Oliver Young began writing for Autocar in 2021, producing content for print and online as used cars reporter. He’s written Cult Hero, Nearly New Buying Guide and Clash of the Classifieds articles, the latter in conjunction with used cars editor Mark Pearson.
He took his first step into automotive journalism in 2018. As an editorial apprentice with agency Blackball Media, he gained experience working on multiple brands – Car Dealer Magazine and PA Media to name two. He performed a variety of tasks, from digging through the treasure trove that is Ford UK’s Heritage Collection to interviewing Jeremy Clarkson.
During this time, he studied at Highbury College and, after two years, he finished his NCTJ Level 3 Diploma in Journalism with a distinction grade.
Oliver is an expert in:
- Used car news
- Used car reviews
- Cult hero cars
- Hot hatches
- EVs
Oliver Young Q&A
What was your biggest news story?
Covering the opening of Jeremy Clarkson’s farm shop springs to mind. It’s one of the most exciting, nerve-racking things I’ve done in this line of work. As a lifelong fan of a certain TV show – one that greatly influenced my career decisions – getting to talk to the main man felt pretty surreal.
What’s the best car you’ve ever driven?
It depends how you define ‘best’. If I put my sensible What Car? – Autocar’s sister brand – hat on, then I’d cite the BMW 3 Series, Honda Civic or Skoda Superb. If we’re talking about a personal favourite, I really enjoyed a go in the Toyota GR Yaris, but then again, I have really fond memories of my week with an Audi RS2 Avant. I love my private car, too – a Ford Fiesta ST, which is great fun. See, this is too difficult.
What will the car industry look like in 20 years?
The easy answer is to point at electric cars and I do believe they’ll make up a large – if not the largest – portion of the industry, especially if we see improved infrastructure, reduced costs and longer ranges (albeit not by the sole means of bigger and bigger batteries). However, alternative fuels like hydrogen and e-fuels are worth keeping an eye on and, if strides are made, they could very well sit alongside battery-electric power.
