James Baggott stands as the UK’s preeminent automotive trade journalist through his dual role as Car Dealer Magazine’s editor-in-chief and Baize Group CEO. With over 20 years documenting the intersection of policy, economics, and dealership operations, his work serves as essential reading for industry professionals navigating the EV transition.
“The real story isn’t in the showroom – it’s in the spreadsheet.”
Recent achievements include steering Car Dealer Magazine to record subscription growth (47% YoY increase) while expanding video content output by 300% across TikTok and LinkedIn. His predictions on agency model rollbacks were cited in Parliament during 2024 automotive policy debates.
We’ve followed James Baggott’s work as a cornerstone of UK automotive journalism for over two decades. As founder and editor-in-chief of Car Dealer Magazine since 2008, he’s shaped industry discourse through incisive analysis of market trends and policy impacts. His dual role as CEO of parent company Baize Group informs a unique perspective blending editorial rigor with commercial acumen.
This comprehensive forecast piece demonstrates Baggott’s signature blend of data-driven analysis and industry insider knowledge. By interviewing 47 dealership principals and cross-referencing SMMT registration data, he identifies three critical pressure points: ZEV mandate compliance costs, used EV valuation instability, and inventory financing challenges. The article’s impact was immediate – within 72 hours of publication, the National Franchised Dealers Association referenced its findings in their quarterly policy briefing.
Baggott’s product launch analysis here transcends typical automotive journalism through clever linguistic deconstruction. By surveying 1,200 UK consumers about the Bigster nameplate, he revealed that 68% associated it with “bulky” rather than “adventurous” characteristics – insights that prompted Dacia’s marketing team to adjust their UK campaign strategy. The piece exemplifies his ability to blend cultural analysis with commercial forecasting.
In this Substack exclusive, Baggott breaks down the financial mathematics behind EV adoption targets using proprietary dealership cash flow models. His revelation that mid-size franchises would need to sell 23 additional EVs monthly to avoid penalties became a benchmark figure cited in multiple trade publications. The article’s comment section attracted unprecedented engagement from both dealership principals and OEM executives.
Baggott prioritizes stories examining how regulatory changes filter through to dealership operations. A successful 2024 pitch revealed how updated block exemption regulations affected independent repair shops’ access to EV diagnostic tools. Support pitches with OFT reports or draft legislation texts to align with his policy-analysis framework.
His award-winning “Dealership Diaries” series demonstrates how he grounds macroeconomic trends in individual business narratives. When pitching regional EV adoption stories, include interviews with at least three dealership staff members across different roles to match this human-centered approach.
While Baggott occasionally references autonomous driving developments, he consistently ties these to immediate franchise impacts rather than futurology. A rejected 2024 pitch about solid-state battery breakthroughs failed because it didn’t connect to current dealership training requirements or inventory planning cycles.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Automotive, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
