We asked for Hammond and May to be added to the guestlist... Philip and Theresa didn't show, but we did get these guys.
Sunday Times Driving Editor Nick Rufford (left) has a great idea for a story involving Clarkson and Elon Musk. Maybe.
Tesla's Laura Hardy shares a joke with Driving.co.uk editor Will Dron (left) and representatives of the popular motoring community DriveTribe.
Motoring pictures spanning 100 years of The Times and Sunday Times formed a fitting backdrop during pre-dinner drinks.
David Green (centre), TV presenter and Editor of Times' Luxx Magazine, looked appropriately dapper during the drinks reception. He later presented the award for Luxury Car of the Year to Bentley, for the stunning Continental GT.
Ever the critic, James May reviews the canapés on offer.
Hammond decided to review something else: May's lustrous locks.
The Motor Awards was a joint event with our friends at The Sun. Here's Sun Motors' Nick Francis (left) enjoying a drink with Simon Branney of Honda UK and Mike Orford, from Volkswagen UK.
The awards themselves. Shiny.
Jim White, of TalkSport, was our host for the evening. He did a fantastic job in the face of some excited guests...
...including Richard Hammond. This was him celebrating Van of the Year; you should have seen him when Sun Motors announced its Motorcycle of the Year.
Nick Rufford, Editor of Sunday Times Driving, announcing Sunday Times' Car of the Year... and in the same breath commissioning James May to write a car review for the paper. Classic editor stuff. #cantsayno
Our reader vote mechanism meant that critically-acclaimed cars weren't necessarily going to nab the awards. Given the uncertainty, when Clarkson's favourite new cars did win, it made him very happy.
Rufford (right) presented Jaguar with the Sunday Times Car of the Year trophy, for the pure-electric I-PACE.
Lamborghini's Chief Technical Officer Maurizio Reggiani flew in from Italy especially for the Motor Awards. Just as well the Huracán Performante won Clarkson's Car of the Year, then.
We shortlisted the brilliant Ford Fiesta ST for our Car of the Year, but it was pipped by the Jaguar I-PACE. Fortunately. our colleagues at The Sun recognised it as their Car of the Year, with Sun Motors Editor Rob Gill (left) presenting the award.
Sunday Times Editor Martin Ivens shares his own motoring stories with guests.
There were many good laughs during the event. This one might have been the moment host Jim White announced the Jaguar ONE-PACE as Green Car of the Year.
As well as laughs, there was nervous anticipation. There are no bigger motoring awards than ours. Possibly.
Eleanor Mills, Editor of The Sunday Times Magazine, explained why our Motoring Personality of the Year award had to go to Jeremy Clarkson, as he makes car reviews uniquely entertaining, even for non-enthusiasts.
Clarkson was genuinely surprised to receive his award for Motoring Personality of the Year. It was less of a shock to the rest of us, who noticed his stellar work on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in addition to the car reviews in print and on TV.
Accepting his award, Clarkson said the debate is shifting from which are the best cars to whether we'll own cars at all in the future. "It's a terrifying prospect for all of us, but it’s one that may well be coming,” he said.
The three amigos pose for photos after the event. Hammond joked that he was angry not to receive his own award, after he "put a suit on and everything". There's always next year, Richard.
May and Hammond were in good spirits during a post-event interview.
Clarkson and Hammond with some very happy winners from Lamborghini, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz.
Clarkson joked that he may have written for the Sunday Times for 25 years but this was the first time he'd been inside the building. The guests made the most of the opportunity.
If there's anyone who can persuade Jeremy Clarkson to change his mind on the issue of classic cars, its Sunday Times digital journalist and MGA owner Charlotte Vowden. Look out for her classic car column, coming to driving.co.uk very soon.

Gallery: Stars join Sunday Times Driving at glittering Motor Awards 2018

The Grand Tour presenters


JEREMY Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond provided vocal support as winners of the inaugural Sunday Times Motor Awards were announced at a glittering event last week.

Following drinks and dinner on a packed 17th floor of The News Building — Driving’s headquarters in London Bridge — The Grand Tour presenters cheered and heckled their way through an entertaining prize-giving, compered by Jim White, the TalkSport radio DJ, and attended by Martin Ivens, Editor of The Sunday Times, and Eleanor Mills, Editorial Director and Editor of The Sunday Times Magazine.

Winners on the night included The Jaguar I-Pace, which picked up two awards including Sunday Times Car of the Year 2018, and the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, which was named Clarkson’s Car of the Year 2018.

Clarkson also picked up a gong for Personality of the Year, after which he amused attendees by walking up to Hammond and May’s table and gloating, “Look: another one of my awards.”

Check the gallery for some of the highlights from the event but for a full list of winners, click the link below.

The Sunday Times Motor Awards 2018: The winners