A few months ago, a colleague mentioned that he wanted to introduce me to a friend who’s a big fan of the magazine, and a real car/life enthusiast. I’ve heard this offer before — that person is usually a longtime reader who just wants to talk about his favorite old cars — so I politely dismissed the request. And besides, he lives in Chicago, far away from Los Angeles, even farther for someone who hates the cold. No chance.
Jaysus! Who the hell does this cat think he is? Paul Newman reincarnated?
Really, this is Sam Mitani’s opening shot in an article about David MacNeil, the guy who brings us the excellent Weathertech brand of floor mats among other useful things. Where does this article appear? In none other than Road and Track! Now I understand that having ones name in print can be pretty heady stuff, but come on. Road and Track only has a circulation of 700,000. Somehow that equates to 5.5 million readers. I guess that counts for the copies that are read by folks in the doctors office.
Sam has a rep as a pretty decent guy and R&T has always been one of my fave print reads. I’m surprised Sam actually had the stones to print that and I’m even more surprised that editorial allowed it.
Just goes to show you what the so called big boys think about the buying public. Vote with your dollars folks, get your news online where editors, publisher and writers value your readership and actually want to interact with you!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I read the same article in R&T and was put off by Mr. Mitani’s opening-just came off as condescending. Can you imagine David MacNei’s reaction to that? Sure, the rest of the article goes on to tell of his success and business and as a racer, but still!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was shocked that Sam wrote that, and R&T allowed it-but it should be noted that R&T has a new Chief Editor.
I have to agreed with both of you … it is very very unclassy.
MacNeil is a steady advertiser in R&T. In fact I took notice of his recent advertisement, where has included a personal letter to the readers re: commitment to staff and products in this tough economy. He comes off as someone with great integrity and loyalty (obviously to R&T, too).
The readers are the ones who got Road & Track where it is today; that should never be forgotten, but history and roots seem to figure very little in today’s American car magazines.
R&T has changed dramatically with the new editor, and hardly touches on motoring history anymore. Phil Hill’s Salon features got me reading the magazine, and spurred my interest in racing history. That’s long gone, and there is very little that separates it from the others.
Road & Track has gone from “leader” to “also ran”.
I took it as Sam’s reaction to a “this guy who is an advertiser who pays us a lot of money and has told management he wants to have a vanity article done on him” type of scenario. This article to me read very much like an advertorial and I didn’t like it at all.