James Mills
Managing editor
More than three decades ago, James Mills secured a summer job on Auto Express and quickly proved adept at parking senior staff members’ cars, operating a mangle while washing test vehicles, persuading public relations professionals to fax over 100-page press packs (because senior staff members would always lose them) and filing hundreds upon hundreds of 35mm transparencies.
He worked his backside off, becoming part of the senior editorial team that transformed the fortunes of the magazine, elevating sales to 100,000 a week. A move to Top Gear magazine followed, and soon Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Jason Dawe joined in the fun, until Dawe was replaced by James May and he wrote about driving naked, which was much more like it.
After going freelance in 2006, he worked with The Sunday Times, contributed to Car, Evo, Autocar and PistonHeads, before editing V-ZINE, a magazine for members of the Shell V-Power Club – more exciting than it sounds, because he got to drive the Le Mans 24 Hour-winning Audi R10 TDI, amongst other jammy assignments. Most recently, he was gainfully employed to lead Hagerty Media in the UK before returning to freelancing.
James has blagged several seasons of motor racing in Caterhams, and wishes he had the money to continue. A Honda Integra Type-R and BMW M3 E46 are in the garage. As managing editor at The Intercooler, his job is to help the founders to produce ever-better written stories. And now he’s venturing into the car storage game – watch this space…
