Behind The Wheels

The most interesting thing about cars isn't the car at all, says motoring writer, Simon Heptinstall

- Simon Heptinstall

The more nerdy car-spotters among you may be dismayed to know that the most interesting thing about a car is not its horsepower nor the cubic capacity of its boot.

It's not the top speed either. Nor is it the price or the colour.

After years of professionally writing about cars I've discovered that the most interesting thing about cars is none of those dry specifications. It's their drivers.

For example, while enthusiasts drooled about the Ultimate Aero supercar setting a new world production car speed record of 256mph (412kph) in 2006—I was more excited that the driver was an unheard-of 71-year-old pensioner roped in as a test pilot.

And when motoring historians carefully record the date of the world's first parking meter in Oklahoma in 1935, I'd rather hear about the first driver arrested for non-payment shortly after it was installed... it was the local pastor, Rev CH North.

The most fascinating fact about BMW? Nothing to do with "the ultimate driving machines." For me it's that around 53,000 British people google what BMW stands for every year (It's Bayerische Motoren Werke).

So in between writing the usual road tests, new car reports and mechanical specifications for publications like Autocar and Top Gear, I've privately collected a massive archive of weird and wonderful human stories lurking behind the cars.

I've started writing this treasure trove of extraordinary automotive anecdotes into books (see end of article) but the collection grows faster than I can churn them out.

Am I the only one to think the motorists make better stories than their motors? Here's a chance to make your own mind up-with 12 favourite stories from my collection: