continued from page 13
14 | AUGUST 11 • 2022
Eddie, 50, of Franklin,
is married to Kari
Alterman; they have two
daughters. You may know
Kari from her work with
the American Jewish
Committee and the
William Davidson Foundation, among many
other activities around town, including being a
founding board member of the Detroit Jewish
News Foundation.
In 2009, Eddie was named editor-in-chief of
Hearst Magazines’ Car and Driver, the world’s
largest automotive publication. Ten years
later, he became the Chief Brand Officer of
Hearst Autos. In that position, he helps shape
the editorial and business strategies for such
publications as Car and Driver, Road & Track
and Autoweek. This year, Eddie launched a
new podcast: Car Show!, a collaboration with
Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries.
Obviously, Eddie has had and continues to
have a very cool career. I had to know — how
did this happen? So, I asked him a few ques-
tions:
JN: Any family members in the auto industry? If so,
was this an influence upon you?
EA: Not in the industry per se, but my dad was and is a huge
car enthusiast. He had lots of projects going on in the spare
bay of our garage on York Street in Huntington Woods. This
crept into our relationship in the best possible way. I was
always interested in what he was driving, whether it was a
ON THE COVER
Porsche 356 or a big-block
Corvette, and he loved
telling me about why he
bought what he bought.
Embedded in the sto-
ries of the cars was always
some important story
about life. Cars like his 1950 Buick, for
example, belonged to his adolescence and
memory, and expressed his ambition and
optimism. His Jag E-type was a story about
racing heroes, the folly of the English car
business and how great design could over-
come even the most finnicky Lucas electrical
system.
My dad’s point of view on cars, and the
stories he told about them, made them more
interesting to me than just a pile of metal
and leather. They were about people, at the
end of the day.
JN: How did you get into a career as an
automotive reporter?
EA: I always wanted to write about cars, but
the first step entailed me walking into the
offices of Automobile magazine at 120 E. Liberty
St. in Ann Arbor and begging to work there. I became a
“motor gopher” — my job was to wash and gas test cars, and
sometimes deliver them to editors in far-flung locations.
I thought it was the best job in the world. I still kind of
do. Imagine it — a 19-year-old gets the keys to a brand-new
BMW M3 or Lexus SC400 and gets to drive it all over the
place. My dream had come true. It continued from there.
Kari and Eddie Alterman
FORD MEDIA
2022 Mustang Mach-E
COURTESY EDDIE ALTERMAN
COURTESY HEARST AUTOS
COURTESY HEARST AUTOS