User reviews

With being saturated with dross and terrible ideas, this series isn't that. Always liked Richard Hamond and the Top Gear/ Grand Tour series. This isn't that either, this is something more interesting to watch and shows the creak and groans of real life reality of a small business owner. Really interesting too watch, and I am not really into older cars. But it's still interesting to watch History being reborn.

Richard Hammond is a very likeable chap, and obviously has a genuine love of classic cars. Following his story as he sets up his own classic car renovation business is both enjoyable and educational. However, my one, major bug bear with the show is, "Ooh, he's got to spend over 100K on a new whatever, he might go bankrupt." just doesn't sit well. His current worth is estimated at 45 million UK pounds, so he probably makes 100K in interest every year, if not more. So to see him fretting over spending the odd 10 grand here and there is just false drama, and for me, distracts from a genuinely interesting show. Yes, it is important to understand the cost of these things, and is part of the process so should be included in the show. But in every episode so far (3 as I write this) one of the main themes has been about the financial side of the business, and how much this or that costs. Oh I need to put another 15K of my own money in etc. I'd rather they concentrated on the cars and restoration process, while still commenting on the financial investment he is making as an aside.

Really enjoying this, see Hammond trying to start a serious car restoration business with help of 2 locals who have their name & reputation to uphold & how difficult, expensive & how much red tape their is to stating up a business. Enjoying it so far. Recommended.

It's interesting, the rates show appreciation but the first written reviews are negative.. Of course the way 'the internet' works is mainly negativity based. Always easier to burn something down.. But to counterbalance that I think this show deserves a lot more positivity. The father and son team are an excellent choice for Richard's endeavour and if you are into cars, restoring them and the (entertaining, not too serious) business side of that, this show is definitely worth your watch. To me it invokes a lot of sympathy which keeps me watching.

There is some good workshop humor from the local mechanics working with Hammond, some good sarcastic remarks from Hammonds wife, and those local mechanics you can't help but really love them.

And then there is the mystery - is Hammond going to go bankrupt?

I do hope not.

I didn't know what to expect, hoped it would not be another "fake drama, look, its RH doing stupid things making a prat of himslef again" type show.

It is not that at all! He has teamed up with a couple of very down to earth and extremely talented people and put their careers and his own money on the line.

It's well filmed, well scripted, seems very genuine and thoroughly enjoyable to watch.

RH is doing the right thing by his team and starting a business in a very competitive arena. It's a fascinating insight.

Fair play to him and the guys, it's a great show and I really look forward to every episode.

I hope the business succeeds and the show continues.

I only watched 20 minutes of the first episode and decide to have a cup of tea. I didn't bother watching the rest of it I then watched the next 2 in a row now that there starting to work on cars it is becoming more enjoyable. Hammond just does not have the same class of dry wit that Clarkson and May have but I like it with less over the top drama. Just waiting on the first £5000 windscreen drop that most car shows have.

Let's face it, Richard Hammond is a very likeable personality. And he is obviously very passionate about vintage cars, probably more so that Clarkson and May. And his dream to set up a workshop that restores and repairs classic and vintage cars is so clearly a long held dream. The two mechanics are both a brilliant sombering foil for Hammond's often misplaced exuberance. It is a really enjoyable show, but the one thing that sticks in my craw, is the constant supposed financial struggles. Hammond selling some of his vintage cars and motorcyles at auction makes for brilliant TV. And his meeting with the accountant telling him he needs to rein in his spending. "The new paint spray and bake rooms are going to cost 200K." At the last count, Hammonds net worth is 45 million UK pounds. So his on screen angst about how they are going to afford things just rings a little hollow. Just wish the'd cut out all the fakery and concentrate on the cars, the workshop, and the mechanics as the real heros.

At first I was not sure about this, Hammond has made some great TV, so I gave it a try. I was hooked, the whole family is hooked by it.

Great characters, storylines and interesting subjects. It's not just about car restoration it covers much more.

It gives great insight to Hammonds personal and family life, as well as other characters who you end up loving. It's nice to see a TV show with good values, fun and funny at times.

Not sure why it is not on the main stream TV channels in the UK, they missed a great series here, its much better than some of the stuff they have been putting on for a few years now.

Hammond is usually good value with interesting programmes and ideas. This is certainly along the lines of a certain other farm related programme so will draw obvious comparisons.

The existing father and son team of car restorers seem really good and Hammond has joined forces to start a new classic car restoration company with them.

Apparently with no planning, costing or any ideas of what's involved.

I understand there needs to be some sort of "drama" but all the fake financial peril stuff gets on your nerves after a while.

Stressing about 10 grand here and 20 grand here when he's worth over 40 million just seems off.

Would have been better to focus on the card and the work rather than all the fake drama wrapped around it.

But still it could have been worse, it could have been "the great escapists" Christ that was the worst thing ever filmed :)

It should be about fixing interesting cars in the workshop, but it's not, it's just fake financial jeopardy and jaunts out his wife and very annoying kids.

The main thrust of both series is'will the multi multi millionaire's business go bust because he gets another £10k bill because the workshop doesn't make enough money.

Like the Discovery Channel fee wouldn't just cover everything anyway. He thinks of new local marketing ways to sell the business, never mentioning that he has multiple global platforms where he advertises. Inc this daft programme.

It's all very fake and scripted. It gets very dull very quickly. Shame, it could have been really good if it was actually about cars in the workshop.

Although there are times when you feel the "it's in 2 weeks" is overly fabricated and a bit repetitive, the show is really great fun!

All the cast are engaging and play their part very well. Sometimes it's hard to see how they make any money at all with the "distractions" thrown in for entertainment and some of these distractions make you think "come on really?????" (See leopards for context).

The influence of Mindy Hammond insisting the workshop be viable and Richard slowly realising he's now a businessman responsible for other people's livelihood makes a really good dynamic.

Love the show, love the content, just hope it has the subject matter to make it a long running and entertaining show!

Even though this show doesn't have the budget and exotic locations of the Hamster's other ventures it's become compulsive viewing for me...mainly in the hope that I'll eventually get to see the Smallest Cog become a roaring success.

It's also great seeing so many stunning vintage cars still on the roads and being driven regularly, something that this show really highlights.

I'm sure many of us would love to have a garage full of vintage classic cars, all lovingly restored. For those of us that are unable to afford our own collection, this show goes some way to at least making you feel what it may be like.

Well done Hammond - man enough to focus the show on the cars and his colleagues, Neil and Anthony Greenhouse, with the only problem being that it's sometimes difficult to believe that he is so naïve on the business sided of things. Like Top Gear and The Grand Tour, you suspect much of it is scripted, which I think detracts a little from the entertainment.

Looking forward to see the Alvis and of course the Bentley R being restored.

Superb show - something fresh.

Where are you hiding Richard?

You have a nicelt delveoping show and in the middle of the beginning you .... well disappear?

Is it coming bac or has it gone by the way of the Drive Tribe thingy magig?

The three gentlemen of Top Gear (or should I say: The Grand Tour) apparently decided each to have a show of their own. And as wokeness has it these days each of them is a dumb white oaf: Clarkson knows nothing about farming, May about cooking and apparently Hammond has no idea about either running a business or car restoration. And his shows only made him a little money, since has to sell some of his old cars and motorbikes to fund the operation.

Of course this is all fake: Richard Hammond didn't got where is is now if wasn't able to hold is own in business and therefore most is fake and probably scripted. So over the episodes my attention waned until I got really bored with the show.

I don't think I'll bother to watch the second season, should it arrive.

I started off viewing from season 2 as the quality usually is better once the series has settled so to speak. I seriously don't understand this high review score, most certainly in comparison to Grand Tour and Clarkson's Farm. The content, editing and music is cliché in the sense that it is nothing different from the huge pile of car restoration business programs that are out there. Even up to the "financial struggle" it's the same, and I had honestly hoped, being English, this would have some witty twist to it, but it just didn't. This is nowhere near the quality of Grand Tour or Clarkson's Farm, and it's possibly due to these programs I had set my expectation higher.

As a fan of Top Gear and The Grand Tour and a fan of Clarkson, May and Hammond I was looking forward to this.

If it was half as good as Clarkson's Farm I would be content and I suppose it is in many ways.

Hammond comes across as a really fun bloke, his playful infectious personality comes through and there are many smiles to be had.

But as the series has progressed (currently series 3 as I write this) it has started to become more false and overly scripted.

The situations and set ups are so obvious now it has come distracting and this has taken the enjoyment out of it for me.

I'm pretty sure if it wasn't Richard Hammond fronting this, it would be not be rating as high as it is on IMDB.

I would have expected more about the actual car restoration side of the business and less about multimillionaires driving around and worrying about having to invest 100,000 pounds into their startup, all while earning who knows how much from the TV show about said business.

Meanwhile, the format of the show itself is too reality TV-y for my taste. Too much screen time consists of people testifying into the camera and repeating at nauseam what's currently going on. I also don't get a great deal of joy out of watching Richard Hammond being emasculated at home as a recurring theme.

This could have been filmed the same way Clarkson's Farm was. Still obviously dramatized, and yet more... natural. The concept had every right to be just as interesting and entertaining.

Somehow, Richard Hammond's solo projects always end up a bit off, and the least enjoyable to watch out of the Top Gear Three.

Great idea, great projects, all let down by filming it like it's "The Office", but unfortunately an unfunny version.

Obviously these programs are heavily scripted or at least contrived, that's how TV works, but this would have been far more enjoyable if it was natural. I can believe it if Clarkson's farm faces financial doom, but this show just looks like a tax write off, I just don't care that a multimillionaire can't make a profit fixing chipped paint on another multimillionaires Lambo.

Just show us fixing the cars up and anything fun that may come from it, or get another writer.

This whole endeavour was a TV show idea and not a garage. I hope the team of mechanics know they're on their own when the show ends.

Richard Hammond's Workshop season 1, which aired in 2021, showed The Grand Tour presenter fulfilling a lifelong ambition of starting his restoration and repair workshop, The Smallest Cog, near his home in Herefordshire.

Striving to learn the business from the ground up, Richard teamed up with car 'wonder-family' Neil, Anthony and Andrew Greenhouse.

However, a year into trading and Richard is starting to fret when the company is still not turning a profit.

Here in an exclusive interview with Richard, we tell you everything you need to know about the new series which gives an insight into the trials and tribulations facing the former Top Gear presenter as well as providing a peek into his family life with wife Mindy and their teenage daughters, Izzy and Willow...