Jeremy Clarkson has defeated Hollywood legend Steve McQueen to be crowned screen’s greatest automotive icon. This is the finding of a study by Hyundai Motor which surveyed 2,000 people in Britain recently.
While McQueen is known as ‘The King of Cool’, thanks to his effortless style and tough guy persona, Clarkson has been ridiculed over the years for his dedication to stone-wash denim. But it’s the ex-Top Gear presenter who topped the list.
Clarkson has been involved in some of the most impressive (and outrageous) TV moments over the past 25 years, whether it was driving to the North Pole or riding motorcycles from Ho Chi Minh to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.
McQueen, meanwhile, starred in films such as Bullitt, The Great Escape, Le Mans and On Any Sunday. And in his films, the memorable action scenes were actually done with real cars and motorcycles, not by using CGI.
Fast and the Furious leading man, Vin Diesel, beat 007’s Sean Connery, with the tough guys making up the top five.
GREATEST AUTOMOTIVE ICONS
1. Jeremy Clarkson
2. Steve McQueen
3. Richard Hammond
4. Vin Diesel
5. Sir Sean Connery
6. James May
7. Paul Walker
8. Daniel Craig
9. Sir Roger Moore
10. Jason Statham
“The best cars and films are always the subject of fierce and fun debate and thanks to the internet and streaming services, there is no shortage of shows and websites to keep us occupied,” said a spokesman for Hyundai.
The very best car film, according to the 2,000 people surveyed in Britain, was The Italian Job, followed by Steve McQueen-starring Bullitt and the Fast and the Furious series. In addition to being named the greatest car movie, The Italian Job also features the most popular car chase to ever appear on the big screen.
James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 was named greatest movie car ahead of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the De Lorean from Back to the Future.
