Video is now the first port of call for car enthusiasts wishing to indulge in their hobby, and YouTube remains the world’s largest platform on which to find it. Narrowing down the thousands of automotive channels to just a handful of must-watch creators though is easier said than done, so to help you cut through to the best automotive content out there, we’ve assembled the following list of the best autotive channels on YouTube, as recommended by the team here at Windrush Car Storage.
There are a few familiar faces below, but potentially a few channels you may not yet have discovered too. Whether you’re interested in new high-performance models, classics, vintage cars or racing machines, there’s a little of everything covered by the following ten channels.
JayEmm on Cars
James ‘JayEmm’ Martin is a staple of the UK YouTube car reviewing scene with more than 1,600 videos over nine years on his channel, covering just about everything you can think of, from accessible modern classics, to brand new supercars – almost nothing is off-limits.
Reviews are delivered in a personable, straightforward style, and while it might not be the channel to go for if you want to hear about a new sports car’s limit handling or a deeply-researched history of a particular model (though there are a few more in-depth history pieces between the road tests), James’s videos are an easy-to-watch overview of hundreds of notable models.
Hagerty
Hagerty is a classic car insurer first and foremost, but in the last five years it’s also become almost the default automotive destination channel, thanks to a huge content push and some of the highest production values you’ll currently find on YouTube. Classic and collector cars are the big focus, just as they are with Hagerty’s insurance policies, but there’s a lot more besides.
The big-ticket videos are those from US journalist Jason Cammisa, whose Icons and Revelations series are hugely entertaining and well-researched, and the UK’s very own Henry Catchpole with his ‘The Driver’s Seat’ series, which in recent weeks has covered the likes of the Honda NSX Type-R and the Boreham Motorworks brand-new Ford Escort Mk1 reimagination. But Hagerty’s barn find, car culture, and ‘Redline Rebuild’ restoration series are all top-quality too.
Harry's Garage
It’s been more than a decade since Harry Metcalfe left the helm of EVO magazine and set up his own YouTube channel, but it was certainly a shrewd move carrying on the old diary-style format that had been popular on EVO’s own channel. More than 800,000 subscribers later, the videos are a window into driving, running, and road-tripping some of the world’s most desirable cars.
Harry’s affable personality and clear love of the vehicles makes his videos easy to watch, and there’s good variety too, from pure road tests of brand new and classic models, to interviews, auction previews, and the occasional cost breakdown of Harry’s own cars – the eponymous garage being an eclectic mix including a Lamborghini Countach, Jaguar Project 8, Lotus Elan Sprint, and a classic Fiat 500.
Doug DeMuro
Doug DeMuro is another YouTuber who pivoted from more traditional media into video, having previously written for titles such as Jalopnik. For the past ten years or so, his bread and butter has been driving and reviewing almost anything he can get his hands on. Like JayEmm, Doug’s style is pretty straightforward, with an irreverent edge that suits his focus on a car’s ‘quirks and features’.
There’s an ownership element to the channel too though, as Doug has owned some interesting metal over the years – from a Ferrari 360 Modena early on, to a garage that today includes a Porsche Carrera GT, among others. As a US-based channel, there’s naturally a focus on US brands and models, though there are high-end cars too – a recent video featured the roadster variant of the Mercedes CLK GTR.
EVO
EVO magazine has been around for nearly 27 years and for 15 of those it’s had an active YouTube channel running alongside, giving readers an even more immersive look into the cars you’ll see in the magazine’s pages. It was via this channel that the likes of Chris Harris, Henry Catchpole, Jethro Bovingdon, and indeed Harry Metcalfe launched into their own video careers, and the quality is just as high today.
Highlight of the channel is the EVO Car of the Year video released each year, a video summary of the epic week-long magazine test of the previous year’s greatest performance cars, though you’ll find in-depth previews of new cars, track tests and road tests too, and the occasional short and snappy hot-lap video. Our picks would have to be the old MINI and Renault racing battles though, which are hugely entertaining.
Petrolicious
Petrolicious made a name for itself in the early and mid-2010s for high-quality videos on the classic cars owned and driven by regular enthusiasts. It had a great slogan too: ‘Drive Tastefully’, instantly giving the brand an identity that classic car collectors and drivers could warm to.
The channel went quiet for a while but it’s burst back with weekly uploads again recently and thankfully, not much has changed – you still get beautiful videos of beautiful machinery, with a variety of cars that’s as inclusive to those taking their first steps into the world of classics as those who have lived and breathed the hobby for decades. There’s still just as much emphasis on the owner’s story as the vehicles, too.
The Late Brake Show
Former Fifth Gear presenter Jonny Smith started The Late Brake Show only four years ago, but it’s become a must-watch for a lot of enthusiasts. The channel primarily hinges around barn find videos, ‘car caves’, new model reviews, electric cars, ‘Idol Chat’ interviews, and Jonny’s own collection of project cars.
The latter is an eclectic mix, from a Porsche Boxster bought for £1,900 to an Austin Allegro being built up as a Honda-engined ‘sleeper’ (though as the car has been in build for years and covered widely online, when it finally hits the road it’ll be the world’s least secretive sleeper…). Idol Chats include interviews with the likes of Chris Harris, Mate Rimac, and BTCC drivers Jason Plato and Matt Neal.
Tyrrell’s Classic Workshop
Iain Tyrrell’s channel is a little different to the others here, focusing primarily on classic cars, from the perspective of a lifelong expert in the classic car world, with experience not just driving but also working on many of the cars featured. If you prefer your automotive content calmly explained rather than brashly presented, this may be the one for you.
Many of the cars covered tend towards the higher end of the market too – recent models featured on the channel include the Ferrari 512BB, Aston Martin DB4, and Mercedes-Benz ‘W111’ 280SE Coupe, to give you a flavour of the subject matter. Iain visits shows and auctions too for an overview of the market beyond the workshop; it’s fair to say he’s the kind of person you’d not just watch on YouTube, but take your own cars to for restoration work.
Chris Harris on Cars
Motoring journalist Chris Harris has titles like Autocar and EVO on his CV, and presented video with both, so he’s no stranger to YouTube. He then had his own series, Chris Harris on Cars, for the DRIVE channel, before creating his own channel. That took a bit of a hiatus while Harris became a presenter on Top Gear, but over the last year or so, Harris has returned to YouTube on his own channel – carrying on almost like he never left.
Today the channel is punctuated by episodes of his podcast, but between those episodes you’ll find reviews of classic and performance cars in his own inimitable style – recent drives in a McLaren F1 and Aston Martin Valkyrie Roadster, plus his own recently-bought and soon to be modified Jaguar XJS being highlights. Top Gear’s loss is YouTube’s gain.
Seen Through Glass
Seen Through Glass started as a passion project for Sam Fane, as one of the early ‘supercar spotters’, but really took off when he began vlogging on his newly-purchased Alfa Romeo 4C. Over the last decade, STG has become something of a go-to for sports and supercar fans, with 630,000 subscribers at the time of writing, and reviews and experiences of just about every sports car you can think of. We’re also very proud to have been entrusted with looking after his Porsche GT3 and Ferrari 360cs.
There are plenty of Sam’s own cars on the channel too, from his dream Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, to an affordable 986-generation Porsche Boxster bought to travel around the US. Basically, Sam’s living the dream, driving great cars in great places, and sharing that experience with viewers with the enthusiasm of a true petrolhead.
