Steve Cropley

Speed, we often point out, is a commodity less freely available to drivers on British roads than it used to be.

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On safety grounds that's probably okay, given the growing population of cars and the failure of our rulers to improve our roads. Yet it's not the disaster that it's often claimed to be: driving enjoyment is still freely available in the UK, even if it requires better preparation than in the so-called good old days.

When speed is viewed as the rate at which interesting car enthusiasts' gatherings occur, the needle has never been further around the dial. There were more great UK events demanding our attendance than ever this year and the car-lover community has surely never been greater.

Meanwhile, the speed of change in car manufacturing has also been enormous: American tariffs have blighted the sales of many specialist car marques, while the continuing (and on balance admirable) lack of tariffs in our own market has made us a fat target for Chinese car makers facing their own difficulties with curbs on sales into mainland Europe and dog-eat-dog competition at home. Still, the situation has bred a couple of happy outcomes: realistic EU talk about an industry-boosting small car class and the arrival of desirable models in the Renault 5 and Fiat Panda lines. More are coming.

As it has done for 130 years, Autocar continues to prosper, borne on the shoulders of its dedicated supporters. It's no secret that specialist media faces new challenges, but we're luckier than the rest, because we have you. I want to assure you that no one at Autocar takes your support for granted: we aim to earn it all over again next year. For now we send warm Christmas greetings and best wishes for a fantastic new year. We hope you will enjoy both your cars and your reading even more in 2026.

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