James May didn’t just walk onto the set of the world’s biggest car show and start complaining about his "fizz." Actually, he almost didn't join at all. Most people remember him as the third wheel who replaced Jason Dawe in 2003, but the james may top gear story is way weirder than that. He was actually there in the "old" format back in 1999. He wore terrible jumpers even then.
Then he got fired.
He didn't get fired for being boring, though. He got fired from Autocar magazine years earlier for hiding a secret message in a supplement that basically told the editors to go do something physically impossible to themselves. That's the real James May. He’s not just a slow driver in a floral shirt; he’s a man with a distinct, often stubborn, sense of how the world should work.
Why Captain Slow was actually the fastest
The nickname is a lie. Well, mostly. Jeremy Clarkson coined "Captain Slow" because May has a habit of getting lost or obsessing over a map while the other two are already halfway to the pub. But if you look at the stats, James May was often the one entrusted with the terrifyingly fast stuff.
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Remember the Bugatti Veyron?
May was the first of the trio to take it to its top speed. He hit 407 km/h at the Ehra-Lessien track. He didn't look particularly happy about it. He looked like a man who was very concerned about the physics of a tire disintegrating. Later, he went back in the Veyron Super Sport and hit 417 km/h. You don't send the "slow" guy to do that if he can't drive.
The nickname stuck because it fit the brand. It played into the chemistry. You had the shouting one (Clarkson), the crashing one (Hammond), and the one who wanted to explain how a carburetor works (May). Without that balance, the show would have just been two middle-aged men falling over.
The replacement who saved the show
People forget Jason Dawe. He was the guy in Series 1 who did the "insider deals" segments. He was fine, honestly. But the show felt like a local news consumer report. When james may top gear became a reality in Series 2, the DNA of the program shifted.
It became a sitcom about three friends who happened to have cars.
May brought a specific type of pedantry. He once spent an entire segment trying to find the "perfect" road in a supercar while his colleagues were busy trying to see who could make the loudest noise. He’s the guy who loves a Fiat Panda but also owns a Ferrari 458 Speciale. That's a weird contradiction. It’s also why he resonated with people who actually like machinery, not just status symbols.
Iconic moments that weren't about driving
- The Caravan Airship: May trying to fly a caravan shaped like a blimp into the controlled airspace of Norwich Airport while getting a "colossal aviation bollocking."
- The Man Lab: His side projects often leaked into Top Gear, showing his obsession with "proper" manly skills like making a portaloo out of a phone booth.
- The Gin: His chemistry with the others peaked during the specials, specifically the Polar Special where he and Clarkson became the first people to drive to the North Pole—while drinking gin and tonics.
What really happened when it ended
When the BBC decided not to renew Jeremy Clarkson’s contract in 2015 after the "fracas" involving a hot steak, the world assumed May and Hammond would just stay. They were offered massive amounts of money to keep the brand alive.
They didn't.
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May famously said they were "a package." It wasn't just loyalty; it was a business calculation. He knew the magic wasn't in the Top Gear name—it was in the three of them bickering. He’s gone on record recently, even as late as 2025, saying that while the end was "regrettable" and "unfortunate," it was probably time.
He’s not a sentimental man. He’s practical.
The technical reality of his expertise
James May is a trained musician. He has a degree in music from Lancaster University. This sounds irrelevant until you watch him listen to an engine. He views mechanical harmony the same way he views a score.
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He’s also a pilot. He got his license in 2006. This is why his technical segments on the show were always more accurate than the others. If Hammond told you a car was "zippy," May would tell you the specific torque curve and why the damping was rubbish on a B-road.
Actionable insights for fans and creators
If you’re looking back at the james may top gear era, there are a few things you should actually do to appreciate it properly:
- Watch the "Cheap Car Challenges" first: This is where May’s personality shines. Don't look at the supercars; look at him trying to fix a Volvo with a hammer and a piece of string.
- Look for the "The Reassembler": If you want to understand May away from the Top Gear shadow, watch him put a lawnmower back together piece by piece. It’s oddly therapeutic.
- Read his old columns: His writing for The Daily Telegraph and Autocar contains the dry wit that the TV show sometimes simplified for a global audience.
The reality is that James May wasn't the "slow" one. He was the anchor. He provided the intellectual weight that allowed the other two to be idiots. Without his pedantry, the show wouldn't have lasted three seasons, let alone twenty-two. He proved that you can be the most interesting person in the room just by being the one who actually knows how the room was built.