Your Favorite Automotive Journalist

[Passport1]

My #1 is Peter Egan. He wrote a monthly column for R&T for years. His topics were eclectic, mostly automotive adventures in the '60s. Peter has a plain spoken kind of writing style that always engages a reader and never disappoints. He has an interesting background. Was editor of Cycle World and an amateur sports car driver. He lived in Wisconsin and frequently wrote about Road America, Elkhart Lake. I think what he mostly described was a period in Americana when young men were wild, high spirited urban cowboys and sports cars were their horses. Young guys would get lots of enjoyment from his stories called 'Side Glances'.

My #2 is of course Tom and Ray Magliozzi, a.k.a. The Tappet Brothers. Their wit and wisdom about all things automotive and everything else trenchant. The advice they dispensed weekly on their NPR show was invaluable. Waited every week for the answer to the previous week's puzzler.

Amazon

 

[Trav]

Tom McCahill and of course click and clack. Too many of these guys are on the take.

 

[bdcardinal]

Marshall Pruett

 

[jhs914]

Yep, Peter Egan.

 

[wings&wheels]

Peter Egan and Gordon Baxter.

 

[Nick1994]

I mean aren't we obligated to nominate our own @macarose?

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

For sheer entertainment value, LJK Setright and PJ O'Rourke in Car and Driver back in the 80's,

 

[Reggaemon]

Peter Egan and Gordon Baxter.

Peter Egan, Warren Weith and Henry Manney lll.

 

[Ronsant]

Peter Egan ( both R&T and Cycle World) - reading his work made me feel like I was there. Plays in a garage band, loves music, cars, and motorcycles- definitely #1

Brock Yates Car and Driver-

Mitch Bohem and Marc Cook- Motorcyclist

Mitch is back in print doing the AMA magazine.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Kevin Cameron

 

[Malo83]

I can't read.

 

[Hermann]

Looks like a list of fossils to me. YMMV

 

[pharden]

David E. Davis. May he RIP

 

[fdcg27]

Now you have me thinking back to the days when I subscribed to both R&T and C&D and Flying as well.
In no particular order:
Peter Egan
LJK Setright
Pat Bedard
Brock Yates
Leon Mandel
Warren Weith
Henry Manney
Gordon Baxer, who also wrote for Flying
and no doubt a number more who don't come readily to mind.
Back in the day I'd flip to the columns first in any of these mags and I especially enjoyed the two separate columns Peter Garrison wrote for Flying each month, Technicalities and Aftermath.

 

[Passport1]

Also Denise McCluggage, early pioneer for women in racing. Auto journalist. First inductee into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

McCluggage with Sterling Moss at a racing event. She was probably giving him racing advice.

Reading Eagle

 

[dkryan]

Now you have me thinking back to the days when I subscribed to both R&T and C&D and Flying as well.
In no particular order:
Peter Egan
LJK Setright
Pat Bedard
Brock Yates
Leon Mandel
Warren Weith
Henry Manney
Gordon Baxer, who also wrote for Flying
and no doubt a number more who don't come readily to mind.
Back in the day I'd flip to the columns first in any of these mags and I especially enjoyed the two separate columns Peter Garrison wrote for Flying each month, Technicalities and Aftermath.

Yep!

I’d vote:

Pat Bedard
Brock Yates, and
Leon Mandel

Gordon Baxter and Peter Garrison were a given being Flying magazine contributors.

I also enjoy Jason Gay from the Wall Street Journal, though he’s mostly vehicle reviews. With a sense of humor.

Then there was my AutoWeek favorite from the early 80s: Satch Carlson. Mr. “All things Saab.”

Unfortunately Satch was a full time school teacher whose attention was diverted from auto body to a certain “student body.” Which got him fired immediately, if not worse.

Fortunately, Denise McCluggage picked up and carried on nicely!

 

[Trav]

Looks like a list of fossils to me. YMMV

Sometimes the fossils have a good grip on whats going on.

Who Invented 0–60 MPH? Why, It Was Tom McCahill, Of Course

Almost seven decades after McCahill invented the 0–60 MPH standard, it remains a benchmark number for automakers and the public alike.

www.motortrend.com

 

[vwmaniaman]

I'm with you Trav. Those Fossils were great.

 

[T120]

Cook Nielson (Cycle World I think)
And Warner Riley

 

[MCompact]

Yep!

I’d vote:

Pat Bedard
Brock Yates, and
Leon Mandel

Gordon Baxter and Peter Garrison were a given being Flying magazine contributors.

I also enjoy Jason Gay from the Wall Street Journal, though he’s mostly vehicle reviews. With a sense of humor.

Then there was my AutoWeek favorite from the early 80s: Satch Carlson. Mr. “All things Saab.”

Unfortunately Satch was a full time school teacher whose attention was diverted from auto body to a certain “student body.” Which got him fired immediately, if not worse.

Fortunately, Denise McCluggage picked up and carried on nicely!

FYI, Satch has been the editor of the BMW CCA magazine Roundel since the late '90s- and he still writes a "Running on Empty" column.