Most respected motoring journalist or magazine

[Scott_F]

I actually rate Clarkson. Yup there's the clowning but people forget that he is actually a journalist and he can actually distill the essence of a car and express an actual considered opinion. The problem is he's become a bit like an American crime show like CSI - it's as if he operates to a template - a main A story - a minor B story - skip on detail - and the denouement in the last 10 minutes.

I'm not sure that Jeremy Clarkson was ever a decent motoring journalist but if he was then that was a long time ago before he became more interested in playing to the gallery and maintaining the profile of Brand Clarkson in order to sell his childish books, DVD's and other tat.

 

[John Jones Jr]

I loved the Car Magazine era with Setright, Bishop, Lewllyn plus Mel Nichols and IIRC Steve Cropley. Great, expansive, interesting stories. And of course the GBU. Say it as it is, why don't you.

I think Cropley has done a great job at Autocar along with Colin Goodwin. Used to read all Chris Harris's stuff when he was there too.

Yep, must agree. I've been reading CAR since 1979 and rate all of the above. Top of the tree for me is LJK without doubt. Cropley was bloody good at CAR, don't read Autocar but won't be surprised that he's good there too. Another journalist I rate is Georg Kacher.

P.s. Can't stand Harris.

 

[Clkrichard]

+ 1 for Setright by a country mile .....

 

[Clkrichard]

I dont know why but the 12 year old spindly guy with silly hair and glasses who appears on TV with Tony Mason and Penny Mallory really grates on me. He is probably a genuinely nice bloke but his TV persona is so annoying ! I put him in the same league as "too many pies" Mike Brewer although I would hate to have to spend time with either.

 

[Clkrichard]

Moff,
Vicky Butler Henderson ran an S2000 as her personal car for quite a while so that says something about the car you and I love !

 

[moff]

Moff,
Vicky Butler Henderson ran an S2000 as her personal car for quite a while so that says something about the car you and I love !

If I recall correctly she had 6 or 7 of them!!!

She made an 'appearance' on S2ki briefly but yes she was hughely passionate about the S2000 and rightly so.

I still look at used S2000's all the time and would consider buying another - probably a low mileage 2006 car if I could find a good one.

 

[artyman]

Motoring journalists are a bit like film critics, whilst they may slate a film I watch and rather enjoy it, a lot down to personal taste. Same with cars, whilst their comments are useful in things to watch out for when taking a test drive, I wouldn't buy a car on any recommendation from anyone else, at the end of the day it is you that drives it and has to be happy.

 

[D-18]

Other than having a look at something like 'Top Gear' in waiting room at the Dentist, I've not really read a car magazine for years now.

I do go along with the others who have endorsed 'Car' magazine during the time they had LJK Setright, George Bishop, Phil Llewellyn, Steve Cropley etc. Great writers and some super articles.

Mind you, I still have my 1965 copy of the American magazine 'Sports Car Graphic', purchased because they were testing the new 427 Cobra.....still haven't got round to trying one of those yet to see if I agree with the review.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Other than having a look at something like 'Top Gear' in waiting room at the Dentist, I've not really read a car magazine for years now.

I do go along with the others who have endorsed 'Car' magazine during the time they had LJK Setright, George Bishop, Phil Llewellyn, Steve Cropley etc. Great writers and some super articles.

Exactly the same. I just don't read them anymore. I'll just add to Car - drop dead gorgeous photography too.

 

[BruLan]

Clarkson by a Country Mile -
Interesting , Opinionated , Belligerent, Entertaining, Laughable - and best of all sponsored by the BBC
The best value on my TV license

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Autocar was the only magazine to make it on to the recommended reading list for undergraduate Automotive Engineers at one of the UK's leading universities in that field.

 

[Lxb3]

David Williams is very good as a journalist - not so much on the magazine front, I think he does more for the dailies and weekend papers. Nice bloke.

 

[renault12ts]

CAR and LJKS.

 

[john-f]

CAR and LJKS.

100% agreed.

 

[johnfromstaffs]

I am amazed that there is no mention of Motor Sport, and the work of William Boddy or Denis Jenkinson. What about Henry Manney III, the man who described the MG TF Midget as "Mrs Casey's dead cat slightly warmed over" Road and Track I think.

The only motoring magazine that I read now is The Automobile. The standard of the technical and historic articles is excellent. There is also a horrible glossy thing called "Bentley" if you need a new watch, and the Bentley Drivers Club Review every other month, if you want to know who had lunch with whom.

I heartily endorse the comments about "Car", but as there is nothing interesting about modern cars, I now find nothing interesting about modern car journals.