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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

“Auto Express has covered 35 years of taxes, tolls and intolerance for UK motorists”
Mike Rutherford opinion

“Auto Express has covered 35 years of taxes, tolls and intolerance for UK motorists”

As a founding father of Auto Express, Mike Rutherford is uniquely placed to look back at changes in its lifetime
Opinion
1 Oct 2023
'BMW is the best car brand in the world, by one very important measure'
BMW badge opinion

'BMW is the best car brand in the world, by one very important measure'

Mike Rutherford explains how the race for profit among the world’s top car companies is being won by BMW, with a clutch of others hot on its tail…
Opinion
25 Sep 2023
‘New car buyers need a wider choice than just pure EVs’
Opinion - Mercedes EQE

‘New car buyers need a wider choice than just pure EVs’

With the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars looming, Mike Rutherford thinks there needs to be a place for hydrogen and other alternati…
Opinion
17 Sep 2023
‘How the VW ID.3, Vauxhall Astra and MINI justify their £40k price tags is beyond my comprehension’
Opinion - VW ID3

‘How the VW ID.3, Vauxhall Astra and MINI justify their £40k price tags is beyond my comprehension’

Mike Rutherford is growing increasingly frustrated at the cost of buying a brand new car
Opinion
10 Sep 2023
“At the British Motor Show, the people are as important as the cars”
Opinion - British Motor Show

“At the British Motor Show, the people are as important as the cars”

Mike Rutherford thinks the people involved in running the British Motor Show at Farnborough are inspiring
Opinion
27 Aug 2023
'Henrik Fisker is the automotive industry's next leading man'
Opinion - Henrik Fisker

'Henrik Fisker is the automotive industry's next leading man'

Mike Rutherford believes that the EV company founder is destined to follow in the footsteps of Henry Ford and John DeLorean
Opinion
20 Aug 2023
'From Formula E to Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 2023 was full of car-related disappointments'
Opinion - July 2023

'From Formula E to Goodwood Festival of Speed, July 2023 was full of car-related disappointments'

Mike Rutherford believes that the last month has provided a constant bombardment of motoring misfortunes
Opinion
13 Aug 2023
‘The ULEZ expansion is more about Sadiq Khan grabbing cash than cleaning the air’
Opinion - ULEZ

‘The ULEZ expansion is more about Sadiq Khan grabbing cash than cleaning the air’

Mike Rutherford wonders about the motives behind London's Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion
Opinion
6 Aug 2023
'Petrol and diesel prices at motorway services are totally unjustified'
Opinion - motorway services

'Petrol and diesel prices at motorway services are totally unjustified'

Mike Rutherford will continue to give motorway service areas a wide berth until they drop their fuel prices
Opinion
30 Jul 2023
‘The killing-off of the Ford Fiesta shows the contempt car makers have for loyal customers’
Ford Fiesta opinion

‘The killing-off of the Ford Fiesta shows the contempt car makers have for loyal customers’

Mike Rutherford thinks loyalty is a foreign concept to most big businesses
Opinion
23 Jul 2023
‘Thinking of buying a new EV? The sums simply don’t add up’
Opinion - Electric cars

‘Thinking of buying a new EV? The sums simply don’t add up’

Mike Rutherford thinks car-buying customers are being overcharged, and many are simply walking away
Opinion
16 Jul 2023
'2030 petrol and diesel car sales ban? The UK Government hasn't got a clue'
Opinion - Westminster

'2030 petrol and diesel car sales ban? The UK Government hasn't got a clue'

Mike Rutherford thinks the UK needs an automotive guru to help the Government understand the industry better
Opinion
9 Jul 2023
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'BYD is here to disrupt the EV market, and that’s a good thing'
Opinion - BYD

'BYD is here to disrupt the EV market, and that’s a good thing'

Mike Rutherford thinks that BYD’s low-cost electric cars could spell the beginning of the end for its pricey, well-established rivals
Opinion
2 Jul 2023
“There’s a tsunami of Chinese cars heading our way”
Opinion - BYD Dolphin

“There’s a tsunami of Chinese cars heading our way”

Mike Rutherford thinks China will soon overtake South Korea as the leading Asian car-producing country in Britain
Opinion
25 Jun 2023
“The Dacia Jogger is the best-value car on the market, period”
Dacia Jogger opinion

“The Dacia Jogger is the best-value car on the market, period”

If you believe in the ‘less is more’ principle, Mike Rutherford thinks 1.0-litre cars might be right up your street
Opinion
4 Jun 2023
“Genie Point cut its greedy EV charging tariff from 98p to 79p, but it’s still way over the top”
Opinion - Genie Point

“Genie Point cut its greedy EV charging tariff from 98p to 79p, but it’s still way over the top”

Mike Rutherford thinks some electricity providers are charging far too much to top up an EV
Opinion
28 May 2023
“Most Brits are not in favour of ULEZ”
Opinion - ULEZ

“Most Brits are not in favour of ULEZ”

With so much uncertainty to come, Mike Rutherford thinks you should exercise caution if you're about to buy a new car
Opinion
20 May 2023
“Sales of electric cars have increased – but at a painfully slow rate”
Opinion - Vauxhall Corsa Electric

“Sales of electric cars have increased – but at a painfully slow rate”

Mike Rutherford thinks much more needs to be done before the UK bans the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in January 2030
Opinion
14 May 2023
“Motorways without hard shoulders are insane”
Opinion - smart motorways

“Motorways without hard shoulders are insane”

Mike Rutherford is pleased to hear that future smart motorways are being axed, but now wants to see existing ones get their hard shoulders back
Opinion
30 Apr 2023
‘Average workers can’t afford new cars costing £40k apiece’
Opinion - Toyota bZ4x

‘Average workers can’t afford new cars costing £40k apiece’

As inflation continues to rage, Mike Rutherford thinks a £40k-plus price tag for regular family cars is already certain
Opinion
23 Apr 2023
'Hyundai’s Ioniq electric car range is wiping the floor with rivals'
Opinion - Hyundai Ioniq range

'Hyundai’s Ioniq electric car range is wiping the floor with rivals'

Mike Rutherford thinks Hyundai’s numerous award wins are well-deserved
Opinion
16 Apr 2023
“Genesis being crowned ‘Best Car Company’ was a shock”
Opinion - Genesis

“Genesis being crowned ‘Best Car Company’ was a shock”

Mike Rutherford reflects on some surprises at this year’s Best Cars of the Year awards
Opinion
9 Apr 2023
‘The car aftersales service industry could learn plenty from IKEA, John Lewis, and even Primark’
IKEA - opinion

‘The car aftersales service industry could learn plenty from IKEA, John Lewis, and even Primark’

Mike Rutherford has seen little change in car servicing for 40 years and thinks aftersales firms should look to the retail heavyweights for tips...
Opinion
2 Apr 2023
‘With a world population of 8 billion, car production of just 61.6 million is surprisingly low’
Car production - opinion

‘With a world population of 8 billion, car production of just 61.6 million is surprisingly low’

Mike Rutherford thinks that current global car production is inadequate when compared to the amount of people living on the planet
Opinion
26 Mar 2023
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‘Petrol prices should be lower after energy firms announced record profits’
Shell - opinion

‘Petrol prices should be lower after energy firms announced record profits’

Mike Rutherford thinks excessive profiteering is one of the most distasteful examples of corporate greed
Opinion
12 Mar 2023
“Max Verstappen provided the best value-for-money in F1 last year”
Opinion - Verstappen

“Max Verstappen provided the best value-for-money in F1 last year”

Despite his eye-watering F1 salary, Max Verstappen cost Red Bull just $2.3m per victory in 2022
Opinion
5 Mar 2023
‘It’s disgraceful to single out the car as the cause of air pollution’
Opinion - pollution

‘It’s disgraceful to single out the car as the cause of air pollution’

Mike Rutherford has compiled a league table of the worst air polluters, and the car doesn't feature in the top five
Opinion
27 Feb 2023
"Kia is a huge success story but its new high prices are a risk"
Kia opinion

"Kia is a huge success story but its new high prices are a risk"

Kia is going upmarket, but Mike Rutherford thinks luxury models should solely be the domain of sister brand Genesis
Opinion
12 Feb 2023
“Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion is the greediest ruse I’ve ever seen a politician put their name to”
Opinion - ULEZ

“Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion is the greediest ruse I’ve ever seen a politician put their name to”

Mike Rutherford is convinced the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will leave some motorists £3,000 a year worse off
Opinion
5 Feb 2023
“Nissan’s Sunderland plant would never have been built without Margaret Thatcher”
Opinion - Nissan Sunderland

“Nissan’s Sunderland plant would never have been built without Margaret Thatcher”

Mike Rutherford thinks the last three PMs need to follow Margaret Thatcher’s lead when it comes to automotive delivery and commitment
Opinion
29 Jan 2023
‘2023 will be the year when Dacia makes a splash in the UK’
Dacia - opinion

‘2023 will be the year when Dacia makes a splash in the UK’

Mike Rutherford takes a look at car sales in the UK, and thinks 2023 could be a big year for Dacia
Opinion
15 Jan 2023
“Arriving at a faulty electric car chargepoint is motoring hell”
Opinion - EV chargepoint

“Arriving at a faulty electric car chargepoint is motoring hell”

The UK ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is just seven years away, but Mike Rutherford thinks a lot of work still needs to be done
Opinion
11 Jan 2023
"Electric car range figures need to be accurate" - 2023 wish list
Opinion - battery range honesty

"Electric car range figures need to be accurate" - 2023 wish list

As buyers make the switch to electric power, Mike Rutherford believes that a lack of real-world honesty could come back to haunt carmakers
Opinion
5 Jan 2023
“Britain needs more cars that can cope with icy winters”
Opinion - snow

“Britain needs more cars that can cope with icy winters”

After an icy few weeks, Mike Rutherford thinks the British road network is vastly underprepared for the cold weather
Opinion
25 Dec 2022