The Top Gear of yesteryear, long before its iconic trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May burst onto the scene, was almost unrecognizable compared to the show we know today. When Chris Evans assumed hosting duties in 2016, Top Gear was one of the BBC's most popular and lucrative TV series. Four decades prior, the show struggled to make national syndication.

After starting life as a small regional program, Top Gear would eventually morph into an insanely popular global phenomenon. But in the days before Jeremy Clarkson, just what was the original series like?

What follows, is the story of Top Gear in its nascent years - from famous presenters to its eventual demise. Enjoy!

It Started Life As A Regional Show

Top Gear's first presenter
Via Chronicle Live

As was muted in the introduction, the show known as Top Gear started life as a regional broadcast in 1977. Back then, car-centric TV series were something of a novelty, particularly in the UK. Appearing on Midlands Today, a BBC program with content local to the West Midlands region, it's certainly a far cry from what the show eventually developed into. And Yet, it enjoyed modest success, acting as a springboard for Top Gear to become a national program in years to come.

TV Star Noel Edmonds Was A Former Presenter

Noel Edmonds
Via The Sun

Among the many public figures to have hosted original Top Gear, perhaps the most eye-catching, for British observers, is that of Noel Edmonds. Edmonds is somewhat of a Television icon, after hosting shows such as Top Of The Pops, Noel's House Party, and more recently, Deal Or No Deal. What may be less known to some, is that for a spell in the late 1970s, he was also a guest host on Top Gear. Edmonds, during his brief tenure on the show, almost caused Fiat to sue to BBC, after claiming their Astrada vehicle "wasn't very good".

RELATED: Here Are The Cars The Top Gear Hosts Unanimously Love Or Hate

The Show Focused On Consumer Concerns

Angela Rippon
Via BBC

In the early years, without the extortionate budgets that the show boasts today, Top Gear tailored its content, putting a great deal of emphasis on consumer concerns. From the mid-2000s onwards, the BBC series has become increasingly ambitious and adventurous in its content, with the trio regularly embarking on trips to places like Vietnam, South America and Botswana. Top Gear in 1977 meanwhile, above all else, wanted to conduct accurate and comprehensive reviews of everyday cars.

It Had A Lot Of Presenters

Jeremy Clarkson plus other former Top Gear presenters
Via Motoring Research

From 2002 onwards, the show finally settled on three regular presenters, in Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. However, in the shows previous incarnation, the presenting system was slightly more fluid. Hosts were regularly changed, with almost 40 people between 1977 and 2002 fulfilling some degree of presenting duties. The obsession with striking up a winning formula arguably contributed to the original show's demise in the 1990s, but in time, this lack of consistency would be rectified.

The Show Hit A Peak Audience Of 6 Million In The 1980s

BBC Television Centre
Via Wikipedia

Despite its humble origins, the show continued to evolve and grow a significant fanbase in its second decade on air. After Jeremy Clarkson was brought on board for regular contributions, the show rocketed in viewership. Top Gear, not for the last time, became BBC Two's most-watched show with six million viewers. This was even more surprising, given that BBC Two was traditionally intended for more niche programming. Television viewing figures would only start to dip significantly in the late 1990s - a factor that partially led to the show being put on temporary hiatus.

The Fifth Gear's Tiff Needell Once Hosted The Show

Tiff Needell
Via Motoring Research

Tiff Needell is known primarily for two things; being an ex-F1 driver, and hosting Fifth Gear, the Channel 5 rival to Top Gear throughout the 2000s. However, what many people forget, is that for a brief period, he actually hosted the flagship BBC Two show. Following his short stint in F1, Needell presented the show in 1987, alongside, of all people, Jeremy Clarkson. The two would go on become television rivals in later years, but during the late 1980s, they both played a huge role in increasing the show's viewership.

Angela Rippon Was Its First Female Presenter

Angela Rippon
Via Motoring Research

In more ways than one, Top Gear was groundbreaking. This was most apparent in their hiring of Angela Rippon as the shows first-ever female host in 1977. Rippon, who was also a seasoned newsreader, joined the show during its infancy, playing a crucial role in its initial, albeit limited success. For a woman to host a car-themed television show at the time was remarkable in itself, given the pervasive sexism of the era. Her popularity on the show saw her stay on until 1979 - and would, in time, pave the way for the likes of Julia Bradbury and Vicky Butler-Henderson to presenter the show in years to come.

RELATED: Why Top Gear Isn’t The Same Since Clarkson, Hammond, And May Left

Clarkson Was A Casual Contributor

Jeremy Clarkson
via evening standard

Jeremy Clarkson didn't become the shows permanent host until 2002. But prior to that, he did contribute from time to time during its previous guise. Throughout the late 1980s 'Jezza' - a motoring journalist at the time - would feature on the show to deliver reviews of newly released cars. His early success would eventually seem him land the role as host of the show two decades later. While mischievous at times, his initial spell on Top Gear saw the Brit showcase a more serious side of his personality.

It Was Far From A Global Smash Hit

Live show in Durban, South Africa
Via Wikipedia

The show may have garnered six million viewers at one point, but the key thing to note is that all six million were UK based. Without widespread distribution or streaming sites like Netflix, the original Top Gear was very much limited to the UK market. As the second incarnation of the show began to grow in popularity, it slowly morphed into a global franchise - culminating in the widely popular Grand Tour Amazon series. Top Gear Live shows, such as the one pictured above in South Africa, also highlight the programs' remarkable rise under the stewardship of Clarkson and co.

Original Top Gear Ended In 2001

Original Top Gear host
via Fyne Stuff

Throughout the 1990s, Top Gear's ratings gradually began to drop. The departure of Clarkson, alongside a revolving door of presenters, saw the show lose its previous charm. While these factors did contribute towards its cancellation, one additional issue put the final nail in the coffin for Orginal Top Gear. The program was finally put on ice in 2001, partially as a result of then presenter Brendan Coogan being convicted for drunk-driving. The show left UK screens - but only for 12 months. In 2002, Top Gear was resurrected, only this time, with a more familiar presenting trio.

Sources: BBC News, Telegraph.co.uk, Dave.uktv, Digital Spy, Birmingham Mail.

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