QUENTIN Willson is one of the UK’s most recognisable petrolheads, having appeared on various motoring shows – including Top Gear and Fifth Gear – in a TV career spanning over 30 years.
The much-loved presenter and car dealer is an an expert on used motors and is particularly well-known for helping viewers with tips on buying reasonably priced second-hand vehicles – especially classics.
Getty Images – GettyQuentin Willson appeared alongside co-host Jodie Kidd for The Classic Car Show[/caption]
Not known, clear with picture deskThe petrolhead has been on TV for over 30 years, appearing in Top Gear and Fifth Gear[/caption]
Unsurprisingly, he’s owned and sold some of the world’s finest motors over the years – including his very first set of wheels that he paid just £50 for.
Range Rover
In an interview with LincsOnline in 2015, the car nut revealed his everyday motor is a Range Rover – the car of choice for a family man looking for extra comfort and leg room.
He said: “It’s got room for all the kids, all the dogs, all the stuff going down to the tip and going to Ikea.
“It’s safe and if it gets snowy, I can get out of everything.
“And it’s British, I like British cars and it’s made in the Midlands and I’m a Midlands boy.”
Quentin also revealed he’s a bit precious about his 4×4, saying that he takes it for a jet wash “most weekends.”
A variety of classics – old and new
Twitter/@QuentinWillsonQuentin poses with a convertible Ford Mustang[/caption]
The ex-Top Gear host hasn’t specified greatly on the other motors in his collection, simply revealing: “there’s an old Bentley, an old Rolls-Royce and an old Mini and three old Daimler Darts.
“And there’s a Ford Mustang convertible as well! It’s quite an illness really. The Willson garages are quite big.”
Quentin is quite partial to Bentleys, once describing the Supersports Convertible as “quite simply the best Bentley ever made.”
It’s also unclear which Mustang model he owns, although a post on X from 2019 sees him sat on the bonnet of brand new convertible, which he describes as a “tremendous ride.”
Citroen C-Zero
AFPThe car nut is a huge champion of EVs – and currently owns a Citroen C-Zero[/caption]
Despite often getting behind the wheel of gas-guzzlers, Quentin is a champion of electric power.
In the same LincsOnline article, he revealed he’s often behind the wheel of a Citroen C-Zero which he admitted he uses “probably more than the Range Rover, because it’s small, it’s tiny and it costs me 2p a mile.”
A host of electric cars
David Parry – thelondonpaperThe TV host was spotted with the very cool Lightning GT EV supercar[/caption]
The C-Zero is just one of many EVs Quentin’s owned over the years – as the TV host has been driving and campaigning for electric cars for years.
According to his official website, he was one of the first journalists to drive GM’s $1b EV 1 in 1996, while he’s also owned a Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Vauxhall Ampera, Mitsubishi iMiev and even a vintage 70s Enfield Electric.
Perhaps the coolest EV the TV star has appeared alongside is the little-known Lightning GT – an electric supercar that can hit 60mph in just four seconds.
Jaguar Series 1 E-Type
AlamyOne of his coolest cars is a classic E-Type – which he later sold after owning for 10 years[/caption]
Speaking ahead of the launch of his Channel 5 classic car show, aptly named The Classic Car Show, Quentin opened up a “huge row” he had with co-host Jodie Kidd.
He said: “I had this lovely old Jaguar E-Type that I’d had for 10 years, I’d restored it beautifully and it got too good to use.
“Jodie said ‘you’re so lucky’, then one day I rolled into the studio and said I’d sold the E-Type and she went: ‘what?!’
“She didn’t speak to me for hours, she was in a serious huff, ‘I cannot forgive you for selling that E-Type.’”
Mini
Getty Images – GettyQuentin’s first car was a “hearing aid beige” Mini that he bought for £50[/caption]
As for Quentin’s first motor?
In LincsOnline, the man himself revealed his first car was none other than the classic Mini – a staple of British roads for over 60 years.
He said: “My first car was an old Mini for £50, which I did up and sold for a profit. It was hearing aid beige. But needs must; for 50 quid what do you expect?”
This comes after Quentin urged Brits to hold off from buying a second car as prices continue to tumble.
He said: “We could see spiking fuel costs because of instability in the Middle East, interest rates don’t look like they will be falling significantly soon, and consumer confidence is low with so much political uncertainty before an election. I don’t think this is a time to take any risks.”
Elsewhere, Wheeler Dealers host Mike Brewer “brutally” turned down the chance to restore a classic car.