Jason Andrew Dawe was born on 4 May 1967 in Camelford, Cornwall, England. He grew up in Cornwall and developed an early passion for cars and the motor trade. Little has been publicly disclosed about his parents, though his father’s occupation and family background have not been covered in verified sources.

After leaving school, Dawe entered the automotive industry directly, working at car dealerships for Rover and Porsche as a salesman and trainer. He was twice awarded National Salesman of the Year during this period. In 1996 he joined an international automotive management consultancy, advising leading motor manufacturers and dealers worldwide on product launches, sales techniques, and staff development.

His media career grew from his consultancy work. He became a long-running weekly motoring columnist for The Sunday Times — described as second in prominence only to Jeremy Clarkson’s column — and also contributed to Top Gear Magazine, Used Car Buyer, Autotrader, and the AA Magazine. In 2002 he was selected to co-present the relaunched Top Gear on BBC Two alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond. He appeared in all 10 episodes of Series 1 but was replaced by James May from Series 2 onward.

Following Top Gear, he presented Used Car Roadshow (ITV, 2005–2007) and Classic Gear (Discovery Channel, 2009–2010), both with co-presenter Penny Mallory. He has since concentrated on automotive journalism, corporate consultancy, public speaking, and occasional media appearances as a motoring expert. He reunited with Mallory to host the 2020 Body Shop Awards. He keeps his personal life very private and lives a largely out-of-spotlight existence.