Richard Johnson Richard Johnson was the print editor for Automotive News. He retired in 2019. [email protected] See All Staff Page Recent Stories My excellent adventure with the auto industry Retiring print editor Richard Johnson takes a look back at 35 years covering a fascinating industry for Automotive News. In Källenius, Daimler gets a new kind of CEO This changing of the guard is intriguing not because Dieter Zetsche is leaving, but because his successor appears to be a new order of chief executive — especially for a German car manufacturer. A flair for theatrics made Marchionne an exciting CEO to cover Sergio Marchionne was the most remarkable fellow to ever run a global car company and, as far as I'm concerned, the one who did the most with the least. 70 years later, appreciating the genius of Ferry Porsche We all know Ferdinand Porsche. But history has forgotten that it was his boy, Ferry, who created the magic of Porsche. Industry has learned the lessons of DaimlerChrysler failure Conventional wisdom is that the combining of Daimler-Benz with Chrysler Corp. failed because of a clash of cultures, but that's an oversimplification. Mercedes readying subscription program for U.S. Britta Seeger, Mercedes-Benz's global sales chief, says dealers are cool with the subscription service it is launching in Germany and plans to bring it to the U.S. Tonight on 'Dieter and Li Shufu': Fear, disruption and Elon Musk Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche chats auto industry disruption with his new top shareholder, Geely founder Li Shufu. Jaguar I-Pace has everybody buzzing Though it was no surprise, the production version of Jaguar's I-Pace still came off as consensus choice for most significant debut in Geneva. Europeans wince at tariff moves President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs drew eye-rolls and outrage at the Geneva auto show -- plus retorts that the move could derail planned U.S. investments. Opel's void stirs ghosts of Genevas past In Detroit, they can't stop talking about Mercedes-Benz's decision to skip the auto show next January. But stranger for me was walking into the Palexpo and not seeing Opel at its accustomed spot. VW still bullish on U.S. shows; Ratan Tata shows up in Geneva Volkswagen remains bullish on U.S. auto shows, including the one in Detroit. Guys, it's not easy to close out a great career Retirement age draws near for the heads of Daimler, FCA and Renault-Nissan. It has been a remarkable run for all three. But ... A design of the times? Why all the talk about Jaguar's I-Pace It's intriguing when, without prompting, designers talk up a rival vehicle. And that's happening with the Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover. Where are the cool concepts? This is the Detroit auto show, right? So where are the crazy, cool, or maybe clunky and clumsy experimental vehicles we used to have so much fun either faulting or falling in love with? The legacy of Mazda's Kenichi Yamamoto Kenichi Yamamoto, the former Mazda president and chairman who died in December at 95, was one of Japan's most charismatic executives. Load More
Richard Johnson Richard Johnson was the print editor for Automotive News. He retired in 2019. [email protected] See All Staff Page