Who is The Stig?

Who is the Stig? He is certainly a racing driver who tests various cars on the track in the British motoring show Top Gear. He always appears in a helmet and stays masked. His identity has so far never been revealed, and a great deal of speculation has grown up around the Stig.

The Black Stig, who appeared in the first two series of the show (2001–2003), was Perry McCarthy. The Black Stig was killed off in the first episode of the third series of Top Gear. While performing a stunt aboard the aircraft carrier HMS "Invincible", he drove his car into the sea. The stunt involved accelerating a Jaguar XJ-S along the ship's deck. He reached a speed of 109 mph and unfortunately failed to brake in time. He plunged into the sea, and all that remained of the driver was a single black glove floating on the water.

The White Stig, the one this article is about, first appeared in the second episode of the third series of Top Gear, broadcast on BBC on 2 November 2004. The new Stig appears in the show more often. In a special episode devoted to the Winter Olympics he jumps off a ski jump and races across London using public transport. The Stig's exploits on the Top Gear track can be watched on the Top Gear – The Track page.

But who is the Stig? Every fan of the show asks themselves that question. Some say that he is an advanced extra-terrestrial life form. Others, that his favourite food is walruses. We also know that he has two cousins. The first is the Fat Stig from the USA, who appeared in the third episode of the ninth series (shown on BBC on 11 February 2007). As Jeremy Clarkson put it: some say that he is the result of a failed CIA experiment and that he eats nothing but cheese. The Fat Stig wears a costume identical to the real Stig's, but is far fatter.

The Stig also has a cousin in Africa who, dressed in a bed sheet and professional racing boots, tests three cars on a track in Botswana. These are Richard Hammond's 1963 Opel Kadett, the 1981 Lancia Beta Coupé chosen by Jeremy Clarkson, and the iconic 1985 Mercedes 230E in which James May crossed the desert. The Stig's African cousin appears in the fourth episode of the tenth series (shown on BBC Two on 4 November 2007). Clarkson described the African cousin of the Stig with the words: Some say that he has watched "The Lion King" 1,780 times, and that his second-best friend is a buffalo.

Unfortunately the identity of the current Stig is still unknown. Who is this driver? Those suspected of the role include Damon Hill, Russ Swift, Mark Blundell, Julian Bailey, Ben Collins and Tim Schrick. A short interview for Dutch television suggests that he has a pure English accent. His height and black hair suggest that he is Ben Collins.

As for Ben Collins, he was also present during Richard Hammond's famous crash. In the accident report Collins was described as a "highly experienced driver" who was advising the Top Gear presenter. In one episode Jeremy Clarkson jokes that Damon Hill is the Stig. Hill denies it.

When it comes to Tim Schrick, on the Dutch site autoblog.nl you can read and watch speculation that the Stig is a German driver. On jalopnik.com, however, we can read and see that the Stig and Tim Schrick stand together in a single photo, so that theory appears to be disproved. Or perhaps there are two Stigs? After all, Schrick is dressed exactly like the Stig, only without a helmet on. All that is known is that some say that automatic gearboxes bring him to tears, and that mosquitoes form a halo around his head.

One thing is certain. The Stig is an amazing driver, his face is digital and his skin has the texture of a dolphin's. No doubt the time will one day come when we learn his true face. Today he is simply The Stig!