The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu now has a new display all about the Guild of Motoring Writers, including its long history and what it does today... Chris Adamson reports. The Guild of Motoring Writers’, the world’s oldest and largest organisation for automotive journalists has a new expanded and updated permanent exhibition at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. The display, in its own … [Read more...]
Features by Chris Adamson
Chris Adamson BA, 57, has been a journalist for 30 years, since 1989 he has been a full-time motoring correspondent writing for national and regional publications and websites. He is a former winner of the Jet Regional Motoring Journalist of the Year title and currently an executive committee member of The Guild of Motoring Writers. As well as a modern car, he also owns and regularly drives a 1952 MG YB 1.25 litre saloon, a 1972 MGB Roadster and a more recently acquired 1998 MGF.
MG ZS – Road Test
Chris Adamson comprehensively test drives MG’s compact SUV… (All words and photographs by Chris). Chris Adamson has been spending time getting to know MG’s new compact sport utility the ZS and discovers first impressions can be correct. As a motoring journalist I have attended hundreds of new vehicle launches over the years and they tend to follow a very similar format. You get a couple of … [Read more...]
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross – First impressions
Chris Adamson samples the latest Mitsubishi… Car sales in the UK dropped by almost six per cent last year but one sector that actually saw an increase was the Sport Utility which continues to grow in popularity thanks to its versatility and design ethos. One of the first brands to exploit this sector was Mitsubishi (who built their first four-by-four in 1936) – its Shogun/Pajero launched in … [Read more...]
Vauxhall Crossland X – First impressions
Chris Adamson gives his views on Vauxhall’s compact Crossland X SUV... (All words and photographs by Chris). Vauxhall was among the pioneers in the sports utility market here in the UK with the Frontera (remember that rather agricultural mud-plugger) even if it did borrow heavily from Isuzu in the first place. Times have moved on and everyone, including Vauxhall, has a model range bulging … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Golf R-Line 1.5 TSI Evo 150 – First Impressions.
Launched earlier this year, the latest seventh generation Volkswagen Golf has recently been supplemented by a new petrol engine that is set to become a big seller for the model – Chris Adamson has been putting it through its paces. (All words and photographs by Chris). In the UK market, Volkswagen was one of the leading diesel exponents until ‘dieselgate’, so now there has been an inevitable … [Read more...]
DS Automobiles DS3 Connected Chic Pure Tech 110 S&S – First Impressions
Chris Adamson assesses this compact DS with a very big name… (All words and photographs by Chris). If you are going to give a new model an extensive moniker such as the Connected Chic PureTech, then it has a big name to live up to – that’s the task DS Automobiles has set for the latest addition to its popular DS3 hatchback line-up. The new trim level for DS Automobiles best-selling model is … [Read more...]
Classic Auction Report – South Western Vehicle Auctions, 27th October 2017.
At the recent classic vehicle sale held by South Western Vehicle Auctions (SWVA) in Poole, Dorset, a wide range of classics changed hands for a variety of prices. Chris Adamson was there with his camera; here’s his report… An extensively restored 1962 Daimler SP250 which was finished in 2015 after nearly 30 years work topped the sales at the latest South Western Vehicle Auctions classic auction … [Read more...]
New MG ZS SUV – First Impressions
New kid on the block in the compact SUV market – MG's ZS has arrived... Words and all photos by Chris Adamson. (Note: The red car depicted in Chris's photos is the mid-range Excite version with the 1.5 litre engine and manual transmission; the white car is the range-topping best-seller 1.0 Auto in Exclusive trim.) Sales and marketing boss Matthew Cheyne is confidently predicting that in 2018 … [Read more...]
New McLaren 570S Spider – First Impressions
Chris Adamson test-drives the latest fast mover from McLaren... (All words and photographs by Chris). In the depths of a blustery autumn with another British winter on the horizon you can cheer yourself with thoughts of summer and the joys of open top motoring that await. If that dream also includes achieving this wind in the hair experience at close on 200 miles an hour and you have almost … [Read more...]
Edd China and the Wacky Record Breakers – At Beaulieu
Wacky Record Breakers – out in force at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. By Chris Adamson. Edd China, best known as the technical boffin half of television series Wheeler Dealers, returned to his roots, the world of weird car creations, when he helped to launch a new summer exhibition at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. Edd was on hand to meet fans at the New Forest attraction and to … [Read more...]
MG XS – First Impressions
Motoring journalist and classic MG owner Chris Adamson has been taking a close look at the forthcoming MG XS – but sadly without the opportunity to drive it… (Words and photos by Chris) MG made its name worldwide with its range of practical and affordable two-seater sportscars so it’s somewhat frustrating for an MG enthusiast like myself to see the marque’s new Chinese owners developing a line … [Read more...]
Peugeot 3008 GT Line PureTech 130 Road Test
Chris Adamson gives his views on the European Car of the Year 2017, and assesses whether the car lives up to this accolade... (Words and Photos by Chris) ‘European Car of the Year 2017’ is a pretty tough title to live up to, but that’s the challenge facing the new Peugeot 3008, having beaten off some stiff opposition to claim the crown earlier this year. Visually it is hard to really … [Read more...]
Classic prices achieved at South Western Vehicle Auctions sale…
Some ‘modest’ classic commercials and cars, as well as more exclusively machinery, fetched far more than anticipated at the recent classic vehicle sale arranged by South Western Vehicle Auctions in Poole. Chris Adamson was there with his camera and notebook… (Words and photographs by Chris). A bid of £21,000 for a classic car is not normally the stuff of headlines – but it was at the recent … [Read more...]
BMW M240i Convertible Road Test
Looking ahead to sunny days in the New Year, Chris Adamson assesses a fast four seater drophead from BMW… Speeding to 60 miles an hour in just six seconds obviously isn’t quite enough for BMW’s compact 2 Series convertible – so for 2017 the boffins are throwing in another 95 horses and clipping the sprint time down to well under five seconds. Welcome to this year’s bright new young drop-top … [Read more...]
VW Passat GTE Hybrid Estate Road Test
Chris Adamson test drives Volkswagen’s spacious plug-in hybrid Passat estate... Volkswagen is fighting back from the emissions rigging scandal and the latest Passat shows that they are returning to their technological best with a stylish and hugely practical plug-in hybrid. First unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September 2014 – before all the ‘diesel-gate’ crisis – the Passat GTE Hybrid … [Read more...]
Peugeot Traveller Road Test
Chris Adamson test drives a Peugeot MPV bearing a name many will remember from the days of Morris… I am of an age where the name Traveller, in the automotive context, is one I automatically associate with those wood-clad wonders that were the stretched versions of the Morris Minor and Mini back when Britain was among the world’s leading car producers. So it is a bit of a throwback … [Read more...]
Going, Going… Sold! – South Western Vehicle Auctions Classic Sale, 28th October 2016.
Much Interest as Buyers Galore Flock to this October’s Quarterly SWVA Classic Car Sale… Chris Adamson reports for ‘Wheels-Alive’ (and didn’t come home with another classic…). MGs dominated at the recent South Western Vehicle Auctions quarterly classic car and motorcycle sale in Poole Dorset, with no les than 12 of the 75 lots carrying the Octagon badge. Pride of place went to an immaculate … [Read more...]
McLaren 650S Spider Road Test
‘If you want a convertible McLaren road car then there is only one option – the £220,000 650S Spider and Chris Adamson has had the privilege of driving one’. Words and all photos by Chris. The McLaren name will always be associated with motor racing, historically that has been through Formula One although, at the moment, the Woking team is struggling at the back of the grid. But the brand has … [Read more...]
Audi S1 2.0 TFSI quattro Road Test
A happy-smile-producing 'pocket rocket' from Audi, assessed by Chris Adamson. (All words and photos by Chris). The best things they say come in small packages and that is certainly my experience having been let loose in Audi’s baby pocket rocket, the latest S1 quattro. Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to blast around parts of Northamptonshire in a selection of high performance … [Read more...]
Audi SQ5 TDi Plus 3.0 quattro Tiptronic Road Test
Audi’s 'Go Faster' SQ5 reviewed by Chris Adamson. (All words and photos by Chris). For my money the Q5 model is the best off-roader that Audi has made so far, thanks to a combination of performance and functionality. This year, the flagship SQ5 version has been given an extra boost with the installation of a new 90 degree, 3 litre, bi-turbo V6 diesel heart that promises more power, more … [Read more...]
