"Top Gear" and its three hosts were filming the show's annual Christmas Special episode in the southern Argentine region of Tiera Del Fuego when the license plate on a car driven by co-host Jeremy Clarkson caused locals to take offense.
The blue Porsche 928's plates - which read "H982 FKL" - were reportedly seen as a reference to the 1982 Falkland conflict between Great Britain and Argentina.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the angry mob confronted the BBC crew at its hotel in the town of Ushuaia. During the confrontation, the show's hosts - Clarkson, along with James May and Richard Hammond - concealed themselves "under a researcher's mattress."
After the initial confrontation, the show's hosts and the female members of the crew were ushered onto a chartered plane and flown to safety in Buenos Aires. However, 29 members of the "Top Gear" crew stayed behind and were forced to escape the mob by driving the convoy of production vehicles to safety in nearby Chile.
Reports on the size of the mob varied widely.
AP
Jeremy Clarkson's damaged Porsche 928
The Falklands War is a particularly touchy subject for Ushuaia. The port city was the last port for the Argentine battle cruiser General Belgrano before it was sunk by British torpedo's during the conflict - taking the lives of more than 300 sailors. Controversy over the sinking of the warship and ownership of the Falklands Islands still lingers more than 30 years later.
By last weekend, Clarkson confirmed on twitter that all of the crew had made it out of Argentina. However,the "star cars" driven by the hosts were left behind in South America. The outspoken host and prolific newspaper columnist took to twitter over the weekend to explain the incident:
All TG crew now safely out of Argentina. I just got back to UK. Horrified to see so many newspapers have the story completely wrong.
- Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 4, 2014
The number plate WAS a coincidence. When it was pointed out to us, we changed it. As pics in this morning's Mail show.
- Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 4, 2014
This was not a jolly jape that went awry. For once, we did nothing wrong.
- Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 4, 2014
My profound thanks to all the people who helped. And to the sensible Argentinians who have apologised.
- Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 4, 2014
This is my car on its last day in Argentina. Note the plates that everyone says caused offence. pic.twitter.com/mCfncbMa6F
- Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) October 4, 2014
The wildly popular automotive program and its bombastic lead host are not strangers to controversy. Earlier this year, the host was accused of using a racial epithet in a crass joke during an episode set in Myanmar. Over the past decade, "Top Gear" has drawn criticism from numerous groups ranging from truck drivers to Mexicans.
Take a look at a video of the Argentine mob as it confronts the "Top Gear" convoy: