Richard Hammond details 'moving' new season of Discovery+ show amid 'chaos'

Can The Smallest Cog restore this 'priceless' Rolls Royce in time for the D-Day anniversary? (Image: Discovery )

Richard Hammond is back with a brand new season of his car restoration show, Richard Hammond's Workshop.

The motoring enthusiast is opening the doors of The Smallest Cog garage to cameras for a fourth time. The show first premiered on Discovery+ in 2021, marking The Grand Tour star's first steps towards a dream of his - to revamp classic cars.

With season four out before the end of August, Top Gear legend Richard, 54, spoke to the Express about the impactful renovations and emotional moments on the show. They come amid the chaos of changing personnel at the garage and Richard's own, self-confessed bad management.

Richard told the Express of The Smallest Cog: "It's a real business that carries on when the cameras leave, but by the time the cameras come back for series four, the workshop has grown on account of my ridiculous ambition, but also on account of my complete lack of ability as a manager. It's struggling."

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He explained how Andrew Greenhouse stepped away from the business, 'largely because of my complete lack of ability to manage,' he admits, adding: "The rest of us are still carrying on, and I'm realising, I think I do need a manager here. But the main thing is, we're getting some great cars in some fantastic stories coming along."

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Anne Marie and Connor's touching story features in season four of Richard Hammond's Workshop (Image: Discovery )

Among the 'tremendous' stories this season is Anne Marie, who has come to have her late husband's Lancia Fulvia restored. She brings their car enthusiast son Connor along, making it an extra special job for the team. Richard explained how while the vehicle itself 'wasn't particularly rare nor valuable,' to Anne Marie, it was 'utterly priceless.'

She had bought it with her husband when they both knew he was terminally ill. It was his favourite car, which he used for a while until he passed. Anne Marie had planned on selling it, but at his wake at her house, she sat in the car to escape the noise just for a quiet moment. "And that's when she realised, hang on, this was his dream car. It's a direct connection to him," Richard explained.

Richard Hammond's Workshop is back for its fourth season (Image: Discovery ) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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He said of handing such touching stories on the show: "I love those moments, because you do quickly learn it's not about the cars and the metal, it's about the people. A car left on its own will just rust away quietly. It's only when you introduce people into the equation, do you get the stories. And that's when it becomes exciting and moving."

Elsewhere in season four of Hammond's Workshop, the team are also trusted to restore a 1939 Rolls Royce Wraith formerly owned by Field Marshal Montgomery. Richard explained: "It was the first car up the beaches after D-Day, the car in which Montgomery and Churchill and Eisenhower had travelled around Northern France as they were planning the campaign to push into Europe and save the Western world."

The vehicle must be restored in time for D-Day commemorations - but can The Smallest Cog pull it off in time?

Richard Hammond's Workshop season four launches on Discovery+ on Monday August 26.

Richard Hammond details 'moving' new season of Discovery+ show amid 'chaos'

Richard Hammond details 'moving' new season of Discovery+ show amid 'chaos'

Richard Hammond details 'moving' new season of Discovery+ show amid 'chaos'

Richard Hammond details 'moving' new season of Discovery+ show amid 'chaos'

Richard Hammond details 'moving' new season of Discovery+ show amid 'chaos'