Chris Harris, a British automotive journalist, presenter and race car driver, was born in the UK on January 20, 1975. Chris Harris is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable motoring journalists there is. Born to an accountant father and autocross racing mother.
It’s believed that his mother’s life was one of the factors that influenced this gearhead's love for cars, a love that started when young Chris was just 6 years old and left in his Dad's office. Out of boredom, he picked up a car magazine and could not put it down, and the rest is, as they say, history.
9 Chris "Monkey" Harris.
He started out his career in the Automotive industry at Autocar doing menial tasks. Later on, he moved to become an official road test editor. Harris was given the nickname "Monkey" from an unseen character on the British TV show Only Fools and Horses.
Some new members of the show never really knew his real name but just knew him as "monkey". Chris has quite a reputation in the automobile industry.
8 The Journalist
As a road test editor, he wrote many reviews and built a reputation as a credible journalist. He went on to co-found a web show, Drivers Republic, which was terminated after a year.
Harris joined Evo magazine in October 2009 and was writing for Jalopnik as well. It was here he wrote the articles that would get him banned by Ferrari.
7 Harris At Top Gear
Chris Harris joined Top Gear in 2016 as a presenter. Coming from a racing background and being an automotive journalist, he was a huge asset to the group. To this day, he is one of the three main presenters on the show.
Harris has worked for several auto magazines as an editor and writer as well as presented various car shows on TV and YouTube.
6 His Car Collection
Chris has accumulated quite a car collection over the years of working around cars, driving cars, and writing about cars. Like a true gearhead, or petrol head as he would say, he combines both old and new cars in his collection. From the Citroën 2CV and the Peugeot 205 Rallye to the Ferrari 599 GTB, Ferrari FF, and Ferrari 512 TR.
Of course, being a Brit, a Range Rover is a must-have. He also has quite a few German cars, such as the E28 BMW M5, E30 BMW M3 Evolution, as well as a Porsche 911 993 GT2 and Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0.
5 He Is Direct
Harris is known for saying it as it is when it comes to his reviews of cars he has tested. He has never been known to support cutting corners as he always calls their bluff. His blunt ways have put him in trouble in the past, but his honesty has also earned him a reputation.
This makes him sought after by car manufacturers who want honest reviews and feedback, no matter how blunt. They want the Chris Harris stamp of approval, as his opinions are highly regarded in the auto world and by almost every gearhead out there.
4 Harris On YouTube
He started his YouTube channel with his long-time friend Neil Carey in 2014. The show, Chris Harris On Cars, was a huge hit and had a very large following, getting 350,000 subscribers within the first year.
The show was later moved to the official Top Gear website and started airing on BBC. Harris is the go-to guy for brutally honest, no-holds-barred automotive journalism.
3 Harris Banned By Ferrari
While writing for Jalopnik, Harris wrote the article 'How Ferrari Spins,' accusing the Italian carmaker of doing whatever it took to get positive reviews. He said it was "sad to say it, but the ecstasy of driving a new Ferrari is now almost always eradicated by the pain of dealing with the organization."
This car nut angered Ferrari, and they decided to stop lending him press cars. In order to review the Ferrari 599 GTB, Harris went and bought the car himself. If that's not a true gearhead, we don't know who is.
2 He Had Issues With Lamborghini
Chris Harris was at it again with another article on Jalopnik, ‘Lamborghini's Are The Perfect Cars For People Who Can't Drive’. Harris believed they had lost the plot and their cars existed only to be seen and heard; not driven.
Chris stated that the car looked better than it could actually drive. This did not please Lamborghini at all, and they banned him from driving their cars.
1 His Racing Career
Chris Harris is a talented race car driver with a vast knowledge of cars and good driving skills. He has driven it all, ok not all of it, but certainly more cars than most people could ever dream of. In 2000, he won his first race in a Formula Palmer Audi. Harris has raced in cars like the Porsche 911 Carrera Cup, Renault Sport R.S. 01, Aston Martin Vantage GT12 to mention but a few.
He has taken part in endurance races like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring three times, in 2010, 2015, and 2016. On his YouTube channel, he's posted racing videos sharing some of his experiences.