The car scene on Twitter is the home you didn't know you needed

If you're new to it, Twitter can be a bit of a cesspit.

In fact, all of social media can be a bit of a mega-sewer of hot takes and megaphones for grifters. I know plenty of people who took one look at it and thought: “Nope, this isn’t for me.”

But like anything on the internet, there are plenty of places for people to go where nobody is shouting at each other, which are instead full of wonders and delights you never thought could exist.

(Hint: Do not get involved in Golf GTI Twitter, especially if you have ever looked even briefly at another hot hatch and have an opinion.)

Like all good communities with a genuine love of a thing and a respect for the people who are of the same mind, this community doesn’t care where you’re from, who you are or even what you drive. As long as you have a sense of humour and you’re not going out of your way to be unpleasant, you’re in.

So we thought in this fractious social media environment we’d take you on a whistle stop tour of some of the best and brightest Weird car Twitter accounts. Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list, so if you know of some more good ones, leave us a comment and we'll do a follow-up of reader finds.

Doug DeMuro

Now this is a bit of an obvious one, but Doug DeMuro is a Twitter car favourite. An influencer for all the right reasons, Doug loves to talk about anything on four (or occasionally, one imagines, three) wheels.

Doug’s cheery, funny YouTube videos are the stuff of legend, and he’s managed to turn his love of cars into a business called Cars and Bids.

His Twitter feed is a mix of gentle self-promotion, reader finds and cars listed on his auction site.

What’s great about his schtick is that even if a car is terrible he can, and will, find its redeeming features, and isn’t afraid to say what’s what – all the while failing to be smug and irritating. Some weeks a theme develops, like a recent run of Kombi variants.

Fundamentally, Doug knows he’s got one of the best jobs in the world and he makes sure you’re having as much fun as he is.

Matt Farah

Matt Farah also knows he has the best job in the world and occasionally is a bit smug about it. What he isn’t short of is an opinion, however, and his entertaining range of podcasts and videos will mostly make you laugh and occasionally enrage you (in a good way).

Matt also offers some hard advice for those caught up in the current misty-eyed nostalgia for cars that probably aren’t as good as they’re cracked up to be (I’d love to talk to him about the breathless nonsense that accompanies the E39 M5) and here he is dumping on the beloved E30 M3 (below).

He’s not here to agree with you and loves to get amongst it with his followers and if you’re not a jerk, you can have a fun chat with him.

Midnight Dorifto

Midnight Dorifto was an account I had not come across, but my boss said I had to include it. And he was right to do so. From wry observations about cars they’ve seen while out and about, to some beautifully made videos and lovely writing about anything from a Buick to a Bentley, you’d have to be made of stone not to find something you like in this feed.

And it’s not just stuff that rolled out of the factory weird. Before I saw this account, I had never heard of the Japanese lowrider scene and yet here we are.

So if you like plenty of variety, this one’s for you. And if I may say so, this is a catastrophically unappreciated account.

The Late Brake Show

Jonny Smith is one of my absolute favourites. I used to read his work in CAR Magazine and was thrilled when he popped up on Fifth Gear offering an antidote to Tiff and Jason's hairy-chested Top Gear hangover – and he isn’t the slightest bit interested in going sideways. He’s an enthusiastic appreciator of cars, a bit like DeMuro without the excessive height.

A car modder himself, Jonny has built an EV Enfield – the Flux Capacitor with 800 horsepower. From that you might imagine he is up for anything and he absolutely is, but his many videos on EV conversions of classics are fantastic.

But just because he likes EVs, it doesn’t make him an Elon Muskovite, because he still loves a bit of ICE action too. On top of all that, The Late Brake Show runs outdoor car events because, you know, the UK is allowed out of the house to look at things.

Jonny also does a podcast with Richard Porter of Sniff Petrol and Top Gear fame called Smith and Sniff.

Sh*tty Car Mods

Some accounts are just gold top to bottom. This account delves the depths to find some truly horrific stuff I’m sure is not just meant to amuse, but to trigger that “well at least they tried” impulse we all have about cars.

Some of them are, obviously, outright dangerous – but some are so bad they’re good, like this Twingo the account retweeted.

This one never fails to get a laugh and it’s often just what I need to lift me from a bad mood.

Rockstars Cars

Who doesn’t love a niche that intersects cars with rock stars? This account scours Twitter for posts about rock stars – let’s face it, most of them are from the 70s and 80s – and pretty much brings you the best and weirdest.

It does exactly what it says on the tin, as well as being unashamedly nostalgic.

The Car Factoids

If you like British cars, this one is up your Union Jack-adorned alley, so to speak. Every day you will learn more than one new thing you never knew about British cars, and see some stuff you’ve not clapped eyes on for decades.

Crap Car Collective

Despite the name, there are some real gems in this feed and that’s fine by me. I am a vigorous defender of those who love crap cars, because you can’t help what kind of abomination you fall in love with (my guilty pleasures are Alfas and Peugeots).

Anyway, this account has a smattering of crap, but is mostly an homage to the odd, rare and those of receding numbers on British and Irish roads. Alfas, Peugeots, oddball VWs, old British tat or occasionally historic Korean (below).

Lewis Kingston

Lewis is a bit like our own Ben Zachariah, trawling eBay and whatever else for a bargain, and knowing exactly how much he should be paying for whatever it is he’s found – and not a penny more. He’s also fond of nonsense, such as the Bleachers ECV, as well as various modern classics which seem to drift on and off of his driveway over time.

Also a solid chap who’s up for a chat.

Weird Car Tweets

Not as weird as the title suggest, but another loving, low-drama account for those who “appreciate the weird cars that are under appreciated in everyday life”. It’s a cheery mix of other folks’ feeds and internet finds people like you and me just don’t have time to unearth ourselves.

Hub Nut Vids

This is an ordinary bloke who just loves cars. Ian buys all sorts of cars – including a Proton for about $100 – then plays around and has some fun. He’s perhaps most famous here for importing an AU Falcon called Betty he thoroughly abused on a trip around New Zealand. His Twitter feed is just a whole load of fun.

Gran Tori-smo 4

Victoria loves her van and is a freelance journalist for a whole load of websites you've heard of. She's getting around in her van and taking some frankly sensational photos – both of cars and what she sees along the way. She unearths some serious gems on her travels, and that alone is worth the price of admission – which given it's free, that's pretty good.

Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list and there's a lot more out there.

If you've got a good one, let us know in the comments.