The Western Group of Motoring Writers was formed in 1983 to provide a body which can not only represent the views of its members when communicating with others in the motor industry, but also perform the role of event organiser for motoring events, test drives and new model launches.
The Western Group of Motoring Writers boasts over 20 full and honorary members with interests that cover the full range of motoring journalism, including regional and national press, broadcast media, trade press, photography, video and specialist publications.
Group activities are held throughout the region on a regular basis. We constantly strive to raise professional standards and protect our members’ interests and liaise with motoring writers’ groups in other parts of the UK.
The highlight of our year is undoubtedly the WGMW’s annual invitation-only PR Driving Day held at Castle Combe race circuit in Wiltshire each summer, when we see a wide range of cars available to be test driven by representatives of the motor manufacturers’ press office teams.
Recent Posts
From the Chair: 22 May 2022
Unfortunately, our plans to hold the first WGMW PR Driving Day since 2019, have hit a hiccup. We were due to hold the event at Castle Combe Circuit, where the event has been held since it began over 30 years ago. Now that events are up and running again at Castle Combe, it’s not surprising…
From the Chair: May 2022
Leigh Robinson 1948-2022 The Western Group lost a stalwart when Leigh died suddenly at the beginning of April. Leigh was a ‘proper’ journalist as many will know, working his way up through the local press in Northern England before coming south in the 1990s and after sojourns in Hampshire and the West Country eventually settled…
Obituary – Leigh Robinson 1948-2022
Leigh Robinson was a Cumbrian, born in the Lake District on 30 March 1948. In his early years he drove trucks for a living as a driver for BRS. Writing was clearly what motivated him though and he made his break into the local press in the 1970s, initially in the North of England, working…
From the Chair: March 2022
Whither Geneva? The first week of March has since time immemorial been the date of the Geneva Show, the event which always seemed to herald the new motoring year. But once again and for the third year in succession, the Show has been cancelled. The organisers blamed covid travel restrictions and the continuing silicon chip…
From the Chair: February 2022
I recently carried out an interview with the Chief Technology Officer of the Volvo Group – not the car manufacturer but the truck, bus and off-road equipment manufacturer. In the course of the discussion, the subject of autonomous vehicles came up. I was quite surprised to hear how much of an enthusiast he was for…
Karen Parry now in Autovia driving seat
Friend of WGMW Karen Parry now heads up the communications for AUTOVIA, the UK’s number one automotive content and commerce growth business. Karen brings with her over 30 years of automotive experience and joins Autovia from a 12-month contract as Head of Communications at the SMMT. Previously she has worked in-house for Jaguar Land Rover, Honda,…
