The Stig is the mysterious "tame racing driver" of the popular
BBC car show Top Gear. His
name derives from the 1984 World Rally Champion, Stig Blomqvist. All shots of him show the same racing overalls (black in the first 2 series,
white from series 3 and onward) and a helmet (of matching colour), but never reveal his identity.
The Stig's job on the show is to drive various cars around the Top Gear test
track. The times he sets with those cars are kept on a scoreboard that keeps
track of the fastest cars they have tested. The easy listening, prog rock and baroque music the Stig supposedly listens to in the
car is a perennial source of amusement to the presenters. Although he never speaks, The Stig is credited as a presenter on the show.
"Some say he appears on high-value stamps in
Sweden, and that he is wanted by the
CIA. All we know is, he's called The Stig" - Jeremy Clarkson, Top
Gear presenter