Richard Hammond is at WH Smith at Bluewater this Saturday, December 1, signing copies of On The Edge My Story between 1pm and 2pm. Some say that he is indestructible following his run-in with a drag car, others that he has the whitest teeth at the BBC. NEILL BARSTON examines the career of Richard "Hamster" Hammond as he drops in on Kent.

Watching Richard Hammond in an outrageous land versus air race in a Bugatti Veyron against a Eurofighter proved extremely uncomfortable viewing on the latest series of Top Gear.

You might have thought he’d give all that kind of caper a miss after his near-death experience last year when filming for the Beeb in a Vampire drag racer went horribly wrong.

In anyone’s book it was a minor miracle he was alive after his car veered off the road at nearly 300 miles per hour.

But calling on all of his driving reflexes, he was able to avert an even worse crash which would have seen his souped-up motor become an instant fireball.

Recalling the incident he said: "I was aware of my brain saying ‘We’ll wave the flag’ – and that was the point I passed out.

"Doctors use a point system. Fifteen is normal, three is a flatline. I was a three. I was that close to being dead."

To his credit he gave the OK to the BBC to screen footage of the accident on Top Gear, for which he received a huge round of applause. The show has seen the holy trinity of Hammond, May and Clarkson take on a ever-more ambitious range of whacky races, from radio-controlled cars and speeding through the Antarctic to motorhome racing. In fact there’s little on four wheels the presenting trio haven’t tackled.

They’ve even taken on a Kent challenge with a Dover Channel crossing in which they cannibalised a 4x4 pick-up with outboard motor, a converted camper van and a Triumph Herald with a sail. Nelson would probably turn in his grave at such ungainly craft, yet the boys clearly had a right old giggle.

Displaying a level of confidence bordering on sheer arrogance, the Hamster refuses to back down from the often high-speed challenges. While they make no bones about it being a boys’ club, the greatness of the show lies in its appeal to an audience of all ages – even with people who hate cars and their nasty carbon tyre-prints.

"Well, we actually do sit around and talk about cars, endlessly. We’re just a big bunch of kids. We really, really love cars," explained Richard. Everyone around us at the BBC can be so serious, and we’re just noisy, enthusiastic and car-mad.

"Some boys want to be fighter pilots or brain surgeons, but I always wanted to be on Top Gear. It’s the ultimate show if you’re a little boy at heart. Driving all those fabulous cars, you can’t top that," added the pint-sized presenter who is mercilessly ribbed by his co-hosts for his "Hollywood" teeth.

"They are not whitened" is his constant refrain, citing his decision to give up smoking as the reason for his pearly whites.

The 37-year-old from Birmingham has come from quite a motoring heritage, with his grandparents being involved in the car industry.

His early media career began on local radio before he moved into PR. His big TV break came with gaining a gig presenting lifestyle and motoring shows for Men and Motors.

Rather randomly, he has also presented Crufts and had his own, admittedly short-lived, teatime chat show which have all proved interesting sidelines.

Yet with Hammond, his heart is and always will be with cars. His garage at the Gloucestershire home he shares with wife Amanda and the couple’s two young daughters, includes an old Porsche 911 and a Dodge Charger. He also owns two Land Rovers plus a Harley Davidson for good measure.

Like his fellow presenters, you can’t help but be impressed with their boyish enthusiasm and Hammond’s battles with Jeremy Clarkson for which motors deserve to be on the "cool wall" have become essential viewing.

We undoubtedly know his worst moment on the show, but what about his best?

"Driving a Bowler Wildcat, which is a custom built off-road car," he said.

"It drives like a Lamborghini and looks like a Land Rover. It’s got a five litre V8 engine and was customised by two brothers.

"It’s the most incredible vehicle I’ve ever driven. It does 0 to 60 in less than five seconds, and driving it makes you feel like a god." With his fingers in many motoring pies, it’s not unexpected that he’s turned his hand to writing newspaper columns and books.

His new autobiography, On The Edge My Story, was written by himself and his wife – for "the bits I have blanked out a bit since the accident" rather than an over-paid ghost writer.

Fans should not miss the chance to catch the man with perhaps the sharpest car banter going as he signs copies of the book at WH Smith in Bluewater this weekend.

Just don’t mention those teeth...

The Hammond Files

Born December, 1969, Birmingham

– school Ripon Grammar School and Harrogate College of Art and Technology, gained a BTEC National Diploma in Visual Communications

– After starting out in PR (working for the Ferrari Owners Club and Renault Sport) and radio, he moved into TV presenting work with Men and Motors

– His Hamster nick-name comes from several rodent like cardboard-eating incidents on Top Gear.

– Richard has presented many shows from Crufts, his own teatime chat show (the Five O’Clock Show), Brainiac: Science Abuse, plus quiz programme Petrolheads in which he managed to smash up his classic Ferrari.

– He joined Top Gear in 2002 when the series was re-launched. It had peaked in the late 80s and had been cancelled by the Beeb in 2001.

It now attracts viewing figures of about eight million in the UK each week and 350 million around the world thanks largely to the rock-solid chemistry of its presenting trio.

– Jeremy Clarkson once found teeth whitener in a car which Hammond had been driving. Hammond says he was framed.

The book is available in store for £10.44.