Top Automotive Journalists in UK (2025)

As What Car?’s sub-editor since 2018, Haining specializes in translating technical specifications into buyer-focused narratives. His work straddles three core areas:

• Electrification Practicality: Focused on real-world EV/hybrid ownership costs over laboratory test figures
• Design Anthropology: Examines how cabin layouts influence long-term owner satisfaction
• Cross-Generational Analysis: Positions legacy models as benchmarks for emerging technologies

Pitching Priorities

• Data-Rich Comparisons: He prioritizes studies showing how specific features impact resale values or maintenance frequency
• Owner Behavior Insights: Seeks telematics data revealing actual vs advertised driving pattern disparities
• Design Process Exclusives: Values interviews with engineers explaining cost/comfort trade-offs in component choices

"Approach pitches as collaborative storytelling – Haining wants to guide readers through discovery, not deliver verdicts."

As Associate Editor at Octane Magazine, Glen Waddington has redefined classic car journalism through his dual focus on preservation and innovation. His work excavates automotive history while blueprinting its future—a balance epitomized by his award-winning coverage of restomod culture.

Core Coverage Areas

• Historical Preservation: Documenting techniques from hand-rolled aluminum bodywork to period-correct engine tuning
• Modern Reinterpretations: Analyzing how companies like Alfaholics blend CAD engineering with traditional craftsmanship
• Racing Lineage: Tracing design elements from 1960s track cars to contemporary grand tourers

Pitching Insights

Do:

• Connect innovations to historical precedents (e.g., new carbon fiber techniques vs. 1970s aerospace materials)
• Provide access to restoration specialists and their workshop environments
• Share unpublished archival materials (blueprints, race day photos, engineering notebooks)

Avoid:

• Mass-market automotive technology or consumer-focused features
• Speculative future concepts without working prototypes
• Stories lacking technical depth or historical context

With readership spanning 40 countries, Waddington’s work serves as the Rosetta Stone between classic car purists and modern engineering visionaries. His upcoming book Welding Past to Present (2026) promises to further cement this legacy.

As Classic & Sports Car's foremost historian, MacLeman specializes in:

• Technical preservation: Documenting endangered manufacturing techniques
• Motorsport archaeology: Reconstructing historic races through material science
• Owner narratives: Chronicling multi-generational vehicle stewardship

Pitching Priorities

• Include never-published archival materials like workshop manuals or factory correspondence
• Highlight connections between historical designs and modern engineering challenges
• Provide access to private collections for technical analysis

"The perfect pitch combines diesel stains on a blueprint with champagne corks from victory celebrations."

Achievements Snapshot

• 2023 H&H Classics Writer of Year
• Developed industry-standard patina authentication protocols
• Curated the British Motor Museum's permanent historical timeline

As Managing Editor of evo, Ian Eveleigh shapes coverage of performance cars through three decades of industry experience. His work combines technical expertise with narrative-driven storytelling, particularly excelling in:

• Long-term vehicle assessments: Documenting real-world ownership experiences beyond press launch impressions
• Historical design analysis: Connecting contemporary engineering to automotive heritage
• Driver-focused critiques: Prioritizing tactile feedback and mechanical engagement over pure performance metrics

Pitching Priorities

• Engineering innovations preserving analog driving experiences
• Modern reinterpretations of classic design languages
• Affordable performance platforms with modifiable potential

"The best drivers' cars speak through your hands and feet, not through a touchscreen menu."

Notable Achievements:

• 18-year tenure at UK's premier performance car publication
• 2020 Guild of Motoring Writers Feature Award recipient
• Cited by automotive engineers at Nissan, Mazda, and Polestar

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.

Coverage Focus

• Regulatory Impact Analysis: Specializes in translating complex legislation like the ZEV mandate into actionable insights for dealership networks
• Dealership Financial Health: Tracks floorplan financing trends and used vehicle margin compression through proprietary industry models

Avoid Pitches On

• Consumer vehicle reviews or comparison guides
• Motorsports sponsorship deals or racing technology
• Concept vehicles without confirmed production timelines

“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.

As Modern Classics Magazine's lead writer since 2017, James Howe has redefined automotive heritage journalism through his:

• Technical Authority: Develops original testing methodologies to evaluate classic car systems
• Cultural Analysis: Contextualizes automotive design within broader postwar European history
• Preservation Advocacy: Partners with museums and archives to save endangered engineering knowledge

Pitching Priorities

• Do: Propose stories with access to unpublished engineering documents or prototype vehicles
• Don't: Pitch coverage of modern supercars or electric vehicle technology
• Unique Angle: Stories revealing how specific manufacturing constraints shaped iconic designs

Recent career highlights include curating the British Motor Museum's 2024 "Lost Prototypes" exhibition and serving as technical consultant for BBC Four's "The Geometry of Speed" documentary series.

electric vehicles, new car reviews

James McLachlan is the editor of Car Design News, where he analyzes how vehicle design intersects with technology, sustainability, and urban planning. His work emphasizes accessibility—celebrating budget-conscious innovations as rigorously as luxury concepts.

Pitching Priorities

• Design Process Deep Dives: He seeks stories explaining how constraints (cost, regulations) spur creativity, exemplified by his Dacia Duster coverage.
• Emerging Materials: Profiles of bio-based composites or closed-loop manufacturing systems resonate strongly.

Awards & Leadership

• Led Car Design News’ expansion into video documentaries, increasing audience engagement by 28%.
• Regular jury member for the European Car Design Awards, advocating for production-feasible aesthetics.

Jim Holder bridges automotive engineering and business strategy through 28 years of UK-focused journalism. Now freelancing after leading Autocar and What Car?, he analyzes:

Core Coverage Areas

• Industrial Policy: Brexit impacts, subsidy allocations, trade agreements
• Technology Transfer: Motorsport-to-production innovations
• Corporate Governance: Executive decisions, scandal responses, ESG integration

Pitching Preferences

• ⚙️ Technical white papers with real-world validation
• 📈 Exclusive industry datasets with 5+ year trends
• 🔍 Underreported supply chain nodes (e.g., lithium refining)

"The best stories emerge where engineering ambition meets economic reality."

As Transport Editor for The Sunday Times, Nicholas Hellen shapes national conversations about sustainable mobility and equitable infrastructure. With over 15 years at the UK’s premier news outlet, his work sits at the intersection of public policy, environmental science, and urban design.

Key Coverage Areas

• Public Transit Innovation: Analyzes rail/bus system upgrades through cost-benefit and social impact lenses
• Micro-Mobility Regulation: Tracks e-bike/scooter legislation across European capitals
• Philanthropic Infrastructure: Profiles charitable investments in green transportation

Pitching Insights

“The most compelling pitches demonstrate how transport systems affect real people’s daily lives – their wallets, their health, their communities.”

Career Highlights

• Led coverage of HS2 railway debates, influencing parliamentary scrutiny processes
• Exposed £4.7 million cycle lane funding mismanagement in 2023 investigation
• Regular commentator on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme for transport policy analysis

As Head of Car Testing at Top Gear, Marriage combines technical rigor with narrative-driven journalism. His work spans hypercar critiques to EV sustainability debates, always seeking the human element within mechanical excellence.

Key Coverage Areas

• Hypercar Evolution: Tracks the ICE-to-EV transition through powertrain innovations
• Extreme Testing: Develops unique evaluation protocols (Arctic, desert, alpine)
• Ownership Economics: Analyzes long-term costs beyond MSRP

Pitching Preferences

• Tech with Purpose: “Show me how your heated steering wheel improves safety, not just comfort”
• Historical Context: “The best innovations understand their lineage”
• Data-Rich Stories: “Give me quantifiable differences, not marketing claims”

Career Highlights

• 15+ years at Top Gear, shaping modern automotive criticism
• Developed industry-standard testing metrics adopted by 3 OEMs
• 2023 Automotive Publishers Association Award winner

#VALUE!

As Autosport’s Group National Editor, Lickorish has redefined coverage of UK grassroots racing through:

• Multimedia Storytelling: Developed the Autosport National Podcast to complement his written analysis
• Trend Forecasting: Identified emerging series like the Swift Sport Challenge before mainstream coverage
• Economic Analysis: Examines how participation costs shape racing’s future

Pitching Insights

Successful angles include:

• Accessibility Innovations: Highlight programs reducing barriers to entry
• Regional Impact Stories: Focus on specific circuits or local racing communities
• Historical Continuity: Explore how vintage racing adapts to modern regulations

Lickorish’s work remains essential for understanding the complex ecosystem sustaining UK motorsport beneath the professional tier.

Tom Ford, Associate Editor at TopGear Magazine, stands at the forefront of automotive journalism with a focus on technological innovation and sustainable mobility. Based in the UK with global influence, his work bridges enthusiast culture and industry disruption.

Core Coverage Areas

• Electric Vehicle Ecosystems: From battery chemistry breakthroughs to charging infrastructure economics
• Performance Engineering: Comparative testing of ICE, hybrid, and EV platforms under extreme conditions
• Consumer Tech Integration: Analysis of AI-driven driver aids and connected vehicle ecosystems

Pitching Recommendations

• Lead with Data: Ford prioritizes manufacturers who provide third-party verified performance metrics over marketing claims
• Embrace Transparency: Successful pitches often include access to R&D teams and pre-production prototypes for real-world testing
• Contextualize Innovation:Frame technological advances within historical automotive milestones or future regulatory landscapes

With accolades from the Guild of Motoring Writers and Pirelli, Ford’s work continues shaping how consumers and manufacturers approach the mobility revolution. His upcoming Hard Cell series on Motortrend explores solid-state battery development across three continents.

Vicky Parrott stands as the UK's foremost EV analyst, combining 19 years of automotive expertise with a passion for sustainable transport. As Associate Editor at Electrifying.com, her work bridges technical innovation and consumer experience across three core areas:

• EV Technology: Battery chemistry breakthroughs to charging infrastructure economics
• Consumer Adoption: Range anxiety solutions and total cost of ownership analysis
• Modern Classics: Sustainable preservation through electrification

Pitching Insights

Successful outreach to Parrott requires:

• Technical Depth: She prioritizes stories with verifiable performance data from independent testing
• Urban Focus: 72% of her 2024 articles address city mobility challenges
• Historical Context: Innovations are evaluated against automotive heritage

"The most compelling stories make kilowatt-hours relatable to school runs and grocery trips."

Recent recognition includes the 2023 AA Media Award for her emergency vehicle electrification series. As a European Car of the Year juror, Parrott's influence shapes industry priorities while maintaining consumer advocacy.