Gavin Green

Gavin edited Car magazine in the late 1980s and early ’90s, the last of five consecutive Australian-born editors. At more-or-less the same time, he acted as motoring editor of The Independent – then in its heyday – and of the Paris-based International Herald Tribune (subsequently renamed The International New York Times).

The son of a well-known rally driver and TV commentator, he started his writing career in newspapers (on The Sydney Morning Herald) and his driving career at the wheel of a bright red Formula Vee. In that, he won some races, an award from the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) as Best Newcomer of 1976, and subsequently had a big accident which broke his right leg. Undeterred he graduated to Formula Ford in a Van Diemen imported from the UK.

He came to the UK in 1980 to report on Alan Jones’ World Championship winning year. He raced through the ’80s and early ’90s, including a frenzied three years in the one-make Renault 5 GT Turbo championship. He is particularly fond of old Citroëns and old Italian sports cars, and is also partial to Porsches of a certain vintage. Forty years on, he still writes for Car, and enjoys riding his bicycle, swimming, and walking a very energetic black sprocker spaniel.