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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

