Early Career
Neil began his professional writing career with the Spectator, a local free weekly, and began working for The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina as a newsroom copy editor in 1989.
In interviews he has stated that his goals at the time were to "learn to write and see the world." Neil was recruited by AutoWeek magazine in 1994 as a senior contributing editor. In 1995, he began contributing reviews to the New York Times, which he continued until 2003.
Beginning during his tenure with The News & Observer Neil developed his style of combining humor with pragmatic insight, often incorporating obscure literary analogies and personal experiences. Neil worked with the Raleigh paper until 1996, when he was fired. He subsequently worked as a free-lance journalist, including five years as contributing editor to Car and Driver. In 1999 Neil was named senior contributing editor for Expedia Travels, a glossy travel magazine.
In 2001, Neil won the Ken Purdy Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism, from the International Motor Press Association. In 2002, his work was selected for Houghton Mifflin's Best American Sports Writing.
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