[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/chris-evans-impeccable-top-gear-credentials\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/chris-evans-impeccable-top-gear-credentials\/","headline":"Chris Evans' Impeccable Top Gear Credentials","name":"Chris Evans' Impeccable Top Gear Credentials","description":"It was while watching the twenty-year edition of TFI Friday that I considered just how far ahead of most other live TV presenters Chris Evans is and how much evening TV had missed him. He has an innate ability to connect to a live studio audience as well as the person at home on the couch all at the same time. So it was without too much surprise when Top Gear announced him as one of the new presenters the […]","datePublished":"2015-06-19","dateModified":"2015-06-19","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/chris-evans-chitty-chitty-bang-bang.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/chris-evans-chitty-chitty-bang-bang.jpg","height":400,"width":400},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/chris-evans-impeccable-top-gear-credentials\/","about":["LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":527,"keywords":["bbc","beetle","california spyder","carfest","Chitty Chitty Bang Bang","chris evans","ferrari","Fiat 500","ford escort mexico","gen11","James May","jeremy clarkson","prresenter","Richard Hammond","tfi friday","top gear"],"articleBody":"It was while watching the twenty-year edition of TFI Friday that I considered just how far ahead of most other live TV presenters Chris Evans is and how much evening TV had missed him. He has an innate ability to connect to a live studio audience as well as the person at home on the couch all at the same time.So it was without too much surprise when Top Gear announced him as one of the new presenters the other day; a perfect fit you may think, as Mr Evans love of cars is well known.Yet it\u2019s so much more than that, being lucky enough to have the finances to fulfil some of his motoring dreams, Chris Evans has amassed one of the finest collections of cars we are likely to come across.While it may be all too easy to dismiss Evans as a man with a vast collection of way too expensive Ferraris, he does also extend the love to far more humble automobiles, including a (non classic) Fiat 500 and a rather nice Ford Escort Mexico. He also owns a pretty standard \u201972 Beetle, something that Clarkson would most definitely not approve of.Evans can also be very proud of being a part of CarFest, which has raised thousands of pounds for Children in Need. CarFest originally began in 2012 and was hosted at Jody Scheckter\u2019s 2,500 acre Laverstoke Farm Park and despite complaints from some neighbours at the time, CarFest continues to be a success to this day.I guess if I was asked to pick my favourite car that Evans has either owned or still owns, it might prove to be a mind bogglingly difficult task \u2013 except for one thing: In 2012, Evans paid around \u00a3500,000 for the only working version of the \u2018GEN11\u2019 number-plated car from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Now for anyone of a certain age (or maybe just anyone?) that car is probably the most iconic car in existence. Several were made for the show, but only one was actually driveable. That\u2019s a clear winner in my book and must\u2019ve been a treat for kids of all ages when he unveiled it at CarFest a few months later.So all in all, I don\u2019t think even the most mean spirited critic of Top Gear of the BBC could argue that Chris Evans is anything but a superb choice as the new main host.In fact, Evans – who previously said that he was ruling himself out of the running for a role in a revamped Top Gear to avoid becoming \u2018a pawn\u2019 in the Top Gear\/Clarkson circus \u2013 says he was only offered the job a week ago. Being friends with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May through their mutual love of cars, he also said that he had already been given the thumbs up by them should the role come his way.Now we must wait to see who appears triumphant following the auditions for further Top Gear presenter roles in the weeks to come, but I bet they don\u2019t have a collection quite like Mr Evans does.Images: www.motoringresearch.com, www.telegraph.co.uk."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chris Evans' Impeccable Top Gear Credentials","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/chris-evans-impeccable-top-gear-credentials\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]