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Top Gear's Stig revealed as racing legend Bill Collins

 
8 10,168 views Jan 21, 2009

The BBC has attempted to muddy the waters of the Stig’s identity by throwing up the alternative of Graham Hill

The BBC has attempted to muddy the waters of the Stig’s identity by throwing up the alternative of Graham Hill

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The BBC's Top Gear is perhaps the most well-recognized and widely-watched motoring program on earth, and the series' dependence on a hired gun that plies the world's best supercars at the show's test track is equally well-known. That driver's identity has been a closely guarded secret of the show, however - until this week.

Previously we reported that the secretive 'tame racing driver' that dresses in a white racing suit and helmet for the program was racing driver and Bristol, UK, resident Ben Collins. However, in the latest twist, it has been revealed that Collins may not in fact be the mysterious ‘Stig’. To clear up the confusion, the BBC has tentatively revealed that the Stig is 80-year old Graham Hill, father to F1 World Champion Damon Hill and GP World Drivers Championship in 1962 and 1968. However, this is most likely a ruse to throw off readers of the earlier Collins reveal.

A previous Stig, now known as the Black Stig, preceded the new, white-clad version, but was killed off from the show upon the revelation of his identity as former British Formula 1 driver Perry McCarthy. It's not yet known if the current Stig will now face a similar fate, or what sort of Stig might replace him.



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Comments (8)

  1. ma_gus avatar Gus Chyba Posted: 1/20/2009 7:32am PST

    Classic.
    Everyone thought he was F1, now it turns out he turns left.
     
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  2. ma_toyotaman90 avatar toyotaman90 Posted: 1/20/2009 4:49pm PST

    collins did more than just nascar
     
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  3. ma_WizardsLore avatar WizardsLore Posted: 1/20/2009 5:32pm PST

    thanks to the newspaper's decision to part from the honor-code that had kept the identity secret

    they should be sued for breakign the honour code. Or charged for having to find a replacement. Idiots...also i expected better from the telegraph...seems they are becoming hacks also
     
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  4. ma_gus avatar Gus Chyba Posted: 1/21/2009 2:24pm PST

    I know that, toyotaman, but it is funny that he raced NASCAR, a typically American racing venue, often lampooned by the hosts of TG...
     
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  5. ma_Vinzer avatar Vinzer Posted: 1/21/2009 5:55pm PST

    Umm, guys, this story is absolutely fake. You can tell by the abundant presence of sarcasm in the original article:

    http://www.topgear.com/us/blog/more/the-stig-is-revealed/

    I think they're mostly trying to divert attention away from other recent speculations...
     
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  6. ma_Mike avatar Mike Posted: 1/21/2009 8:35pm PST

    Ben Collins, Graham Hill, Bill Collins? This is becoming a bloody soap opera!
     
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  7. ma_TheJagMan avatar TheJagMan Posted: 1/24/2009 7:25am PST

    I don't think it could be Graham Hill as he was killed in an air crash in 1975...
     
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  8. By jon Posted: 8/23/2010 2:27am PDT

    his name is BEN not BILL....
     
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