Car & Driving was founded and established by national motoring journalist Jonathan Crouch, one of the most prolific writers in the industry.

From the beginning in the early Eighties, the vision was to create a world-leading resource of motoring editorial content. Content requires credibility, so initial operations were centred around serving the UK regional newspaper industry with motoring content.

By the mid-Nineties, Car & Driving had become the UK's No.1 motoring media agency, serving newspapers from virtually every regional publisher in the UK. In 1997, a pass worded website, www.caranddriving.com was established to give clients easier access into what had now become the world's largest single portal for motoring editorial content.

In 1998, development work started on creating systems that could package and repackage a live, personalised feed with bespoke sections of this content, combine them with bespoke advertorial and transform client websites across the motor industry.

In 2000, the resource was made available to motoring organisations and was immediately taken up by the Civil Service Motoring Association (csma) to serve over half a million UK members as `Car Selector' on www.csma.uk.com. Within three months, `Car Selector' became the most visited section of the csma's site In 2001, Car & Driving continued to work with industry-leading motoring organisations to further develop its product. These included Johnston Press' Motors Today (www.motorstoday.co.uk) and CarSource.

In 2002, Car & Driving stepped up emphasis on its regional press coverage activities and was appointed Group Motoring Correspondent for Archant, the UK's 7th biggest regional press publisher.

In 2003, this emphasis continued and Car & Driving was appointed Group Motoring Correspondent for Johnston Press, the UK's 4th biggest regional press publisher
At the same time in 2003, Britain's biggest motoring magazine, Autotrader, joined the Car & Driving client network, our agency appointed as exclusive Group Motoring Correspondents for all UK and N.Ireland editions. The group also appointed us as Motoring Correspondents for Motorhome and Caravan Trader and regular contributors to its prestigious `Top Marques' publication.

In Autumn 2003, Car & Driving was appointed as exclusive motoring editorial supplier for the Exchange & Mart website. In December 2003, Car & Driving was appointed as Group Motoring Correspondents for Archant Life, the group providing virtually all of the UK's significant county magazines.

In early 2004, Car & Driving was appointed Group Motoring Correspondent for Northcliffe Newspapers, the UK's 3rd biggest regional press publisher
A series of contracts signed with major titles around the UK also ensured exclusive Car & Driving coverage across over a third of Newsquest Media Group Ltd, the UK's 2nd largest publisher

January 2004 - Car & Driving was awarded major dealer training contracts with Toyota, Lexus, Citroen and Jaguar. In February 2004, Car & Driving was appointed supplier of editorial for GM Daewoo's UK dealer network DNA intranet site.

In March 2004, Car & Driving was appointed exclusive motoring content supplier to the RAC's website, one of the most visited motoring sites in the UK. An agreement was also reached to supply content to Dunlop Tyres' website.

In Autumn 2004, Car & Driving was appointed as supplier of Motoring content to the Kelkoo and Yahoo consumer websites. In late 2004, Car & Driving was appointed as exclusive suppliers to Teletext - on the TV and on their website.

In Spring 2005, Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota, Vauxhall and Honda all followed the lead of GM Daewoo (now Chevrolet) by appointing Car & Driving as an editorial resource for their UK dealers to use in local press, in-showroom and on their websites
Throughout 2005, Car & Driving continued to supply editorial content to more and more dealer websites. In Summer 2005, this led to one client, Strachans of Ayr receiving the Digital Dealer Award in the 2005 Motor Trader Awards.

In 2006, the decision was taken to cease the company's training division and develop a new side to Car & Driving's business - that of producing industry-leading Road Test Videos that would link into all forms of the company's existing editorial and picture content. Filming work started in 2007, with the goal of eventually producing a resource of Road Test Videos that would cover every car, van and pick-up available in the UK.

As Car & Driving's video library increased, more and more publishers began to use it. Car & Driving made available a unique player system that publishers could bolt in their website homepages in their Motors online sections. And sell ads around the video player window. Northcliffe Newspapers were the first publisher to use this and were then joined by Johnston Press, who linked in its local Motors Today websites into the Car & Driving feed. Archant Regional followed on their 'Drive24' sites, as did Tindle Newspapers.

In 2009, Car & Driving developed this resource still further, introducing a unique Virtual Motorshow system that enabled publishers to create online 'events' on different motoring themes, with 'stands' sold to local dealers that linked in with editorial, advertorial and video reports.

 

By now, Car and Driving was ready to take its video resource to a new market - that of car dealer groups. In the Autumn of 2009, Marshall Motor Group was the first to sign up to Car & Driving's video feed - and was rewarded for its vision by winning the Motor Trader website of the year award. Other major groups quickly followed - Ridgeway, John Martin Group, Listers, Pentagon, WJ King, Inchcape, Essex Auto Group, Arnold Clark, Ford Online and a whole string of others.

In late 2010, with its video library by far the largest in the industry at over 400 films, Car & Driving rejuventated its service to all its clients with an all-new www.caranddriving.com website that brought together its video content with a much enhanced editorial and picture feed. It included functionality never before seen in the industry. Car & Driving continues to set standards that others follow.