Perhaps the name W. Chump & Sons sounds a bit odd. But this company played a significant role in television history. W. Chump & Sons, Ltd. was founded in July 2015. It was the brainchild of Andy Wilman. He was the producer of The Grand Tour. Wilman also owned Bedder 6. Bedder 6 held a major stake in Top Gear. This was before 2012. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May joined Wilman.
W. Chump & Sons produced The Grand Tour for Amazon Prime. They also created The Grand Tour Game. Mugs and T-shirts were sold under W. Chump & Sons Mugs & T-shirts. In 2016, the company helped start DriveTribe. This was a social network for car fans.
After producing three seasons and parts of the fourth of The Grand Tour, the company closed in September 2020. Yet, its logo is still used in the ending credits.
The name W. Chump & Sons is quite clever. It seems to be derived from the founders’ initials. W stands for Wilman. “Chump” uses the consonants CHM from Clarkson, Hammond, and May. The “u” might come from “und”. That is German for “and”. This is a nod to their playful dislike of German things. The “p” could stand for “productions”.
The company’s registered office moved a few times. It was at 27 Mortimer Street in London. Later, it moved to Centre Block, 4th Floor Central Court, Knoll Rise, Orpington, BR6 0JA.
Interestingly, W. Chump & Sons Limited is now in liquidation. A voluntary liquidator was appointed. The company’s nature of business was other business support service activities.
Key people were involved in W. Chump & Sons. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May, and Andrew Wilman were all directors. They were appointed on July 15, 2015. Olswang Cosec Limited was the secretary. Christopher Alan Mackie and Olswang Directors 1 & 2 Limited briefly served as directors.
Despite its short lifespan, W. Chump & Sons left a mark on television. Its creative approach and popular shows made it memorable.