishing a book. Collins said he is the second person to be the Stig. The first driver, Perry McCarthy, played a black-suited Stig.