Hi there, I’m Owen and I’m new here. I’ve joined the team at Jalopnik after several years spent writing about the global drinks industry, where I’ve repeatedly jumped at any excuse to shoehorn in a story about cars and even managed to earn myself an invite to lunch with Claire Williams and Felipe Massa.

It was a fun world to work in, but I wanted a change of lanes.

I’m really excited to be one of the site’s new breaking news reporters, , and can’t wait to be writing about cars full time.

I have been a car fan for what seems like forever, and inhale every nugget of news about anything on four wheels. I’m looking forward to uncovering the curiosities of car culture to share with you, and couldn’t think of a better, more engaged community to write for.

But what makes me tick? Well, I’m new to both Jalopnik and the US, so please excuse me if I say aluminium, use the metric system, or seem confused by the hype around pickup trucks. I’m British and still learning!

Speaking of learning, I might also be the first Jalopnik staffer to not possess a US driver’s license, so I’ll be confined to the desk until I can tick that one off my to-do list. But, if anyone needs a lesson in driving stick down the wrong side of the road, I’m your guy.

When it comes to cars, I’ve always been a race car guy. I remember watching Aston Martin DBR9s roar around Silverstone when I was younger, and still hear the engine rumble through my ears from time to time.

These days, my happy place is on the side of an F1 or Formula E circuit, cheering for Daniel Ricciardo or Sam Bird – so having the chance to see Bird dominate the E Prix in NYC a few days after landing in the US was pretty special.

Off the track, I’d be most content if I had the keys to a bright orange 1970s Volkswagen T2 bus, decked out with camping gear and David Bowie playing on the stereo. That would probably be joined in my dream garage by an electric blue Aston Martin Vantage.

I’m really excited to be joining the Jalopnik community at such an exciting time for the car world. With electrification, sustainable fuels and new transport technologies fighting for our attention, let’s put the kettle on and talk about the future of cars together.