In the Mongolian special when the crates are parachuted out of a helicopter, James May wonders the crates might contain hats. While at first this appears to be a funny non-sequitur, James' detailed knowledge of World War 2 history and classic film likely makes this a reference to the dramatized scene in A Bridge Too Far where a British paratrooper makes a Heroic Sacrifice to retrieve an air dropped cargo container only for The Reveal to show the container to be full of hats (specifically maroon paratrooper berets).
Or at least Fridge Heartwarming. The goodbye montage to the studio format of the show included Top Gear clips. That couldn't happen without The BBC's approval. This suggests that maybe, the hatchet has been at least slightly buried.
