Jun 12 2024 55 mins
In this episode of Forever Motoring, host and philosopher Andrea Hiott welcomes Peter De Lorenzo, famously known as the Auto Extremist. Peter is recognized for his influential and candid blog, running since 1999, which has significantly impacted automotive journalism. They discuss Peter's upbringing in Detroit during the golden age of the automobile industry, his deep-rooted love for cars, his experiences with the notable figures of GM, and his insightful column on what its like to live in Detroit and the recent restoration of Michigan Central Station. Peter shares his thoughts on the evolution of the automobile industry, the challenges it faces, and his belief in the enduring spirit of true believers in the automotive world. Tune in for a compelling conversation about the intersection of passion, technology, and the future of motoring. Peter describes the future as needing a kaleidoscope of power for our vehicles.
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00:00 Introduction to Peter DeLorenzo
01:21 Peter's Early Life and Love for Cars
04:11 The Golden Age of Detroit
09:06 Planned Obsolescence and Detroit's Contradictions
16:32 The Resilience of Detroit
18:04 The True Believers of the Auto Industry
19:59 The Impact of World War II on Detroit
23:39 The Evolution of Auto Extremist
25:44 The Inertia of Social Media and Information Overload
26:40 The True Believers and the Love for Automobiles
27:49 The Freedom and Experience of Driving
29:46 The Impact of Technology on Travel and Presence
35:32 Environmental Challenges and the Future of Mobility
40:45 The Role of True Believers in Driving Change
43:27 The Birth and Impact of Auto Extremist
48:40 Reflections on a Career and Legacy
53:55 Forever Motoring: A Vision for the Future
#detroit #autoindustry #driving
The Autoextemist
On Detroit, the column we discuss.
"We’re a state of mind that’s filled with countless contradictions, and our great history is offset by some lurid realities.
We’ve contributed much to the American fabric, yet we have a historical propensity to make things brutally tough on our day-to-day well-being.
We’ve brought this country a sound like no other and a gritty, gutty context that’s second to none, yet we’ve created countless problems for ourselves, most all of them self-inflicted.
We created the “Arsenal of Democracy” when our country needed it most, yet we allowed a movement based on fairness to become a disease based on entitlement and rancor.
We’ve contributed much to this nation's progress and standing, yet we can’t seem to get out of our own way at times, which is infuriating and debilitating.
But thankfully, the story never really ends for Detroit. At least not yet anyway. We’re still standing, warts and glaring faults and all. And you can forget the recent glory stories about our renaissance because we don’t really need ‘em to validate us.
We know who we are. And we know that the perception isn’t often favorable. And we get that. But still there’s an exuberance and spirit here that no interloper of a CEO can ever capture.
It’s a Detroit thing, or if you must, a Dee-troit thing, as Bob Seger so aptly put it. And we’re proud of what that means.