The BBC’s Top Gear show has landed the prestigious Honorary Rose Award at the Rose D'Or Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland for its popularity around the world. The show’s success demonstrates that the world’s appetite for cars shows no sign of abating; nor indeed is its appetite for Jeremy Clarkson.

The out-spoken presenter collected the award in person, joking that "Approximately seven million cars had to be destroyed to win this award."

Top Gear’s success is drawn not only on a passion for cars, but an often cutting sense of humour and the expression of personal opinions about cars – not all of which are especially praising. As well as occasionally inspiring the wrath of some car manufacturers’ legal teams, it has also managed to annoy both the embassies of Mexico and India.

The show has been broadcast to car lovers in no less than 198 territories over its lifetime, and demonstrates no signs of slowing down. Clarkson himself still relishes his role alongside James May and Richard Hammond, adding at the ceremony: "This is the best job in the world and I hope I can do it forever."

If we weren’t so secure in the extent of our reliable breakdown insurance products, we might count ourselves lucky that Clarkson and Co have never directed their attention towards the vehicle recovery industry!