All over the world, auto enthusiasts keep track of what is happening in the auto industry reading articles written by credible auto journalists. They have become an integral part of the industry. Numerous auto journalists are given the chance by automakers to test drive new cars so that they can give it a review which will inform consumers as to the good and bad of a certain car.
Recently, The Auto Channel reported that the Motor Press Guild honored some auto journalists for their contributions. Four MPG Best of the Year Awards were given for different discipline including article, book, audio/visual, and photography, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award, and the prestigious Dean Batchelor Awards. So without further ado, here are this year's winners:
- Article Category: Preston Lerner for "Fast & Spurious." This article brings to life the quirky spoof of a race, the "24 hours of Le Mons" held annually at the Altamont Motorsports Park in Northern California, for street cars costing less than $500. Lerner thinks of it as "the Doo Dah Parade meets the Daytona 500, with elements of a demolition derby and 'The Gong Show' thrown in for good measure."
- Book Category: Bernard Cahier for F-Stops, Pit Stops, Laughter & Tears. This book is the story of Bernard Cahier's long and fascinating journey through the automotive world of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, focusing on the sport of motor racing. It also covers his life before motor racing, as a fighter in the French resistance in World War II, and chronicles the many friends he's made, and those he, and we, have unfortunately lost.
- Photography Category: Louise Ann Noeth for "Salton Sea Roadster." Her photo features a modified racing machine along the abandoned marina shoreline at California's nearly dead Salton Sea.
- Audio/Visual Category: Ed Justice, Jr. for his radio interview "Insights into Car Branding with Charlie Hughes," an engaging interview that takes one firmly inside the mindset of the American automobile manufacturer.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Tom and Ray Magliozzi, also known as Click & Clack and the Tappet Brothers from National Public Radio's "Car Talk." "Car Talk" is heard by more than 4.1 million listeners each week on 588 radio stations, and their column, "Click & Clack Talk Cars," appears in 335 newspapers.
Meanwhile, the Dean Batchelor Award was given to Mr. Cahier for his book. I really salute these guys for what they do. If you are ever having problem with your Porsche 968 parts, I'm sure these guys would know how to help you out.