Inside the life of Top Gear host Chris Harris from family to amazing car collection

Chris Harris
-Credit: (Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)


Chris Harris has been working in the automotive industry for many years now, but the star arguably got his big break when he became one of the main presenters on Top Gear.

The 49 year old landed the presenting role in 2017 after making several guest appearances on Top Gear. He went on to team up with Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff to front the show, with the trio proving to be a hit with viewers. The show has since been halted for the foreseeable future due to Freddie's devastating car accident.

Chris has still been busy writing about all things to do with cars on Top Gear's website however, with the TV star penning numerous pieces on the site. His content began being published on the website in 2016 after his web series, Chris Harris on Cars, was moved from YouTube to Top Gear's site.

Chris Harris
Chris boasts a hugely successful career in the automotive industry -Credit:Matt Gilley/PlymouthLive

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Chris launched his YouTube series in 2012. He reviews and give his opinions on all things to do with cars in the videos, which proved to be instantly popular.

His love of cars no doubt began at a young age, as his mother was an autocross racer. Chris grew up in Bristol and was educated at Clifton College in the city. He began his career in the automotive industry working for Autocar, before helping to co-found Drivers Republic.

It comes as no surprise that Chris has an incredibly impressive collection of cars to his name. He previously opened up the doors to his collection to GQ, going through each and every one and what they mean to him. Chris' collection includes a 911 GT3 Touring, two Citroën AX GTs, a Peugeot 205 XSs, a pair of 205 Rallyes, an E28 BMW M5 and Ferrari 512 TR. He's also the proud owner of a Mercedes G-Wagen as well as an E34 BMW.

Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris
Chris starred on Top Gear with Paddy McGuinness and Freddie Flintoff

“Cars are very personal,” he told GQ. “Normally they are based around man maths and being drunk on Ebay. I don’t want to walk around a big room full of my cars – swilling a whisky and congratulating myself is not where I’m at. I have three or four lock-ups full of bird shit and they stop cars from rusting in winter.”

Away from cars, Chris is a dad-of-three. He tends to keep his private life out of the spotlight, and not much is known about his family.