As Editor, Paul heads up Auto Express magazine and website, as well as Carbuyer and Driving Electric. It’s the highlight of a career writing about cars that kicked off in the year 2000 for MotorTrader magazine, and has taken in consumer, business and even van magazines and websites including What Car?, Autocar, AutoTrader, Carwow, BusinessCar, Company Car Today, What Van?, as well as newspapers such as the Express and Evening Standard. 

He’s won the Guild of Motoring Writers’ Editor of the Year Award and Automotive Editor of the Year in the Newspress Awards, as well as Business Writer of the Year from HeadlineAuto.

Paul says...

"The car industry has always been fast-paced, but the breadth of stories to tell at the moment is like nothing before. From technology and electrification to the invasion of new brands from China and elsewhere, political and social pressures on motorists and the fundamental huge numbers of exciting new cars, there’s so much to say. We love helping readers navigate it all by providing clear, insightful, entertaining and above all else useful automotive content, no matter what they want. We love cars, the car business and helping people with their buying and owning decisions, and I hope that shines through in everything we do."

Paul’s main areas of expertise

• New cars
• Consumer news and buying decisions
• Car industry
• Electric vehicles 
• Hot wheels models

Paul Barker Q&A

Q: What was your first car? 

A: A dark blue 1.0-litre 1984 VW Polo (the mini-estate car-shaped/bread van one). That poor thing was mechanically abused for the best part of three years without giving me any serious bills before being terminally sideswiped by a fool in a Ford Sierra that took a corner too fast. It was replaced by a Peugeot 205 money pit with a broken gearbox and boot that wouldn’t stay up.

Q: What is your dream car? 

A: I really want a late-1990s Subaru Impreza Turbo, but my dream car would depend on the circumstances. If I have to bring the family I’d love a VW Grand California and/or Audi RS 6 Avant with a roofbox and bike rack. If I’m allowed to leave them at home (or make them get the train) then it’s hard to see past a Porsche 911 Turbo, although a Noble M12 that someone can guarantee me would run faultlessly would be fun. 

Q: If you could change one thing about cars, driving or the car industry today what would it be?

A: To give motorists a better deal - be that the price of new cars, the rise of low emission and charging zones with different entry criteria, the dire state of and lack of investment in roads, the way road space is being reduced, ridiculous parking fees, the insurance industry and the prohibitive cost of public EV charging. And that’s without getting started on the way some manufacturers are trying to sneak in subscription costs for features that should be included in the cost of the car, and a dozen other things that would make life cheaper and fairer for people that love and/or rely on their cars to go about their daily lives. 

Social media and e-mail

e-mail: paul_barker@autovia.co.uk

LinkedIn: Paul Barker