Huw Thomas, 1950-2024

07.09.2024

Huw Thomas left a positive, lasting impression on virtually everyone he came into contact with.

He was always keen to engage anyone in conversation. He was knowledgeable and well-read. Had a curiosity about others and what they did. He was passionate about Welsh history and the Welsh language.

And he was a true car enthusiast.

I first encountered Huw at the beginning of my automotive writing career. This was an Alfa Romeo launch in Ackergill in 1999.

Huw had been part of the vehicle launch circuit for more than a couple of decades by then, and well known by journalists and the PR community alike. He was also involved with the then relatively new regional journalist group Welsh Motoring Writers, and would later go on to become its longest-serving chair.

I met him several times on events after that, and after discovering I was from Wales, he often sought me out. We enjoyed each others company, and Huw encouraged me to join Welsh Motoring Writers, although living in England, I was not sure whether I qualified. After six years of him trying to persuade me to join, I eventually applied.

Huw’s work as an automotive journalist was driven by his passion for the industry as well as a gift for telling a story. As well as regular outlets, including writing in Welsh for Y Cymro [The Welshman], Huw was also an automotive industry correspondent for BBC Radio Cymru.

Often, when we drove together on car launches, we would have to stop in an area with strong mobile phone coverage for Huw to take a scheduled call from the BBC studio and give a live analysis, in Welsh, on what the latest news story meant for a vehicle manufacturer’s factory in Wales.

Huw loved driving, especially if the car was engineered for performance and had a manual gearbox. He did not particularly enjoy the market’s evolution towards SUVs, although he did respect the abilities of authentic 4x4s, and was a longstanding motoring correspondent for Y Tir/Welsh Farmer, the newspaper of the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

Huw remained the motoring correspondent for Y Cymro until illness made it impossible to continue early in 2024. He passed away, aged 73, in the early hours of Tuesday 3 September.

All at Welsh Motoring Writers send our condolences to Huw’s partner Peter Blythin and his loved ones.

Simon Harris
Chair, Welsh Motoring Writers