Clare Dear is an international and national award-winning journalist and photographer. Clare is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario’s Honours Journalism program. His experience includes nearly 30 years as a sports reporter, copy editor, automotive columnist and senior section editor with the London Free Press, as well as several years as a contributing writer to the National Post’s Driving section and other publications. He is President of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, a position he’s held for five years, and is a member of the Canadian Car of the Year program’s management group. Clare readily admits he’s a passionate “car guy,” having tinkered with cars since childhood, raced them for several years, and written about all forms of motorsports since he was a teenager. Born and raised in London, ON, Clare and his wife, Diane, have two grown children – a daughter and a son – and one grandchild.
Favorite Cars
Recent Posts
Review
FIRST DRIVE: 2017 Lincoln Continental focuses on luxury
October 3, 2017, 12:20 PM
Lincoln has set its sights on re-establishing the brand as a key player in the prestige luxury segment, with the all-new Continental leading the way.
FIRST DRIVE: All-new 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
October 2, 2017, 11:05 AM
With its muscular new look, added technologies and competitive pricing, the 2018 Traverse gives mid-size SUV buyers a choice worth considering.
First Drive: GMC’s all-new 2018 Terrain compact CUV
September 18, 2017, 7:00 AM
The all-new Terrain offers stylish new looks, upgraded interior, efficient new powertrains, additional standard features and reduced prices.
Gallery
Fiat Chrysler takes the wraps off its 2018 lineup
August 31, 2017, 8:00 PM
Here’s a quick peek at what you’ll be seeing soon in Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep showrooms across Canada.
FIRST DRIVE: The updated, uprated 2018 Ford F-150 lineup
August 14, 2017, 5:55 AM
Ford is offering more-powerful, more-efficient powertrains, greater capabilities and additional new technologies in its 2018 F-150 lineup.
Article
TIME-MACHINE DRIVE: 1950 Ford F-1
August 14, 2017, 5:45 AM
The best way to know how far you’ve come is to look back to where you started, which for Ford’s F-Series pickup line is the original F-1.
Muscle and luxury highlight FCA’s 2018 lineup
July 5, 2017, 10:15 AM
We were able to thrash around in whatever FCA vehicles we fancied, from subcompacts like the Fiat 500 to brawny Challenger and Charger Hellcats!
What we learned about going green from the 2017 AJAC EcoRun
June 20, 2017, 10:45 AM
EcoRun offers insights into the latest advances in automotive technology that help to make vehicles run cleaner and more efficiently.
Meet the “Duchess”: A 1941 Cadillac built for a King
June 7, 2017, 12:00 AM
The “Duchess” is a custom-bodied limousine, built by GM for England’s King Edward after he’d abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson.
Classics mix with hot rods at Fleetwood Country Cruize-in
June 6, 2017, 12:15 PM
The 12th edition of the annual Fleetwood Country Cruize-in, near London, Ontario, attracted more than 4,500 vehicles and thousands of spectators.
FIRST DRIVE: Canadian-built 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
May 11, 2017, 7:20 PM
The all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox delivers more performance, efficiency and value than its predecessor to help it compete with the segment leaders.
FIRST LOOK: It’s ‘Wagons Ho!’ for Buick – but not in Canada
April 6, 2017, 11:10 AM
The Opel Insignia-based Regal will be offered in Canada in hatchback sedan form only, while American buyers will also have a wagon option.
Do 10 speeds and two turbos add up in 2017 Ford F-150?
March 22, 2017, 4:50 AM
This new engine-transmission package from the Blue Oval delivers the grunt traditional V-8 truck truckers expect and it’s more fuel-efficient too.
FIRST DRIVE: 2017 Mazda CX-5 ups the ante for compact SUVs
March 20, 2017, 11:10 AM
While it looks little different than its predecessor, the 2017 Mazda CX-5 has changed a lot. It’s all in the details – nearly 700 of them!
New Mazda MX-5 RF flips its top for fun
March 14, 2017, 5:55 AM
The MX-5 RF is not so much a roadster with a hard top; it’s more like an enclosed two-seater sports coupe with a retractable roof.
The weird and the wonderful at Toronto’s Motorama 2017
March 14, 2017, 1:00 AM
With more than 400 vehicles and 30,000 visitors over three days, Motorama has become a must-attend event for auto enthusiasts of all genres.
Hot Fords take the chill out of winter
March 2, 2017, 7:25 AM
No one, has really tested the mettle of these high-performance Fords in the snow and ice conditions familiar to Canadians – until now!
News
Subaru, Toyota, Porsche hold their value best of all brands
February 14, 2017, 11:30 AM
Depreciation is the single largest expense of owning a vehicle, which makes value retention hugely important in selecting what model to buy.
Sleet or freezing rain? Here's how to handle them
February 7, 2017, 11:30 AM
When road surfaces become skating rinks, even vehicles with winter tires, all-wheel drive and anti-skid technologies can’t always cope.
A skeptic’s review of Chevrolet’s all-electric Bolt
January 26, 2017, 7:15 AM
After driving it, our once die-hard EV skeptic concedes that having a Bolt in his driveway is not such a far-fetched concept after all.