The Grand Tour is the name given to the travels around the principal towns and monuments of Europe made by young men of the British upper class in the 18th century. It was considered an important part of the education of a young man to see the great artistic achievements and classical remains of Europe, particularly those of Italy, as well as to improve language skills and to observe the different manners and governments of Europe.
Many had their portraits painted while abroad by artists such as Batoni and returned with a taste and appreciation for the culture of Southern Europe; this to some extent explains the character of the collections of paintings and antiquarian remains found in a number of British country houses, and in certain instances the design and landscaping of them.
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Jeremy Clarkson ‘risks explosion’ in penultimate The Grand Tour special
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The Grand Tour may be coming to an end but Jeremy Clarkson , Richard Hammond and James May have a few challenges ahead of them.
The trio, who first hit our screens together in 2003 on Top Gear , announced in November that their Amazon Prime series The Grand Tour was coming to an end.
Their final two specials, filmed in Mauritania and in Zimbabwe, will air later this year, with the first launching on February 16.
But hopefully, they’ll be going out without a bang.
Clarkson, May and Hammond reunite in Mauritania to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Paris-Dakar rally.
But instead of bespoke Dakar racers, they’ll be completing their journey in cheap modified sports cars.
Their journey begins with the world’s longest train and sees them tackle the killer Sahara and perilous river crossings whilst protecting their precious fuel bowser from exploding.
As if that wasn’t challenging enough, they’ll be battling scorching temperatures and unforgiving sand terrain on the way.
A first look at their West African journey, titled The Grand Tour: Sand Job, has also dropped, which sees the trio taking on the challenges.
According to MailOnline, Clarkson opts for a Jaguar V6, Hammond takes on an Aston Martin Volante V12 and May goes for a Maserati all deliver along the country’s only railway line.
It’s also said they not only are up against the natural forces, but also extract themselves from a minefield.
This comes after Clarkson admitted he’s too ‘unfit and fat and old’ for filming some parts of the programme, which has run from 2016.
The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host said: ‘I’ve driven cars higher than anyone else and further north than anyone else.
‘We’ve done everything you can do with a car.
‘When we had meetings about what to do next, people just threw their arms in the air.’
He continued to The Times that the show ‘is immensely physical and when you’re unfit and fat and old, which I am,’ making some parts like camping, a stretch.
Addressing any rumours about feuds with his co-stars, he added: ‘We’ve spent more time in each other’s company than our families’ over the last 25 years so I don’t think it would have lasted as long as it did if we’d hated each other as much as James likes to think.’
‘They do as they’re told,’ he added.
Clarkson’s comments echo May saying he thinks the time is right for a brand new motoring show to take the place of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, because the trio are ‘too old’.
Late last year, the BBC officially made the decision to ‘rest’ Top Gear for the ‘foreseeable future’ , after Freddie Flintoff’s horror crash in December 2022.
‘If you wanted to make a serious, slightly more consumerish car show there’s never been a better time for it because it’s a very interesting topic,’ James told The Sun.
‘What is going to happen to the car, car ownership, attitudes to the car, how we use it, dispose of it, how we power it?
‘It’s all interesting stuff, it’s the most interesting time in the car’s history since it was invented. So I can’t believe somewhere or other, a slightly more modern car show won’t emerge.
‘But we can’t do it as we’re too old.’
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The Grand Tour is available to watch on Prime Video , with a new special launching on Friday, February 16 .
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Grand Tour of London
London full day tour.
£725.00 up to 8 Hours 09:30hrs to 17:30hrs Listed price is for the tour and not per person. Our vehicle can accommodate 6 adult passengers comfortably. Entrances not included
London Full Day Tour aka The Grand tour of London is by far the most popular tour that we offer. It includes a full day panoramic tour of the city and a guided visit of Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London (Crown Jewels) *
During our panoramic tour, we will also see Buckingham Palace , Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square, The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and much more in between…photo stops are part of our tour too.
As this tour includes guided visits to two major sites, we must take into account time constraints. If you wish to have a more flexible day without any site visits or different sites please book the London Full Day Tour instead which is fully customisable.
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The Grand Tour has had a lasting impact on the National Gallery's Collection. Find out how the adventures of young aristocrats created a higher awareness of art in British society.
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tutor or family member) when they had come of age (about 21 years old).
Grand tour, multiyear journey, typically running through France and Italy. It was undertaken by aristocratic or wealthy young men from northern Europe, especially England, to complete their education.
The Grand Tour is the name given to the travels around the principal towns and monuments of Europe made by young men of the British upper class in the 18th century. It was considered an important part of the education of a young man to see the great artistic achievements and classical remains of Europe, particularly those of Italy, as well as ...
The Grand Tour may be coming to an end but Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have a few challenges ahead of them.
London Full Day Tour aka The Grand tour of London is by far the most popular tour that we offer. It includes a full day panoramic tour of the city and a guided visit of Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London (Crown Jewels)*