Kris Culmer

Kris Culmer
Title: Chief sub-editor

Kris Culmer is the chief sub-editor for Autocar, meaning he is responsible for editing and fact-checking all articles published both online and in print. 

He has more than six years of experience of reporting on the car industry, having joined What Car? in 2016 and then moved to sister title Autocar in 2020. 

Kris also frequently writes news and reviews for Autocar, his specialist subject being motorsport. He trained as a journalist at the Brighton Journalist Works, where he earned his NCTJ Gold Standard in 2016. 

Having a strong passion for history, Kris also manages Autocar’s office archive, which dates back to 1895, and regularly produces retrospective insights. 

Prior to joining the automotive media, Kris was a freelance contributor of news and sports reports to local newspapers in his home county of East Sussex. 

Kris is an expert in:

  • Motorsport, particularly Formula 1
  • The history and development of the global car industry
  • New car news
  • New car reviewing
  • Smaller and more obscure automotive companies

Kris Culmer Q&A

What was your biggest news story?

Long gallery-style pieces on the histories of car brands’ emblems and the dates of brands’ introduction on the UK required a lot of research but were rewarding, digging a lot of interesting information out of obscurity. And travelling to 2022 pre-season testing in Spain to get an exclusive view of the new Formula 1 cars also resulted in an interview with Esteban Ocon and a scoop on the F1 aero of the Alpine A290.

What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?

I adore bespoke sports cars, especially if they’re light, don’t go overboard with power and allow me to do the gear changes. The Subaru BRZ, Toyota GR86, Alpine A110, Porsche 911 and Mazda MX-5 therefore all stand out – but the best has to be a BMW M2 on track at Goodwood.

What will the car industry look like in 20 years?

Everyday cars will all be battery-electric, bloated with connectivity and driver-assistance technology, and all will look very similar indeed. Almost all of them will be crossovers and SUVs, sadly, and none of them will stir an old soul with their driving experiences. Thankfully, though, there will be an even more thriving old-car scene than there is today to keep us petrolheads happy.

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Muck Rack

archive
Left to right: SM, C111, Montreal, Capri, Gremlin, Modulo, Moretti, Hai, Ranger, Garmisch, Jarama
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From the archive: coupés galore at a Geneva show to remember

From V8 Alfa Romeos to the Citroën SM, we look back at the outstanding 1970 Geneva motor show

From the archive: coupés galore at a Geneva show to remember
Long-Term Review

Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid 2024 long-term test

One of the finest superminis arrives as a super-frugal hybrid in a sporty new spec

Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid 2024 long-term test
Zimbabwe factory
Anglias and Zephyrs at Ford Salisbury factory; note tractors at back. Credit: Bob Oloman
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From the archive: Exploring the lost car industry of Zimbabwe

The Central African Federation had healthy production of Fords, Land Rovers and Minis before politics took hold

From the archive: Exploring the lost car industry of Zimbabwe
MW Motors electric 4x4 Feature 2024 front off road cornering
MWM is aiming to get the jump on the electric 4x4 market
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MWM Spartan 2.0: driving the £50k electric off-roader

Czech-made commercial vehicle promises a greener option for the agriculture, conservation and forestry sectors

MWM Spartan 2.0: driving the £50k electric off-roader
China lead
Drivers in China contend with all manner of traffic
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From the archive: Finding out where the car has a future

We recount motoring consultant Edward Reeves' travels as he finds out which countries embraced what cars

From the archive: Finding out where the car has a future
Alpine a110 rally drifting
Jean-Luc Thérier braves the Britishm winter of 1970
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From the archive: We try to tame an Alpine A110 rally car

Our testers get behind the wheel of a just-overhauled, semi-works A110 1600 S by Brit Nigel Hollier

From the archive: We try to tame an Alpine A110 rally car
Tatra 77 side
The 77 was one of the first ever cars to be designed in a wind tunnel
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From the archive: Why the Tatra 77 was a trailblazer

The 77 embodied many 1920s innovations, with novel engine technology and new heights of interior luxury

From the archive: Why the Tatra 77 was a trailblazer
DR SUV front three quarter
Hyundai Kona-sized DR 5.0 is one of Italy’s favourite crossovers
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Italian firm DR set to become major European player

Rapidly growing brand now has a portfolio of 17 models with facilities recently equipped to build EVs

Italian firm DR set to become major European player
SM5 saloon
1998’s SM5 is still fondly regarded in Korea; two generations followed
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From the archive: Samsung's big bid to make cars

We take you through Samsung's unusual life making metal, from its first car to a complex and unusual ending

From the archive: Samsung's big bid to make cars
MWM Spartan 2.0 front
Rolling ladder-frame chassis and G-Wagen-esque body are borrowed from Force Motors' Gurkha 4x4...
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New Czech firm launches UK's first electric 4x4 for £50k

MWM Spartan 2.0 beats rivals to market, offering 150-mile range and whopping 793lb ft of torque

New Czech firm launches UK's first electric 4x4 for £50k
Ford Comète front three quarter
An example of the Ford Comète was sold by Bonhams for just £33k in 2019
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From the archive: Ford's French V8-powered coupé

The swish coupé we called "unusual in many ways" originated in France and had a thumping V8

From the archive: Ford's French V8-powered coupé

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