The later series also came to an end just last year, with an emotional finale that saw the broadcasters return to a memorable location from their first Top Gear feature-length special.
Now, more memories are being revisited in a trip to the now-defunct Top Gear set, which Hammond and May took time to explore and recollect in a 15-minute video on May's Planet Gin YouTube channel. Watch here:
To kick off, Hammond said: "I feel really odd being here. The last time I was here, I was leaving after the last studio record – I was in a bronze Land Rover – and I set off and thought, 'What was that?'"
Wandering around the back offices where they would plan out each show, the duo got thinking about the stress they felt just prior to recording, particularly as audience members came pouring in.
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"You'd think about what was in it," said Hammond. "If you had a really good film that you were pleased with, or there'd be a tricky bit in the news that you'd be dreading, or a really long complicated link that had a lot of stuff you'd have to remember."
May commented: "I think we did [get anxious], but I think we got used to it and that was just the way our lives were."
"Anxiety-ridden," Hammond added, later commenting: "How the hell did we get away with it for so long?"
Top Gear would ultimately be placed on an indefinite break after then-presenter Freddie Flintoff was seriously injured while filming a segment for the programme.
Top Gear is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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