4Car has closed
You’re seeing this message because the 4Car website has closed.
Launched ten years ago as an online companion for the TV show Driven, 4Car grew into one of the foremost sources of independent car reviews, news and features in the UK.
Unfortunately the current economic climate has made it difficult to keep the site running, especially without the justification of an accompanying TV show. In light of the large running costs and downbeat commercial market continuing into 2010, we have reluctantly decided to close the site.
We’d like to thank everyone who contributed to 4Car over the years, from the fantastic array of journalistic talent, to the team of dedicated technical personnel at C4, and of course the millions of loyal users who visited the site every month.
Happy motoring,
Dan Gilbert
(Former) Editor, 4Car
Comments
December 30, 2009
Bugger:(
December 30, 2009
A sad day indeed. As an expat Brit living in the USA, 4Car was my source for real news about real cars. You will be sadly missed!
December 30, 2009
Many thanks to you for all the good reports and good luck in any new venture you take on from now on!. LNC form Spain
December 30, 2009
Shame, this was easily the best motoring site on the web, straightforward and not gimmicky.
December 30, 2009
Very sad day…..this was the first place I came to for car news and reviews. Thanks guys for some great reading material and boo hiss to channel 4 for robbing my of quality lunch time reading.
Ian
December 30, 2009
Sorry to see the end of the site – a bookmarked favourite every lunchtime. Good luck to everyone involved for the future.
December 30, 2009
oww..I had always came to Channel4car for the latest news on cars.
will missed the site and contributors.
hope you’ll all still be in good spirits and all the best.
December 30, 2009
Oh no. It’s an outrage! Well there goes another fantastic source of car info.
Please come back!!
Sigh…
December 30, 2009
Just came in to here for the first time in the 10 years its been here only to find out its literally closed down lol.
December 30, 2009
bad channel 4
December 30, 2009
Erm, i think the term gutted comes to mind.
I would always check the site for the most up to date news and reviews. Not sure were else to go now becuase you guys seemed to be the most up to date. Good luck to everyone who worked on the site and thanks for the information that you’ve provided me with over the years.
Yours
Nick
December 30, 2009
I am not from UK, therefore I am not C4 viewer, but this car section was terrific, providing quite relevant info in what seemed to be the most sincere and relevant way, making it one of the best car pages all over the internet. This is such a pity that you guys have decided to quit.
Crisis is a poor excuse. You are not the only ones being hit. Don’t be wimps.
December 30, 2009
sorry to hear
December 30, 2009
DAMMMIT!
December 30, 2009
What a shame. I visited it almost everyday. You could say that everything you needed to know about cars was here. Hopefully one day the site will come back.
December 30, 2009
NOOOOOOOOO – Bring it back!!!!
December 30, 2009
This is truly a sad day indeed. I loved this website, the reviews were always very in-depth and impartial. Hope to see you back again some day!
December 30, 2009
poor show channel 4
December 30, 2009
Sir,
This momment feels like saying goodbye to a good friend. Ironicaly this crisis affects us all in differnet ways. Frankly speaking I don’t worry for the future of all those behind 4car as I am sure you will soon if not already find your selves in new position displaying the same profesionlism, enthousiasm as you all did with 4car. I first visited your site by chance and since that day I was clicking your site on a daily basis…and yes I did click to it yesterday and I even today even though I knew that there will be no new articles or road tests or anything. I just had to! So….even this may be the last time I am clicking your site I have already reject the idea of deleting “4car” from my favorite bar of my PC. It will stay there reminding me the good times when the page was up and running and the enthousiasm I had every time I was clikcing to it to see what was new! Sir, with this email please accept my warmest wishes for the future for everyone behind 4car. We may perhpas never meet again put our passion for cars will always keep us in touch!
Your loyal visitor,
Michael D. Mangos
Athens, Greece
December 30, 2009
Literally this was the only reliable source of gimmick free information on majority cars produced around the globe if not all will be sadly missed….such a pitty..bye and looking forward to a comeback…maybe??
December 30, 2009
sorry to see you go, enjoyed your site and reviews over the past few years…
December 30, 2009
But I was using it yesterday to choose my new car….I cannot believe this. Can you please think about creating a modified version, you were the best source of useful information on car purchase. This is a sad day.
December 30, 2009
What a pity! This was my main source for motoring news and one of the best sites out there!
I appreciate you can’t add more content to it but could you not at least simply host the content so it it accessible to all. There is such a wealth of information on it!
December 30, 2009
I am, too, not a C4 viewer as I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, but was a regular reader of 4car. It was the only website that provided an impressively comprehensive, up-to-the-minute, entertaining and thorough coverage of cars, the world over. 4car will be sorely missed for its creativity and excellent storytelling (something truly lacking in other so-called ‘car review’ sites, which are increasingly difficult to discern from advertorials. Best wishes again to the team at 4car and to Channel 4, as well, for a prosperous 2010.
December 30, 2009
I cannot understand why such a popular site has to close down. You must have had readers from all over Europe. There is no excuse…
December 30, 2009
The best, easiest to navigate and most comprehensive car news and review website out there. What Channel 4 should be doing is making a TV show to support the website where real world cars are actually driven and reviewed rather than demolished by blowing up buildings…
Thanks to the 4 Car team for providing up to date reviews for the last 10 years.
December 30, 2009
Sorry to see you go.Thanks for a great website.
December 30, 2009
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaling u wanna cup of tea daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaling
December 30, 2009
Shame
December 30, 2009
Also as an expat living in the usa (who plans to return soon), it is a shame that no sposors can be found. There was a link however saying that the site would close on December 31st. It’s December 30th. Shame as I wanted to print some info.
December 30, 2009
This is a sad situation. I am Greek but this was easily one of the top automotive sites globally with great database and excellent information. I can’t believe that this site is closed.
December 30, 2009
No problem dude i did’t even know this web site ay way.
December 30, 2009
Gahhhh – just clicked on this website via a google search for info on second hand hatchbacks. Channel 4 – can we view the archived articles….please?
December 30, 2009
I am from Spain but I followed this site for several years. I was sad when I first read that it was closing and it is really sad to read this final message.
The information was accurate and focused on those who by heart love looking at cars and driving them.
Hope to see this kind of content online again, if not here anywhere else.
Thanks
Juan
December 30, 2009
Would it not be possible for an archived version of the site to be kept online?
December 30, 2009
Channel 4, the swines. Sorry it’s gone, the best motoring website for car reveiws by far
December 30, 2009
sad day! thank you and i hope you will be back in better times
December 30, 2009
Really sorry to hear, you did a brilliant job for many years and were truly the best and most comprehensive site around. You offered a tremendous resource for all and will be sorely missed .
Best of luck to you all !!
December 30, 2009
Thats a bit of a shame as this was always my first port of call for online automotive stuff (probably because it has been going for so long and you are guaranteed not to come across J****** C*******) The data that sat on the site should still be made available even if the site has gone….
December 30, 2009
I will miss your incisive commentary, thoughtful prose and considered opinions.
And all the nice pictures of tasty motors
December 30, 2009
Sad to see you go, discovered your site in 2000 and have followed you on a weekly basis.
Good luck & god speed
December 30, 2009
4Car was the best source of info out there. You will be missed.
December 30, 2009
Gutted!!
December 30, 2009
Blimey, this really is bad news. Why take good quality reporting off the web while so much crap is still on it?
December 30, 2009
soy de la ciudad de la plata argentina, Im 14 years old soy un fanatico del dodge charger y me encantaria saber donde puedo viajar para comprar uno.
December 30, 2009
[...] full of reviews and news reports but without a TV programme at its core its days were numbered. The Platform4 blog – 4Car has closed __________________ Cheers Graeme E220 COUPE auto 96 Last of the Ol [...]
December 30, 2009
What a lame excuse to close down a website, why go watch the TV shows now? Time to move on. Why are TV people so narrow thinking? … the web is the future like it or not, if Channel 4 does not change it will die, along with all the other ‘television only’ do-do birds! Open your eyes, ever notice what happened to the music industry?
December 30, 2009
Disappointed to say the least. There are far too few impartial motoring websites and now there’s one less.
December 30, 2009
Bad times!
One of the great motoring sites that was worth visiting.
Hopefully it will return one day!
Good luck to those involved in the site.
December 30, 2009
This is sad. 4cars was one of the few sites that gave in-depth car reviews, something sadly missing in many other publications. What a pity you’re not able to at least maintain the old site as-is – would still be a great resource for second-hand car buyers!
December 30, 2009
Very sad. One of my favourite websites.
December 30, 2009
Hmmm… after reading all the comments I believe Ive missed out on something that was a rare commodity as I too am a car buff. Sorry to read it’s over and sad I missed it
December 31, 2009
This in a good game when were sad.
December 31, 2009
thank god whatvan is still up…….
December 31, 2009
I’ve found 4car to be one of the best car websites around. It’s a shame the site is closing. Thanks for the high quality of the work the team have put in over the last 9 years that I’ve been visiting the 4car website. Best wishes to all who were involved.
December 31, 2009
I loved this site, I was here everyday…. it does feel like I’ve lost something dear to me
December 31, 2009
Very sad, I went daily on this site and the tv show was great when it still exist. The crises already killed 5th gear and then this site …
December 31, 2009
This is a very sad news. To visit this site was my first thing I did when I came to work for many years. Also this was the most reliable source of information about the cars, even thought I am from Prague not from UK. I wish all the staff all the best and thank you for excellent work done here for those years. I think there are many people who will miss you as I will.
December 31, 2009
What an unpleasant surprise! You should find a way to keep it running. You had the best web site for car tests by far.
December 31, 2009
Shame, best impartial motoring site around. What were your bosses thinking? I blame Clarkson.
December 31, 2009
Bad move Channel 4 – 4car was probably the best and most useful corner of your site and no I have no reason to come back, so much for all that cross advertising eh.
Thanks to all the 4car team for 10 years of first rate motoring journalism, you’ll be missed. (as will all the decade’s worth of excellent content you created which is now gone. Stupid decision Channel 4, really stupid.)
December 31, 2009
Sad to see it go…the best website… to the point, useful reviews with other news features. I hope channel 4 brings back 4car. BRING BACK 4CAR and its journalists, great work by all. wish u all well for the year and a Happy New Year
December 31, 2009
Oh no. Good luck 4Car team, you guys did a great job and you were refreshingly and innovatively different to the other motoring sites.
Here’s hoping the next venture will be equally exciting.
Bravo!
December 31, 2009
I was a regular visitor to the website and am sad to see you go. Hopefully, if the economy picks up, you could get back to what you do best.
December 31, 2009
I’ve had so many eyes on this site. This is most incarnated.
December 31, 2009
Just to second all of the above,shame.
December 31, 2009
This is a sad day, I’ve visited the site since driven used to be on the TV and its always put across good and honest information without any bias.
All the other sites on C4 seem to have been redone and 4Car was left with an old looking site, surely some time could have been spent on getting a nice new site up and running.
I hope someone makes a spin off site.
December 31, 2009
This is very sad news. For me, but more so for the fine people who have given the site all their efforts and love.
Allthough I am from the Netherlands I have always visited this site often and with great pleasure.
Thank you so much for all the good work. It will be very hard to find a site that can replace yours…
All the best, Jaap
December 31, 2009
As a former car journalist who worked in the area for 4 years in the past, i’m telling u, i deeply regret the decision. Tho u cant just pretend that there was no crisis or whatsoever. So I actually understand u.
Please accept my sincere good wishes for everyone who worked in the 4car’s making. If u wont come back, at least please put and image of ur site’s last state so that we could enjoy a little more of the 4car. My coolest companion at work, 4car that is, is no more. Sad…
Umut from Istanbul/Turkey
December 31, 2009
Under the current economic circumstances understandable, but very sad news.
I considered your critical reviews and tests as a very valuable source of independent information.
Many thanks for these loads of useful comments and good luck to the whole team!
BR from Belgium,
Erik
December 31, 2009
This was the best car site out there – bar none. Come on channel 4, this site was so good it suppressed the competition – you cant just abandon it now.
At a minimum it cant cost that much to keep the existing content on-line.
December 31, 2009
Such a shame, couldn’t you sell some advertising space and/or publish classifieds to pay for it? I’d offer to help out if that’d get the site up and running again.
December 31, 2009
Sad day, best motoring website. Not gimmicky, good fact based reviews that called a dog a dog and gave praise where praise was due.
Have to delete from my favs now, bummer
December 31, 2009
Like many of the other contributors of comments, I have been a very frequent visitor to the 4Car site for much of the last 10 years. Your consistent standard of motoring journalism on the web has set a standard which others seem to struggle to follow. Your demise will be long mourned. Haste ye back!
January 1, 2010
What a sad day for all REAL motoring fans. Many thanks for all the great articles and reviews you provided over the last 10 years. Honestly, you will be sorely missed. Like others have previoiusly mentioned, I too will keep your link in my favourites, just for old-times sake.
I hope, one day, you will come back to us.
January 1, 2010
It’s always a shame when anything folds. But there are alternatives. carsuk.net seems on the ball for Car News, but not so hot on car reviews. But for car reviews there’s always Top Gear or Car Magazine.
January 1, 2010
and here I am hoping to see if you have finally managed to drive the Merc GLK… If another opinion matters, this time from Serbia, it was truly the best online resource on new cars globally. From time to time I used to look for other sites of similar quality but every time 4car proved to be unique, and I congratulate the team on the job done so far.
January 1, 2010
I’m from Singapore, and I find your reviews excellent. Really sad to see it go. =(
January 1, 2010
Please keep the old website running..the most truthful,informative and unbiased in the motoring world. You did a great job guys and it is really sad to see you going.
January 1, 2010
Farewell then 4Car, I was there from day one. People still ask me about Spencer Haze and you can still read his adventures here http://www.jamesruppert.co.uk/Spencer%20Haze.html
January 1, 2010
As an expat living in Poland 4car will be very much missed. I hope that if enough of us protest at the closure of 4car, Chanel 4 WILL BRING IT BACK!……PLEASE
January 1, 2010
ah… (((( its so pity…
January 1, 2010
Hello
Don’t know whether anyone is still here, but just wanted to say thank you for all your kind comments – makes us feel appreciated, if nothing else. Myself and road test editor John Mahoney tried our best to keep the site vibrant and informative (and entertaining) when it was alive and well. Hopefully, we will appear on another car site that will be even better.
If you are feeling particularly nostalgic you can still see a few 4Car videos on the 4Car YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/4car.
All the best for 2010
Regards
Tim Bowdler (Editor of 4Car from February 2008 to December 30 2009)
January 1, 2010
No way, how can they close such a useful resource?! A terrible start to 2010.
January 1, 2010
That’s a horrible surprise I’ve used this site for years. I did wonder why it was still going when there weren’t any car shows on channel 4 but it was a great website. Loads of good quality reviews that actually had real opinions on them, no hearsay, rumours or written like advertorials aka adverts disguised as articles. Ahem MSN Ahem Tiscali Ahem Road Test Reports Ahem.
RIP 4car! 
January 1, 2010
Hey but this was on of the best resources on the internet in the UK for trusted reviews on cars.
Maybe I can offer to pay for the hosting of the site as it was!!!
January 1, 2010
Shame Was a good site
January 1, 2010
4Car was a terrific website. Calling MSN, Yahoo!, Google, the Sunday Times and anybody else whose revenue comes from online content – buy this site and hire the team now! 4Car was better by far than all of your efforts, and as you can read from these comments had lots of loyal readers who will miss it. And hey, Channel4, you’re great at syndicating your content – think you’ve missed a trick here!
January 2, 2010
shame … recently bought new citroen c3 picasso after reading review on this site
January 2, 2010
omg thats a nice car
January 2, 2010
Shame, great site, go and give the topgear.com guys a ring and sort their site out
January 2, 2010
No! why there was always great information on here and the reviews felt a little more special
I am really unhappy, i wish you the best of luck.
January 2, 2010
I can’t really add more that hasn’t been said above. Sad day for a quality site ran by a fabulous team as for you c4 your top brass are narrow minded and out of date, u should have backed the site up with a tv show, you’ve now lost so much good tallent!
Good luck to u guys n gals who worked so hard
January 2, 2010
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
January 2, 2010
A great shame, one of the best car review sites has gone.
Why do you have to delete all the old links though, surely it couldn’t cost that much to maintain it. All that hard work gone to waste!
January 2, 2010
What a great shame. I have visited the site for many years and it’s always been an excellent site with many interesting reports and articles. Sad to see it go.
January 2, 2010
Any chance all the content can be printed somewhere Dan or posted elsewhere – seems a shame to lose all that effort, especially the features …
January 2, 2010
Very sad!!!
as journalist, I was watching always this website.
very very sad. I
January 2, 2010
A real pity – this was one of the best car websites in the UK and a personal favourite of mine
C4 – if you made a car TV program as good as the 4car website, you’d be onto a winner
January 2, 2010
Bum!!! Like many, many others I valued 4Car as a straightforward, honest source of all things car. RIP
And good luck with pastures new, guys!
January 2, 2010
A real shame this site has been canned, like a great many others this was the first site i read every lunch time,
Good luck to all the team members who were involved in 4car I wish you all the best for the future in these bleak times.
For all those who would like to read reviews posted by 4car try googling 4car and click on the cached link, rather than the main links you will get a snap shop sans pictures.
Shame the UK TV license fees can not be siphoned off for these types of sites as they are a true Public Service in my view. A big boo hiss to the mangers who took this decision, it can’t always be about the dollar!!
Given that i never click on banner ads on any webiste i visit, am i contributing to other sites being closed because ad revenues are down??? should i now waste my own time and click on ads as a just in case??? is nothing going to be sacred and escape advertising and the relience on it???
how did the world survive before big advertising became the norm.
January 2, 2010
What a pisser!
January 2, 2010
i wont worry too much. you shan’t be too missed. there has always been plenty of better sources out there
January 2, 2010
Will be sorely missed – always one of my daily reads. Why can’t the vast amount of information be made available to read? Other web sites concentrate on new cars, but as I don’t buy new it was a useful source of information on older models.
January 3, 2010
A great great shame. I have used the site often. Thanks to all who made it happen, and worked on it, I echo others comments a truely great site
To the bean counters who knifed the site in the back please look at the other things channel 4 achieve (not much) and do the decent think and either bring it back or find a corner and go disembowl yourselves.
January 3, 2010
This site was fantastic. The content was well presented, the reviews were short but very much to the point. The interface was easy to navigate and I’ve used it for years. I would have gladly paid a small fee like 10 pounds per year to use it…. Nobody clicks on the ads this days…..
January 3, 2010
That is awful news, real shame, was such a good site for impartial, well written, motor journalism. Never say never though, here’s hoping a resurgence of a tv series, followed by the reintroduction of a great, informative, site. Good luck to all those involved.
January 3, 2010
NOOOOOOOO!
I NEED INFO
January 3, 2010
Silly people on Channel 4. This motoring website was the best and the first I would visit for updates. I would gladly have paid an annual subscription if I had been asked, and judging by the comments here, others would too. So Channel 4 … How about it? Bring it back. Now. Stupid. Stupid.
January 3, 2010
I am not deleting my 4car bookmark yet, so you guys have to come back. Thanks
January 3, 2010
Closing this site is definitely a mistake. With so many loyal visitors from all over the world surely there is a way to make the site financialy viable. I am hoping that you will reconsider.
January 3, 2010
Shocked! I look at this site a few times a week – a real shame and a total surprise.
January 3, 2010
Just had to see how many more comments have been posted since i wrote a couple of days ago.
It seems all the posts are of the same opinion…..and that is that 4car was the best motoring website by far.
As an avid car nut, I have many car sites in my history, but none even come close to the 4car website.
January 3, 2010
4car gone now .. explains why the rss feed disappeared
Was good going to outlast the tv series it was originally linked to .. Driven .. for so long as series was canceled back in 2002!
just have to use other sources of info now
January 3, 2010
Very disappointed, a great site. Come on C4, surely there is a gap for even a show now that C5 had given up on fifth gear? With half decent production which C4 does have over C5 in spades, this would be a sensible avenue to choose.
I also find the poor market conditions excuse a bit flimsy, sales on the rise, a host of new models etc etc.
The half decent thing would be to host the archive, surely that isn’t too much to ask?
January 3, 2010
Hmm – that’s disappointing. A collection of authoritative reviews gone, and some good off-beat content too. Probably didn’t fit too well with Channel 4’s world view these days, truth be told…
Good luck to all those that were involved. Meantimes, there’s always the Way Back When Machine – http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
January 3, 2010
The video reviews were really entertaining and I have just watched a lot of them again on YouTube. In this modern day there is no need for an accompanying TV show. At the moment Fifth Gear is running with internet only videos which I think are actually on a par or possibly better than the TV show. I think Channel 4 should seize the opportunity and have an internet only car program with weekly videos.
January 3, 2010
Comment #1 has it.
January 3, 2010
Hope it isn’t for good guys. Thank you for everything you did in the past.
January 3, 2010
Absolute madness. Easily the best motoring site on the web.
Always my first point of call for news or reviews, 4car will be sorely missed.
Good luck to all whose hard work made the site head and shoulders above the rest.
January 3, 2010
I’m sad to see 4Car go. I used to read it every day as it was a good source of motoring information, being both knowledgeable and well-written.
January 4, 2010
Oh! NO .. how could you ???? you just need to read the above comments to realise what a important service C4 has provided.
At least publish what you have so far as it was a fantastic database with a wealth of useful information.
Surely be missed ….. where will I go now ???
January 4, 2010
pah .. maybe it’s time c4/e4/more4 got a new motoring program to rival top gear, suppose it’s cheaper to run away and use the down turn as the reason to run.. this site was excellent sad to see it go.. good luck and wake up there is a gap that needs filling.
January 4, 2010
This is a sad reminder that information isn’t free even though we have become accustomed to it.
I really enjoyed your reviews and was completely unaware that there was a TV show.
To me the website simply justified itself.
Thank you,
Sam
Israel
January 4, 2010
Dear Sirs,
It is really very hard for me to read this about your very trusted and valuble site.
I have a similar website in Arabic, and I used to borrow multiple notes and informations from your site.
I still beleive that you can re-run your site with minimum cost, and lower number of staff.
Although the finicial crisis is still active, but it strated declining, and I’m sure that you’ll recover and start over.
Lots of your lovers and fand are waiting for your return.
Best regards
Yasser Mohandes
Editor in Chief
CarSyr Electronic Auto Magazine
January 4, 2010
Well, just ask your loyal readers to pay $1 a month. You’d get millions a month. What’s $1 to everyone? would’ve dropped them either..
January 4, 2010
First day back at work, one hour in, and ready for a quick diversion into something interesting to keep me going. Thanks for the content over the years.
Understand the logic behind the decision, but a shame all the same, will need to find another source of information on all things motoring, anyone out there have any suggestions?
January 4, 2010
this is sad.. the site’s reviews were very helpful if it were’nt for you guys i wouldnt have gone on to buy my landcruiser colorado which the site rated highly and has gone to be the best car ive ever owned…any way thanks a million for the reviews !
January 4, 2010
Hi
I know that carpages.co.uk – might be recruiting – could be worth a look for former staff and freelancers.
Good Luck for 2010
Mark
January 4, 2010
Running a website needn’t cost an arm and a leg. Surely the solution is to cut back on staffing and try to attract some advertising. Anyway, how come rival channel C5 can still maintain its motoring website now that Fifth Gear has been axed ?
January 4, 2010
No!! This was the best car wibsite on the web. Please bring it back!! Dan – thanks for all that this site was.
January 4, 2010
What a terrible shame. This was by far the best car related website around, without a shadow of a doubt. If I was at the purse strings at C4 I would gladly scrap some of the horrible TV shows to allow this brilliant motoring site to continue, even if it had to be in a slightly more modest format. I watch C4 on a regular basis and I was on C4 cars at least 3 or 4 times a week.
January 4, 2010
Thanks for all these years of great journalism. You will be sorely missed.
David Chan
January 4, 2010
I’d like to second Tim Bowdler (former editor, 4car) in thanking everyone for their kind messages of support and praise for the site. I was deputy editor and then news & features editor of 4car for ten years, working on its original launch and in its earliest incarnations, and remained fully committed to it right until my redundancy in the first cuts of Easter 2009.
The 4car team always believed in bringing its readers impartial, balanced and informative road tests, in reporting news quickly and without any agenda, and – hopefully – entertaining everyone as well. I’m really proud of what we achieved, often under difficult conditions and with very limited budget, support and resources, and believe that we were innovative and hugely influential in the online motoring magazine world.
I’m glad that so many of you have taken the time and made the effort to comment on how much you liked the site – if nothing else, it’s some consolation to know that it will be missed.
Cheers!
Farah Alkhalisi
Former Deputy/News & Features Editor, 4car.
January 4, 2010
Pity! Twas good.
January 4, 2010
John, I’ll miss our coffees at the French place. Sob.
January 4, 2010
Its a very sad day, I’ve found the 4car website to be the best in the business, I will really, really miss it. I guess its not as bad as not having a job, I hope that everyone involved finds work quickly.
I would also like to thank the whole former team at 4car for providing my favourite website of the last ten years.
Peace and Love
Rich
PS If anyone does start a whip round, I would gladly contribute.
January 4, 2010
Think they did the right thing. It’s been way past its best for some time; a shadow of itself in the past two years or so. Everything comes to end sometime.
January 4, 2010
I have just recently visited your site a few times. And frankly I found the information quite complete and satisfying. It is a great pity that you’ve had to close down.I;m still quite certain and optimistic that you will be able to drum up some sponsors and continue your good work. Tell your Marketing Team to WAKE Up, NOT GIVE up.
CHEERS.
JOE IN BANGKOK. THAILAND
January 4, 2010
Are we still able to access the archives?
January 4, 2010
As a former managing editor at 4Car, I’d like to support the comments of former colleagues Tim and Farah.
4Car was a great place to work and a great site to work for. It had integrity, its own perspective and was perepared to inform and entertain. The volume of comments here is a testament to how much it was valued by carbuyers and car fans, not only in the UK, but elsewhere around the world.
Sadly, Channel 4 always took it for granted. It was happy to take the advertising revenues from car ads on the site (of which there were always plenty) for many years, but unwilling to invest any money in updating the navigation and design of the site.
As a result, it lost ground to other car sites over the last three years and, when the recession came, wasn’t in a position to compete for a big-enough slice of the reduced advertising pie.
Even sadder, perhaps, is that 10 years-worth of content has now totally disappeared from the web – reviews, features and guides that are still relevant to anyone interested in cars or car-buying.
A real shame.
Craig Thomas
4Car managing editor 2005-2008
January 4, 2010
Damn, Now where will I get up to date news here in China? Thought it bad when the weekly update stopped but to find the whole site closed is a disaster for all
sad sad day!
January 4, 2010
Like many others here, I just assumed this site would be around forever. What a shock to find that all of those interesting, informative and impartial reviews have been removed. 10 years of effort, gone, just like that! It truly is a sad loss.
To all who contributed to the site, thank you for the reading pleasure that you gave me over the years. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
January 4, 2010
OMG!
You guys were fantastic. I really enjoyed reading your reviews as I found them well-written, informative and objective. Going to miss this place.
January 4, 2010
Very sorry indeed to see you go. Have been away over Christmas so the news was an unwelcome New Year message.
January 4, 2010
Gutted. Spent many a hour reading reviews and the like on here. Seems such a waste, all that work and all that information just gone………………
I always felt that 4 car was one of the least biast sites, with some of the best written reviews out there.
January 4, 2010
i`ll miss your features. its really pity to shut the 4cars down. wish good luck all of you
January 4, 2010
Well this is sad, as I’ve visited this website weekly for many years.
If C4 is looking to save money, why do they waste their money on rubbish TV programmes such Celeb Big Brother???
What a stupid decission!
January 4, 2010
Damn sad! I was also shocked to see this message on the site. One of my favorite motoring websites with its brilliant reviews, long term reviews, and other interesting articles to read.
Hope you will be with us again soon… Thanks to everyone involved!
January 4, 2010
4Car was by far the best place to go for an honest, detailed review … an important site as large financial decisions were based on your material. Surely there is room for a TV program, and making it financially viable ? Car sales are currently quite robust.
January 4, 2010
Shame. I always used your site to choose my next car – impartial and reliable advice by car enthusiasts from the real world. Good luck to all.
January 4, 2010
What ?? I cant believe it, Bring it Back !!
January 4, 2010
HEY GUYS THERES ALWAYS BBC’S TOPGEAR http://www.topgear.com/
January 4, 2010
My God! What am I going to do now?!? How am I going to buy my next car?!?
You were the best! I enjoyed reading your reviews as I found them best written! Going to miss you. Wish you all the best!!!
January 5, 2010
dont blame the economic climate for the demise of 4 car (lame excuse) – the truth is c4 couldnt compete with topgear
January 5, 2010
This is a shock and a huge disappointment. 4car was always my first port of call for motoring news.
January 5, 2010
Do let us know when u start up again. Shame to see you go…
January 5, 2010
Nice Nice
January 5, 2010
Sad news.
January 5, 2010
Cannot believe the site is gone. I always used it to check on new cars and when I was changing my own and my wife’s cars. Impartial, very well documented and fair and accurate reviews which were spot on. Come on Channel 4 and reinstate this site or give it to someone else to operate. Could the team that ran it buy it and run it themselves? I too would pay a subscription to be able to see my favourite car site being reinstated.
I know times are hard and car sales are down but new models are coming out all the time and electric cars will be the next major change in the car market and need to be reviewed. Leave the link in place for the moment and surely there is a creative way to keep it going or let the old team buy it and run it themselves. It has to be saved!!
January 5, 2010
Good Luck in the future
January 5, 2010
just deleted the bookmark… bummer, you were one of the best in Europe at least.
January 5, 2010
Good luck to Craig and everyone else who’s worked on the site for tha last 10 years.
Like Joni Mitchell said, don’t it always seem to go you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. I clicked on the link not thinking for a second the site wouldn’t be there.
Another old friend that won’t be with us any more.
Jeremy, it’s big of you to send your best wishes to a rival.
Robin; you can get a lot of the archives by using an archive browser such as
Wayback, which lets you browse old copies of the site. You may not get all the pictures but you should get most of the text at least.
Here’s what I got when I typed in the 4car address;
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.channel4.com/4car/
I only got 4car links as recent as August 2008 but it’s better than nothing IMO.
Just type the
January 5, 2010
Continued from the above
Just cut and paste the link
http://www.channel4.com/4car/
into the text box below the “Wayback Machine” logo and then click on the “Take Me Back!” button, and the results will be displayed.
January 5, 2010
… with or without tv show, this was the best car website bar none. Good luck to all the employees for the future.
Dan
January 5, 2010
Dear Mr Gilbert,
Like all the above I am shocked and, yes, saddened. There are many worse things going on in this world for sure, but the relentlessness of this recession it does hit hit home when a site like yours goes down.
Your team put together a great resource, with objective content that did not rely on silly adventures around the globe or denials that new technology didn’t work etc, etc. I’ve always loved cars, like everyone else, but 4Car put the current industry and it’s products in perspective. It was a consistently great resource for ‘petrolheads’ around the world, congratulations on a job well done and I hope you all find new roles quickly.
January 5, 2010
I used to visit this site numerous times daily and think that it is disgusting that you would take away such an invaluable resource away from your many fans and the public as a whole.
C4 you should truly be ashamed of yourselves!
January 5, 2010
The sad thing is not so much that the web-site closed, but that it remained excellent when it’s associated TV program was axed years ago.
There’s endless drivel on C4 like Big Brother that gets shown year after year but actually interesting factual programming gets the chop because it can’t pull in the ratings of populist rubbish.
Luckily there’s Top Gear to show C4 what can be done with imagination and humour.
Hopefully something will replace 4Car.
January 6, 2010
I’m really sad that the site has gone – though I always felt the adverts ruined it. I knew revenue etc is needed but does anyone remember the original site before it was changed? The adverts were still there, but nicely done, and the articles weren’t split up with an ad, so you could actually read them.
I used to look at 4car everyday, not just for the new cars, but the show reports, the lack of gimmicks and just the sheer love of things with four wheels. I’m fed up with the ‘oh, look at us’ gimmicks and childlike nature of Top Gear – which also prevails in its website. Sadly though, that’s where we’ll have to go to get our news. Well, if anyone can be bothered to trawl all the rubbish to get to the decent stuff. Shame on Channel 4, 4car was brilliant and sadly missed.
January 6, 2010
At Last It has gone this site will bet rid of some of the egos that were involved in reviewing the cars. There is a god.
January 6, 2010
Any chance that Channel $ will bring it back?
I really hope so it was a great site and one i visited regularly.
Good luck to all who produced it. What about launching it independently by another name. I am sure you would get a huge support
January 6, 2010
Pity that all we held good about the UK has collapsed, including this site!
Will the last Anglo Saxon leaving the UK please turn off the free ‘low emission no light’ lights, leave the house doors open with keys in the car so who are left can just use and abuse when required!!
January 6, 2010
This is a real shame. 4car was bosb and I loved it more than life itself
January 6, 2010
The irony is that Clarkeson is still making a good living writing drivle for the Times on cars he knows next to nothing about.
January 6, 2010
Really sad to see this site gone. Bad day for car lovers who will miss a true place to read the car reviews…
January 6, 2010
A great shame indeed. I remember watching Driven when I was younger, at a time when Top Gear was an actual car programme. Now the current Top Gear is the only car programme on telly, and when that’s not on, there’s nothing!! Driven should’ve been brought back – Penny Mallory, Jason Barlow and Mike Brewer were a winning team. And they’re not up to that much on telly at the moment… Penny’s doing Used Car Roadshow but you could get Jason Dawe to join a new ‘Driven’ too. I for one would watch it, as, I’m sure, would a lot of people who are fed up with the increasingly soft Top Gear. I’ll miss 4car too…
January 6, 2010
and Deals on Wheels!!! Good old days…
January 6, 2010
I say we bring back 4car.
January 6, 2010
There is another good website though.
Its called cars.com if you click on reserch there’s lots of cars to study.
Type cars.com in the google box.
You can buy cars sell cars reserch and others yule get the hang of it.
Follow the rules carefully you don’t want to end up on a different website.
Good luck!
January 6, 2010
But i do still miss 4car.
January 6, 2010
Really sad to read this. This was definitely a very very good site. Wish you all the best…
January 7, 2010
A great loss. This was was an excellent site with loads of credibility. Seemed to hit the spot every time. Surely the content can be hosted elsewhere for people to access?
January 7, 2010
The only useful thing Channel 4 has ever done. Sorry, but if you’ve got the money to keep commissioning crud like Hollyoaks, you’ve got enough money to keep your one informative, interesting web site running…
January 7, 2010
I suppose Channel 4 can now free up bandwidth for yet more “well off couples buying overpriced houses” programme websites or big brother webfeeds.
Shame. 4car was one of the few sites about car news, not trying to sell an entertainment programme nor trying to sell a magazine subscripton. News, reviews, spy shots and used to love the top tens.
RIP, you all did a great job, and you will be missed.
January 7, 2010
I am really sad to see the final day of this site. Bad day for car lovers who missing a source of information for car reviews.
January 7, 2010
Really sad to see you guys go, you were the best motoring site in the UK by a long way.
Paddy Comyn
January 7, 2010
No way! This is a real shame, this was a brilliant website; I’ll be getting my first car in a few months, and now I won’t have 4Car to advise me… Thanks for a great website. It’ll be missed…
January 7, 2010
Gutted–what can I say
Spent many interesting hours on this great site
Good Luck Team
January 7, 2010
I think Top Gear has taken over car programmes now and has a winning forumlar of entertainment and cars. This is proven by the tv ratings. I remember the bad old days of top gear when it was dull and boring just like deals on wheels and driven. They were too serious and too geeky. People don`t care how many milli seconds it takes a car to get to sixty or what top speed is they care about real world car issues witch top gear cover. e.g is the car good looking will it survive a lightning storm. I will miss this site but I think It has had it`s day. we have all moved on from the car obsessions we used to have.
January 7, 2010
I’d have happily paid a monthly subscription to 4Car whereas I wouldn’t for any of the print car mags.
I’m surprised they didn’t at least test a subscriber only version – they have the assets anyway???
January 7, 2010
You will be sadly missed. 4Car was my only source of independent motoring news – I found the reviews particularly helpful. I would happily have paid a subscriptions.
January 7, 2010
I’m sorry for this news. It’s so sad…
I always came here to read 4car’s tests: it was one of the most balanced voice i ever read in the world of car’s magazine.
I hope all the best for the people who worked here. Thanks a lot for all the beautiful time you gave to us.
Ciao 4car.
January 7, 2010
This is very bad news. The reviews always seemed the most unbiased and honest.
This was an excellent site and will be sadly missed by me.
January 7, 2010
No use to say that it was my only source of real automotive information when curious about or buying cars. As much fun Top Gear is, it is no way near reviewing real cars with real consideration. The magazines are even worse, full with incompetent and irrelevant comparisons and reviews.
What I do not understand is what does it mean that the costs are too great? Do you mean the hosting or do you mean paying the journalists who do the reviews. And if it is not the hosting wouldn’t it be possible to leave the site online without updating it, it could even bring revenue with adds or whatever. I would love to go back to the previous years work, it was amazing.
Cheers
January 8, 2010
Great shame, a really good,informative and impartial site with features and reviews to equal or better the glossy paper car mags. Channel 4 unfortunately have a habit of doing this to popular but fringe products, look what they did to Driven itself then the likes of their excellent ski coverage. Thanks to all involved.
January 8, 2010
What a sad day. I loved to read 4cars as it had a unique british view on cars, competence met humor, and i smiled as much, as I nodded, when I read your articles and videos. As most of the guys before said: Thanks for the years! Best for whatever the future will bring.
Greetings from Germany,
Jörn
January 8, 2010
Gutted! 4car was the best motoring website in my opinion. Very informative reviews and easy to navigate.
January 9, 2010
can we have an online vote to bring it back,or a small sub a year.
January 9, 2010
Sorry to see you go – this recession is going to bite deeper than anyone realises.
January 9, 2010
very sad, I am ready to pay to get it back. Its a loss for humanity, so many good infos.
January 10, 2010
Shame 4Car is no longer as it was a great site, but can we not have access to all the old archived content? I can promise you many including myself would find that facility hugely useful.
January 10, 2010
Shocked and sad… This was my number one motoring web site, the car reviews were especially brilliant. Thank you all for the great work.
January 10, 2010
sad to see this go…..its a miscarriage of justice…
January 11, 2010
first time I had been on the website but oh well RIP
January 11, 2010
All this nonsense about “what a great site / real shame / will miss it” etc – if it was that good, there would be the financial support to enable it to continue. This site had on average 4 hits a week, thats why they’ve all been canned. They are about as useful as a Pork Pie in a Synagogue.
Muppets – the lot of you.
January 11, 2010
Dear Sirs,
This is gut-wrenching… It’s like losing your best friend of 10-years…
I went away for a short holiday and when I came back… he was dead!
This is terrible. This is terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible!!!
What will it take for you to come back to life?
January 11, 2010
How could you, stupid man?!
Bring it back, man… it is the best source about the cars on the whole http://WWW...
January 11, 2010
It’s sad to hear that! It was a great reference about the cars I was going to buy and drive. Thank you for all the work you have done.
January 11, 2010
What a shame! A great loss for both C4 and the internet generally. This was the best packaged and most informative car site on the web. I hope the C4 execs who canned it have to eat humble pie when they realise their mistake.
January 11, 2010
big shame, the spyshots and honest reviews were excellent. the driven program should come back too… it was excellent & fresh.
January 11, 2010
“Unfortunately the current economic climate has made it difficult to keep the site running, especially without the justification of an accompanying TV show.”
Well why on earth didn’t you create an accompanying TV show? And magazine! 4Car was simply fantastic. Motoring journalism without stupidity. Indepth detail without drudgery.
The team were sublime in their editorial style, I have missed my 4Car e-mails since closure, what a missed opportunity, did no-one realisde what a hit the accompanyiny TV show would have been? Are we all expected to go and try TopGear on the Beeb? Not that they have any car reviews on there.
January 11, 2010
Thanks for all those great articles, guys. We’ll miss you.
January 11, 2010
wah
January 11, 2010
Absolutely gutted…was the best independant car review website on the web by far.
Please return in another guise ASAP.
January 12, 2010
Oh Dear,
We clutch on to straws, when the going gets rough. Then, out of the ‘woodwork’ appears a really genuine ‘Knight of the Road Users’ – who we take for granted for ever & ever!
I doubt this past benevolent benefactor, will leave us in the lurch. Watch out for a replacement – acceptable to the originators standards. Hey, we may even be prepared to pay for un-biased advice!
A hard act to follow? Hardly, simply continue using the same criteria.
Of course, you are due a vast amount of accolades, from us peasants, who benefited from your pronouncements and reports.
Whatever you do. Enjoy it. There are so many of us who can’t believe the worth of your contribution.
January 12, 2010
What a shame, sad to see this go…
January 12, 2010
It’s a real shame to lose 4car. An easily searchable database of real world reviews and news, it was THE goto site for weekly motoring updates and reliable information.
What happens to the wealth of information in the archive?
There must surely be a way to bring back 4car and successfully continue its operation. I would certainly pay a subscription for such a top-quality resource.
And a television programme based on real reviews and group tests would be well worth watching.
January 12, 2010
Shame, one of the biggest things people look up on sites like flickr are cars and tv is looking for a way to make it into the online market place. C4, who I rate, surely will realise there errors. I am sure something similar will be back in the futre and hopefully as good.
I hope Gilbert is still working for 4 in some capacity.
Andy Delanoy
January 12, 2010
Good bye and good riddance. A complete and utter waste of cyber-space.
Joe.
January 15, 2010
[...] taken the brave step of quitting his job to run the site full time, over at Channel 4 they’ve shut down the 4Car website after a decade of independent car reviews, news and features. With no real prospect of commercial [...]
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