We're just days away from the premiere of BBC's reimagined Top Gear and only a few months away from Clarkson, Hammond, and May's new Amazon series The Grand Tour, but England's third car program has just bit the dust. Fifth Gear, which rose from the ashes of the original Top Gear in 2002, has apparently been cancelled due to a lack of funding.

Longtime host Tiff Needell announced the news in a series of tweets. Needell, along with Vicki Butler-Henderson and Quentin Willson, joined Fifth Gear after BBC's first iteration of Top Gear, which they all co-hosted, was cancelled in 2001.

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After an unbroken run of 29 years presenting either Top Gear or Fifth Gear it feels weird not to have any filming dates in my diary! — Tiff Needell (@tiff_tv) May 22, 2016

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So busy enjoying Mille Miglia forgot to point out @FifthGearTV on @ITV4 on Friday was last one ever recorded. And no news of any more ... — Tiff Needell (@tiff_tv) May 22, 2016

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No!! Fifth Gear is finding it hard to get re-commissioned ... #money https://t.co/97uQzIuM3f — Tiff Needell (@tiff_tv) May 22, 2016

Fifth Gear has always existed in the shadow of the much more popular Clarkson/Hammond/May revamp of Top Gear, though it had its own following. Needell, Butler-Henderson, and previous host Jason Plato are all accomplished race car drivers, so the show always featured a lot of driving skill on display.

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The show was briefly cancelled in 2009, but it was back on air in the spring of 2010.

Fifth Gear never had the big-budget production values of Top Gear, but it's frequently been an entertaining watch. Its presenters, especially Needell and Butler-Henderson, are excellent, so hopefully they land on their feet somewhere good.

via Carscoops

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