Secret's out on driver for Brit TV show 'Top Gear'

[September 02, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- The opaque visor of one of Britain's most famous helmets has been lifted.

The identity of The Stig, the always-anonymous test driver on "Top Gear," the wildly popular British television show about cars, has long been kept secret.

The BBC had asked Britain's High Court for an injunction blocking the publication of an autobiography revealing The Stig's identity. But lawyers for publishers HarperCollins said Wednesday it was not granted.

The publishers said in a statement that "Ben Collins has a great story to tell about his seven years as The Stig."

Collins is a professional race car driver. His story is to be published later this month.

Top Gear producer Andy Wilman said on the show's website that "the whole point of the Stig is the mystique."

[Associated Press]

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