Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson has died aged 68 after a short illness.
Willson co-hosted the BBC motoring show between 1991 and 2001, working alongside the likes of Jeremy Clarkson, before presenting Fifth Gear on Channel 5.
He later worked as an activist, leading the FairFuel group calling for lower fuel taxes, and became an early advocate of electric vehicles (EV).
The Leicester-born father-of-three was described as a “true national treasure” and “a true consumer champion” in a statement from his family, who said he had been diagnosed with lung cancer and died on Saturday.
“Quentin brought the joy of the engine, from combustion to electric, to our living rooms,” they said.
“The void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not just learned but lived; a library of experience now beyond our reach…
“Quentin will be deeply missed by his family, friends and everyone who knew him personally and professionally.”
The family’s statement also highlighted its advocacy of General Motors’ EV1 electric car in the 1990s, saying it showed it was “always ahead of the curve.”
They added: “More recently, he worked tirelessly to make electric vehicles affordable for everyone.”
On Top Gear, Willson was known for his wry acting and scathing critiques.
He also presented The Car’s the Star for the BBC, The Classic Car Show on Channel 5 and worked as a motoring journalist for Classic Cars magazine and the Mirror. He was named motoring writer of the year at the British Press Awards in 2004.
Willson appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where her total of eight points for a routine remains the lowest score awarded by the show’s judges.
But speaking to the Independent three years later, Willson said he was “very proud” to have recorded the score.
“The builders ran up to me to shake my hand because I failed so badly. I tried, but it was the dancing equivalent of a JCB,” he said of his Cha Cha Cha.
Presenter James May, who appeared with Willson on Top Gear in the 1990s, paid tribute to his former colleague, calling him “a great guy”.
He wrote in
AA president Edmund King said he was “devastated” by Willson’s death, calling him a “brilliant television presenter” and an “incredible activist”.
“We will all miss him.”
