Doug DeMuro: The Pivotal Year That Forged Automotive YouTube

How 2016 Became the Watershed Moment for Automotive YouTube’s Biggest Star

In the ever-evolving landscape of automotive content, few have carved out a niche as distinct and successful as Doug DeMuro. While many creators might reflect on a decade past with nostalgia, for DeMuro, 2016 wasn’t just a year; it was the crucible in which his career as a video host was forged. This was the year he transitioned from a writer who dabbled in video to a video-first content creator, fundamentally reshaping his approach and paving the way for his unparalleled success on YouTube.

From Writer’s Block to Video Vanguard

Doug DeMuro’s journey into automotive journalism began in 2012 when he quit his job to pursue writing. By 2013, his articles were appearing on prominent car websites like The Truth About Cars and Jalopnik. In an era where blogs reigned supreme, DeMuro gained a significant following, solidifying his identity as a writer. His initial foray into video occurred in late 2013 with a farewell to his Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. However, his focus remained squarely on the written word, with his early YouTube videos serving merely as supplementary material to his articles.

“I really so dearly thought that I was going to be a writer,” DeMuro recalls. “I didn’t really pay that much attention to the video metrics. I didn’t really pay much attention to how the videos were doing cuz I was so focused on writing.” Even the milestone of 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel was met with a detached, “Okay, people are watching the videos, but I’m a writer.”

The Defender and the Land Cruiser: Seeds of Change

The pivotal shift began to take shape in 2016. While DeMuro’s current video format truly hit its stride in mid-2017, the groundwork was laid throughout 2016. He started the year by creating content with his own cars, a familiar practice that complemented his writing. This included an adventure driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage on a frozen lake in Vermont.

However, a revelation arrived in April 2016 with a video featuring a 1997 North American-spec Land Rover Defender. This wasn’t his car; it belonged to a friend. The video, devoid of his usual “silly stuff” with his own vehicles, “absolutely blew up.” This success was quickly followed by another significant video in March 2016, where he took a press loaner Toyota Land Cruiser off-roading. While not as explosive as the Defender video, it also performed exceptionally well.

“Once those videos hit, that that Land Cruiser, that Defender, I started realizing, hey, wait a minute, this could be a thing,” DeMuro explains. “Instead of doing dumb stuff with my own cars, every video a new car, a different car…” This realization marked the beginning of his pivot towards reviewing other people’s vehicles.

Expanding the Fleet: From F-Type to Ford GT

The momentum continued to build. In June 2016, he reviewed a friend’s manual Jaguar F-Type. Unlike the more adventurous Defender and Land Cruiser videos, this was a more straightforward review, and it too garnered significant attention. By the summer of 2016, DeMuro was producing two videos a week: one featuring his own car and another showcasing a different vehicle.

A significant moment came in August 2016 with a video of a TVR Tuscan, borrowed from a contact in Ontario. This video’s success led to further opportunities. Shortly after, he was contacted by an owner of a Ford GT, who, inspired by the Tuscan video, offered his car for a review. This required DeMuro to make a second eight-hour trip to Toronto within two weeks, highlighting his dedication to capturing compelling content.

The Mercedes AMG GT Revelation: New is What the Audience Wants

While exotic cars like the Carrera GT and TVR Tuscan generated buzz, it was the review of a then-new Mercedes-AMG GT that provided DeMuro with his most crucial insight. A friend lent him his brand-new AMG GT for a video. DeMuro himself didn’t initially perceive the car as extraordinarily special, but the resulting video “really blew up.”

“And the thing that that taught me was, okay, the Carrera GTs and the TDR Tuskkins and the Ford GT, they do well, but what the audience really seems to love is new cars,” DeMuro states. “There was no real content on the Mercedes AMG GT just yet.” This realization was profound: focusing on brand-new models, rather than solely on rare or exotic older cars, was the key to capturing audience interest.

The Transformation and the Reign of Automotive YouTube

By the end of 2016, DeMuro had completed his transformation. He entered the year as a writer who made supplementary videos about his own cars and exited it as a video-first content creator focused on reviewing other people’s vehicles. This shift laid the foundation for his explosive growth in 2017, when his views “started to get off the charts.”

DeMuro reflects on the dominance of YouTube during that period (2016-2020). “Back in 2016, 17, 18, YouTube is the only way to consume content… Back in that era, I was really like the king of automotive YouTube.” He notes that his videos consistently achieved millions of views, a feat that is considerably more challenging in today’s fragmented media landscape with the rise of short-form content platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Legacy and the Future

The strategic pivot in 2016 allowed DeMuro to become, in his words, “number one car reviewer.” He acknowledges the immense pressure of maintaining that position, requiring constant understanding of audience desires and meticulous execution. By 2018, he had relocated to California, and by the end of 2019, he had ceased writing about cars altogether, despite feeling he was a stronger writer than a video host.

“The audience is in video and so that’s where I went,” he explains. The success born from his 2016 realizations not only propelled his YouTube channel but also eventually led to the creation of his highly successful auction platform, Cars and Bids. DeMuro emphasizes the importance of adaptability: “Realizing what the audience wants and trying to capitalize and potentially shift completely very quickly, that may well be a make-or-break moment in your content career.”

Ten years on, the lessons learned in 2016 continue to resonate. It was the year Doug DeMuro stopped just talking about cars and started truly understanding what the automotive world wanted to see, cementing his legacy as a pioneer and king of automotive YouTube.

Source: Looking Back at 10 Years Ago (YouTube)