Quentin Willson Interview
Quentin Willson the celebrity TV presenter, journalist and motoring expert talks to asrecommended about his life and cars.
How did you go from studying English to selling Ferraris and Maserati’s?
I studied English at Leicester and back then if you wanted to be important you had to have a car, so I bought an Austin Healy Frogeye for £50 and later sold it for £150. It grew naturally from there and by the end of university I sold a Jaguar e-type for £1,500 that I had bought for £750. It certainly funded an intense nightlife and the girls loved it!
How did you go from that into TV?
Selling super-cars was great but my creative glands were not being squeezed. But I was approached by a friend to start a magazine in 1989 called Buying Cars that offered down-to-earth advice from experienced writers about buying cars. It was a great success and it wasn’t long before we were approached by The Mirror, Radio One and Radio Four asking for our expert opinion. Two months later I was asked to co-present Top Gear, and the rest is history.
You have a long drive from London to Edinburgh. Who do you want in the passenger seat?
I have a lot of respect for Jordan and I believe there is a lot more to her than people think. I’d also love to drive alongside Bill Clinton or JFK, although I suspect the journey would not be long enough!
You have one car to put into Skip 101. What would it be?
The Volvo 340! It’s just a dull car that is dynamically disgusting and not nice to look at. Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, CEO of Ford when they took over Volvo, once asked me whether it was possible to buy all the Volvo 340’s and scrap them in order to improve the brands reputation.
What is currently on your car stereo?
Not Jordan’s single! I’m currently listening to the Scissor Sisters and Kaiser Chiefs.
Of all the harrowing ordeals during Britain’s Worst Driver what was your most nervous experience?
It was actually the final episode of the show. We were filming the 5 finalists driving around the notoriously difficult Champs Elysee. We booked a French driving instructor with a dual control car and when he finished his first lap he got out of the car and, white as a sheet said, “Monsiuer, I av’ great fear” and left. So we hired a Nissan and it was up to me to finish filming, except the only thing between me and the windscreen was my control of the hand-break. My heart was in my mouth!
In 1996 you were responsible for bringing down the prices of imported cars in the UK? How did you have such an effect on the industry?
In 1996 we parked a car outside Longbridge that we had bought in Amsterdam for £7,000 less than its price in the UK. The newspapers followed my lead and we soon created a consumer backlash forcing the industry to bring down their prices on imported cars. At first I was ostracised by the manufacturers, but since then they are selling more cars than ever and we have cleaned up our car parks.
What annoys you about the automotive industry today?
The industry is taking the green issue very seriously and made phenomenal strides to reduce emissions and manufacture green cars. At the same time they are being asked to meet safety standards, but legislation from the government and EU is compromising both issues because politicians are not engineers and do not realise how to make safe cars whilst keeping them green.
Is there anything that annoys you about fellow drivers on the road?
There are far too many people on the road that cannot drive, but they continue to blame accidents on speed by increasing the amount of cameras. It’s futile because points mean nothing and even the insurance companies do not penalise drivers. Instead, those who lose their license should be re-tested.
Away from cars what other hobbies do you enjoy and how do you spend your spare time?
I enjoy swapping the car for my tractor and spend a lot of time working on my vineyard in South of France to produce my wine, Château Gourgues which is now winning awards. I also collect modern art and have Hockneys, Warhols and a Picasso.
The opinions expressed are those of the author only. The material is for general information only and does not constitute legal, financial or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation by an FSA authorised company where the market is FSA regulated.