TO THE EDITOR:
If you crossed paths with Paul Ingrassia during his long career in the news business, you came away with profound respect for the man and the way he pursued his craft ("Paul Ingrassia, Pulitzer Prize-winning auto journalist, dies," autonews.com, Sept. 16).
I was privileged and honored to call him a friend, and I mourn his passing.
We all should be grateful that Paul found his way to Michigan. He liked to joke that he got the call from his editor that every journalist in Chicago dreads: "We're sending you to Detroit."
Whether that's a true story, I don't know. But opportunity favors the bold, and that was Paul. He took the job, he fell in love with the auto industry and his writing drew inspiration from its rhythms, its larger-than-life personalities and its epic booms and busts. He could be tough. You don't earn a Pulitzer by pulling your punches. But his copy was always a great read.
He loved cars, too. He loved to drive cars, write about cars, and he wasn't afraid to remind people during the Great Recession and the auto bailout controversy why people write songs about cars — not banks.
I spoke with Paul about a week before he died, and it was so telling. Even though he was clearly not well, he still wanted nothing more than to dive into the stories that are shaping the auto industry today. I wish he were still here to do so. His insights would be invaluable.
TONY CERVONE, Senior vice president, global communications, General Motors, Detroit
