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Mike Rutherford

Mike Rutherford was one of the founding fathers of Auto Express in 1988 and remains the title's longest-serving journalist. 

He has served time as the motoring editor on four tabloid newspapers - London Evening News, The Sun, News of the World & Daily Mirror. And from the 1990s-2010s he was a weekly columnist on several broadsheet papers - Daily Telegraph, The Independent/Independent on Sunday and The Sunday Times. 

The Economist Intelligence Unit and International Herald Tribune have used him as a motor industry consultant/author. And he has presented over 1,000 motoring, sports or current affairs programmes for LBC, talkRADIO, talkSPORT and ITV. 

Currently, he is: the Chief Columnist at Auto Express where he still writes a weekly column; Judge (& Founding Director) at Europe/Asia-based BestCarsOfTheYear.com - The New Car World Champions; Chairman Emeritus of North America’s World Car Awards; and President of The British Motor Show.  

Additionally, Mike remains a contributor to the BBC, Sky, GB News, LBC, talkRADIO and other national and international stations such as CBS.

His claims to fame are that he has interviewed four British Prime Ministers, worked as a ghostwriter for Martin Brundle & Stirling Moss, and driven thousands of road, concept and racing cars including a Tyrrell F1 Car and world-record-breaking Bugatti. 

In recognition of his 40-year full-time career in the media and automotive worlds, he was presented with the coveted Newspress Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

Away from cars, Mike has repeatedly travelled to Zambia, Botswana and other counties in central southern Africa where he helped establish libraries and personally delivered thousands of books and writing materials to schools and orphanages.  

He also serves as a proud Trustee at the Marcus Rutherford Foundation/Young Adult Cancer Trust which now incorporates and safeguards The Forest of Marcus.

E-mail: mike.rutherford@carwow.co.uk

A £10k electric car with a 100-mile range would surely be a sales success
Opinion - cheap EV

A £10k electric car with a 100-mile range would surely be a sales success

Mike Rutherford thinks there would be demand for an electric car with a modest 100-mile range if it only cost £10k
Opinion
17 Nov 2024
Tesla boss Elon Musk is wrong to think a £25k electric car is pointless
Opinion - Tesla Model 2

Tesla boss Elon Musk is wrong to think a £25k electric car is pointless

Mike Rutherford wonders why it’s just so expensive to buy and run a car in 2024
Opinion
10 Nov 2024
Will politicians never learn? Subsidised trains are for the few, while unsubsidised cars are for the many
Opinion - Rachel Reeves

Will politicians never learn? Subsidised trains are for the few, while unsubsidised cars are for the many

Mike Rutherford wonders why those in control of the UK continue to punish the motorist
Opinion
3 Nov 2024
Renault boss Luca de Meo is the perfect candidate to take over the helm at Stellantis
Opinion - Luce de Meo

Renault boss Luca de Meo is the perfect candidate to take over the helm at Stellantis

Mike Rutherford thinks Luca de Meo could do for Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Abarth, Lancia and Vauxhall what he’s already done with remarkable success…
Opinion
27 Oct 2024
Don’t rule out Hyundai selling Kia or Genesis to Toyota
Opinion - Kia

Don’t rule out Hyundai selling Kia or Genesis to Toyota

Mike Rutherford wonders whether Hyundai boss Euisun Chung is thinking of offloading some of its brands
Opinion
20 Oct 2024
Keeping electric cars within the £20k–£30k price range is key to their future success
Vauxhall Astra Electric - opinion

Keeping electric cars within the £20k–£30k price range is key to their future success

Mike Rutherford thinks competitive pricing is vital if EVs are going to become more popular in the coming years
Opinion
13 Oct 2024
Cutting-edge Hyundai-Samsung cars will soon be in the UK
Hyundai-Samsung opinion

Cutting-edge Hyundai-Samsung cars will soon be in the UK

Mike Rutherford thinks the new partnership between South Korean giants Hyundai and Samsung is a match made in automotive heaven
Opinion
6 Oct 2024

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You can buy a Dacia Duster and a Dacia Spring for the price of a top-spec Vauxhall Corsa
Dacia Duster and Spring - opinion

You can buy a Dacia Duster and a Dacia Spring for the price of a top-spec Vauxhall Corsa

Mike Rutherford takes a look at the cost of some new cars, and wonders how manufacturers come up with the excessive price tags
Opinion
29 Sep 2024
SEAT should be reinvented as a Dacia-beating cheap, urban car brand
Opinion - SEAT

SEAT should be reinvented as a Dacia-beating cheap, urban car brand

Mike Rutherford thinks Volkswagen’s portfolio of brands are too similar and lack individual identity
Opinion
22 Sep 2024
Forget electric vans, the future is hydrogen
Opinion - Citroen hydrogen van

Forget electric vans, the future is hydrogen

Mike Rutherford wonders why the demand for electric vans is plummeting in the UK
Opinion
15 Sep 2024
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Goodwood Revival is a true celebration of used cars
Opinion - Goodwood Revival

Goodwood Revival is a true celebration of used cars

Mike Rutherford thinks if used cars and other ageing products are good enough for The Earl of Richmond, then they're good enough for all of us
Opinion
8 Sep 2024
There's life in the motor show format yet, but the likes of Jaguar Land Rover need to get back on board
Motorshow opinion - Mike Rutherford

There's life in the motor show format yet, but the likes of Jaguar Land Rover need to get back on board

Mike Rutherford believes the traditional motor show still has its place, but some car brands are less convinced
Opinion
1 Sep 2024
BYD is the most daringly ambitious car manufacturer in the world right now
BYD opinion - Mike Rutherford

BYD is the most daringly ambitious car manufacturer in the world right now

Mike Rutherford thinks Chinese car makers like BYD are about to step up into the premium car club
Opinion
25 Aug 2024
Audi, BMW, Mercedes and VW really need to up their game as the car industry evolves
Car industry opinion - Mike Rutherford

Audi, BMW, Mercedes and VW really need to up their game as the car industry evolves

Mike Rutherford believes that the big German brands must take action in the face of disappointing Driver Power scores
Opinion
18 Aug 2024
The British Motor Show is the best-value motoring day out - by a considerable margin
Opinion - British Motor Show

The British Motor Show is the best-value motoring day out - by a considerable margin

Mike Rutherford thinks the British Motor Show has plenty to offer petrolheads of every age - and a ticket won't break the bank
Opinion
11 Aug 2024
JLR is moving in the opposite direction to VW-Audi and Hyundai-Kia, and that’s not a good thing
Opinion - JLR

JLR is moving in the opposite direction to VW-Audi and Hyundai-Kia, and that’s not a good thing

Instead of following the successful business model adopted by VW-Audi, Toyota-Lexus and Hyundai-Kia, Mike Rutherford thinks JLR is moving in the oppos…
Opinion
4 Aug 2024
Multi-fuelled hybrid cars have to be the wisest choice for the 2020s and beyond
Solar powered car

Multi-fuelled hybrid cars have to be the wisest choice for the 2020s and beyond

Mike Rutherford thinks there’s a future for cars powered by petrol, electricity, the sun’s rays... and a wind-up handle
Opinion
28 Jul 2024
The arrival of sub-£20k electric cars can't come soon enough
Opinion - Citroen e-C3

The arrival of sub-£20k electric cars can't come soon enough

Mike Rutherford thinks that pure electric cars are still struggling to win over the hearts and minds of buyers
Opinion
21 Jul 2024
It’s a shame Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover or Rolls-Royce aren't good enough for the Prime Minister
Opinion - Bentley

It’s a shame Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover or Rolls-Royce aren't good enough for the Prime Minister

Mike Rutherford looks back at a rollercoaster week in the automotive world
Opinion
14 Jul 2024
Labour could take £400billion from motorists over the next five years
Opinion - speed cameras

Labour could take £400billion from motorists over the next five years

Mike Rutherford wonders whether the Labour party will reinvest the money it will make from motorists in better, safer, more efficient roads
Opinion
7 Jul 2024
An average new car price of £40k is simply too high for most people
Opinion - Dealership

An average new car price of £40k is simply too high for most people

With the average price of a new car in the UK now over £40,000, Mike Rutherford thinks vehicle manufacturers need to rip up their RRP lists and start …
Opinion
30 Jun 2024
Dacia, Kia and MG have gone from no-hopers to celebrated winners
Opinion - Dacia Duster

Dacia, Kia and MG have gone from no-hopers to celebrated winners

Mike Rutherford thinks Dacia, Kia and MG were once considered underdogs, but the 2024 Driver Power results show just how far all three manufacturers h…
Opinion
23 Jun 2024
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The death of the Geneva Motor Show can't be considered as progress
Opinion - Geneva Motor Show

The death of the Geneva Motor Show can't be considered as progress

Mike Rutherford laments the demise of the iconic Geneva Motor Show
Opinion
16 Jun 2024
‘Electric cars, ULEZ and ICE bans: these topics are taboo for Keir Starmer and the Labour party’
Opinion - Keir Starmer

‘Electric cars, ULEZ and ICE bans: these topics are taboo for Keir Starmer and the Labour party’

Mike Rutherford thinks Keir Starter needs to address motoring issues if he’s to be an effective Prime Minister
Opinion
26 May 2024
“Toyota’s record profits are down to hybrid cars, not EVs”
Opinion - Toyota C-HR

“Toyota’s record profits are down to hybrid cars, not EVs”

Mike Rutherford thinks it’s been a crazy month so far, with electric car sales faltering and factories getting the go ahead across Europe
Opinion
19 May 2024
‘Vauxhall listened to criticism and cut its electric car prices, now other brands need to follow suit’
Opinion - Vauxhall Corsa Electric

‘Vauxhall listened to criticism and cut its electric car prices, now other brands need to follow suit’

Mike Rutheford thinks electric car prices are still far too expensive
Opinion
12 May 2024
"Fiat's model line-up is too small and too expensive"
Opinion - Fait 600e

"Fiat's model line-up is too small and too expensive"

Mike Rutherford thinks car companies such as Fiat should rely less on UK Government subsidies to help bail them out on EV sales, and focus more on res…
Opinion
5 May 2024
“Car designer Frank Stephenson has so many ideas he just doesn’t know how to stop”
Opinion - Frank Stephenson

“Car designer Frank Stephenson has so many ideas he just doesn’t know how to stop”

Mike Rutherford speaks to legendary car designer Frank Stephenson to see what’s next
Opinion
21 Apr 2024
'The cure for slow electric car sales is simple - lower prices'
Mike Rutherford opinion - Skoda Enyaq tracking shot

'The cure for slow electric car sales is simple - lower prices'

Mike Rutherford thinks the prices of electric cars is the number one thing deterring consumers from making the switch
Opinion
14 Apr 2024
‘It’s time for BMW to relaunch Triumph, and Rishi Sunak should help’
Opinion - Triumph

‘It’s time for BMW to relaunch Triumph, and Rishi Sunak should help’

Mike Rutherford thinks there needs to be more British car companies selling sensibly priced cars on the world stage
Opinion
7 Apr 2024
‘The UK should be fighting for a Chinese or Korean car factory’
Opinion - Hyundai factory

‘The UK should be fighting for a Chinese or Korean car factory’

Mike Rutherford thinks UK politicians should be seeking to establish a new state-of-the-art and job-creating Asian car factory on British soil
Opinion
31 Mar 2024
“The Dacia Spring might be as significant in the 21st century as the Citroen 2CV and VW Beetle were in the 20th”
Dacia Spring - opinion 2024

“The Dacia Spring might be as significant in the 21st century as the Citroen 2CV and VW Beetle were in the 20th”

Mike Rutherford thinks many other manufacturers will have to follow the example set by Renault and Dacia when it comes to EVs
Opinion
24 Mar 2024
“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”
Opinion - MG4

“MG is easily outselling Jaguar, Land Rover and Bentley combined”

The wave of Chinese cars has arrived in the UK, and Mike Rutherford thinks it’s not about to stop any time soon
Opinion
17 Mar 2024
“Why would any retailer sell a new car at cost price?”
Opinion - Nissan dealer

“Why would any retailer sell a new car at cost price?”

Mike Rutherford wonders if we really need ‘cars at cost’ schemes when they lack financial transparency
Opinion
10 Mar 2024