His alter ego Del Boy famously drove a yellow three-wheeler, but Sir David Jason will enjoy a more high-tech experience for his new TV show.

The Only Fools And Horses star, 78, will travel along the west coast of the US by road, rail and air for the documentary.

The train buff, who has a pilot’s licence and once interspersed acting jobs with work as a garage mechanic, will embark on a month-long journey which will air on comedy channel Gold.

The star said: “All my life I’ve been obsessed with planes, trains and automobiles. And, of course, I’m well known for my association with the odd motor (including a certain three-wheeler).

“The west coast of America has seen and is still witnessing some of the greatest innovations in transport history. I can’t wait to find out for myself how they do things over there.

“It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be entertaining and I get the feeling I’m going to learn a great deal about this part of the world on my journey too.”

Sir David will travel from Seattle to Los Angeles, fulfilling a “lifelong ambition” by taking a place on the Amtrak Coast Starlight train.

He will also ride 100-year-old cable cars, Harley-Davidsons, DC3 vintage airliners and investigate the prospect of sub-orbital space flight.

The announcement comes after UKTV channels, including Dave and Gold, were dropped from Virgin Media following a dispute between the two companies.

David Jason: Planes, Trains & Automobiles will air on Gold in 2019.