David Evan Davis, Jr. was an automotive journalist and magazine publisher widely known as a contributing writer, editor and publisher at Car and Driver magazine and as the founder of Automobile magazine died from complications from bladder surgery he was , 80.(November 7, 1930 – March 27, 2011)
Davis influenced the format of automotive journalism by introducing premium publishing features[2] and he influenced the profession by mentoring a gamut of automotive photographers, illustrators, designers and journalists – including Jean (Lindamood) Jennings, Robert Cumberford, Bruce McCall, P. J. O'Rourke, Jim Harrison and David Halberstam[2] – as well as younger colleagues and journalism students.[3]Known for his own straightforward writing style and his colorful personality – at six-foot-three inches tall, bearded, portly[4] and always immaculately dressed – Davis had appeared in the New York Times On the Street fashion feature. Automotive writer Todd Lasso called him "a raconteur, an impresario, a bon vivant in a tweed, three-piece suit."[5] As an editor he maintained an "atmosphere of creative turbulence."[2]The New York Times described him as "a combative swashbuckler who encouraged criticism of the cars it tested, even at the risk of losing advertising."[2]
His collected writings were published in 1999 "Thus Spake David E.: The Collected Wit and Wisdom of the Most Influential Automotive Journalist of Our Time".
Davis said his success in automotive journalism came from "his ability to marry southern storytelling to big-city presentation."[6] The Truth About Cars said "automotive journalism in the post-Vietnam-War era was entirely and singlehandedly defined by David E. Davis, Jr."[7] Time magazine called Davis the "dean of automotive journalists."
Background
Davis was born in Burnside, Kentucky, on November 7, 1930 – in a house without running water.[6] His aunt was Harriette Arnow, author of the best-selling novel, The Dollmaker.[8] Davis graduated from high school in Royal Oak, Michigan, having failed his journalism class.[8] He later briefly attended Olivet College. He worked in a series of jobs: as a race car driver, Volkswagen salesman, mens clothing salesman, ad salesman with Road & Track and assembly line worker in a car factory.[9] He would develop his "simple, declarative [writing] style" working on aviation technical manuals.[10]Davis overturned while racing his sports car (reported variously as a MG TD[10] or MG 1500[8]) at age 25 in Sacramento – badly damaging his face. He lost his left eyelid, the bridge of his nose, the roof of his mouth and most of his teeth.[11] In addition to the accident essentially scraping off half his face, the ambulance attendant had thrown away pieces of his nasal cartilage.[4] Davis required extensive plastic surgery – and was later able to hide his disfigurement under his full beard.[11] He described the crash and its aftermath as pivotal:
I suddenly understood with great clarity that nothing in life — except death itself — was ever going to kill me. No meeting could ever go that badly. No client would ever be that angry. No business error would ever bring me as close to the brink as I had already been.[12]
Davis lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his second wife Jeannie Luce Kuhn Davis.[9] His three children from his first marriage to Norma Jean Wohlfiel Davis[13] were Peggie, Matthew and David E. Davis III, who is a European contributor for numerous publications, including Autoblog. He had three stepchildren – Eleonore, Vincent and Tony Kuhn.He died unexpectedly at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan[1] on March 27, 2011 shortly following bladder cancer surgery.[9]
Career
After selling an article to Motor Trend in 1957 for $50,[8] Davis became a contributing writer in 1962 to Car and Driver magazine, at age 32. By the time he joined Car and Driver, Davis had "worked in four automobile factories, sold cars in three imported-car dealerships and one Packard showroom."[14] At the magazine, he became friends with automotive luminaries including race car drivers Juan Manuel Fangio, Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby.[10] Davis left Car and Driver in 1967 – reported variously as either having been fired by Leon Mandel[11] or having resigned[2]At Chevrolet's advertising agency,[10] Campbell-Ewald, Davis wrote copy for Corvette advertisements alongside future crime novelist Elmore Leonard.[10] He was named Vice President/Creative director. He is co-credited along with James Hartzell in creating Chevrolet’s tagline, "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet"[14] – a campaign that Car and Driver and other publications ranked as the best automobile commercial of all time. [15][16][17]
He returned to Car and Driver in 1976 to serve as the magazine's editor and publisher – and moved its headquarters from New York to Ann Arbor[18] in 1977.[19]
In 1986, he founded Automobile with financial backing from Rupert Murdoch[18] – using the credo No Boring Cars.[8] Davis introduced full-color photography and thick stock, increasing the magazine's literary standards to distinguish it from the other three U.S. automotive magazines, Car and Driver, Motor Trend and Road & Track.[18] Murdoch sold the magazine profitably in 1991 to K-III Publications, which became Primedia – which was later sold to Source Interlink Media, the current owner of the magazine.[9] When Automobile was acquired by K-III, Davis also became the editorial director of the company's Motor Trend magazine. Automobile celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011.[11]
Davis later left Primedia and in semi-retirement started the online automotive magazine Winding Road.[11] In July 2009, he returned to Car and Driver as a contributor. Until his death, he continued to contribute to numerous automotive venues, including international publications[11] such as the British magazine CAR.
Davis mentored a spectrum of automotive journalists, including Eddie Alterman, editor-in-chief at Car and Driver and Jean Jennings, current president and editor-in-chief at Automobile. At the University of Michigan he was member of the board of the Knight-Wallace Fellowship, a journalism program,[3] and he encouraged Ford Motor Company to underwrite a fellowship for automotive journalism at the school.[3] In 2004, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Michigan, serving as its spring 2004 commencement speaker.
Personality
Davis was widely known for his "larger-than-life,"[8][3] "polarizing personality."[8] Joe DeMatio, deputy editor at Automobile Magazine said Davis "was very opinionated and did not hesitate to ruffle feathers, even if they were those of his own bosses."[18]Unintimidated by the the companies whose products he reviewed, Davis originally resigned from Car and Driver after refusing to rescind a comment he made about a BMW 2002's weak radio reception and dash; saying its Blaupunkt radio "could not pick up a Manhattan station from the other side of the George Washington Bridge."[2] Ford withdrew much of its advertising when he parked a Ford Pinto, before its well-noted fuel tank controversy, in front of a junkyard.[20] James R. Healey, auto columnist for USAToday, recalled that while speaking at the Washington Automotive Press Association, Davis likened General Motors managers to the piano player in a whorehouse, "aware of what was going on upstairs but unable to do much about it even if they were so inclined." He ended the speech by saying that the Company was standing on the "shoulders of midgets". [21] The company subsequently pulled much of its advertising.[21] In 2010, he published a column in Car & Driver titled "If the original Henry Ford was still alive, he would be building Subarus."[20]
Davis was periodically estranged from the editor of Automobile, Jean Jennings,[11] who described him as "the most interesting, most difficult, cleverest, darkest, most erudite, dandiest, and most inspirational, charismatic and all-around damnedest human being I will ever meet. I have loved him. I have seriously not loved him."[11] He also maintained an ongoing rivalry with automotive writer Brock Yates,[22] who said "to know [Davis] is to acknowledge his short fuse and his penchant for unpredictable, snorting charges at friendly targets."[11]
David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research called Davis "a provocateur, in some ways kind of like the Bob Lutz of auto journalism."[19] Bob Lutz himself said Davis "was one of those rare individuals who filled a room with his presence."[3] Michael Jordan, executive editor at Edmunds.com, said that "at Car and Driver in the early 1960s, Davis made himself important, yet he also made automotive journalism important."[10] Eddie Alterman, editor-in-chief at Car and Driver, described Davis as "the dashing, witty, high-spirited, and deeply knowledgeable writer/editor who brought the automobile to life."[6]
His office was filled automotive art and featured a clipping with Ernest Shackleton's 1914 ad to enlist participants in a voyage to Antarctica: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."[10] Outside his office hung an ad reading "Protest Against the Rising Tide of Conformity."[6]
In everyday situations, rather than the conventional "How are you?", Davis was known to ask "Is your life a rich tapestry?" [23]
Quotes
- "No Boring Cars!"
- "Cogito Ergo Zoom!" – I think therefore I go fast!, tagline at Automobile.
- "No more bullsh-t!" – what Davis once said his coat of arms would read, if he had a coat of arms.[8]
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