2018 Inductees Announced

April 25, 2018

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The Automotive Hall of Fame will induct five new members into its ranks at its 2018 Induction & Awards Gala Ceremony in Detroit, Michigan, at the MGM Grand Detroit, on July 19, 2018.

The Automotive Hall of Fame’s 2018 Inductees are: Michael (Mike) Jackson, Chairman, CEO and President of AutoNation; Ray and Tom (1937-2014) Magliozzi, co-hosts of the NPR weekly radio show Car Talk; Frank Stronach, founder of Magna International; and Kiichiro Toyoda, the Japanese entrepreneur whose decision to expand his father’s company, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, into automobile manufacturing and created what would become Toyota Motor Corporation.

“We are pleased to honor these individuals, whose entrepreneurial spirit and automotive passion helped shape today’s global automotive industry,” said Ramzi Hermiz, Chairman of the Automotive Hall of Fame and President and CEO of Shiloh Industries. “Each made their unique vision a reality through tenacity, creativity and foresight; traits that still drive the industry’s evolution today. The Automotive Hall of Fame is proud to recognize these individuals and their achievements.”

Considered the single greatest honor in the automotive industry, induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame is reserved for noteworthy individuals who have made significant contributions to the industry.

2018 Automotive Hall of Fame Inductees

Mike Jackson – Mike Jackson, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of AutoNation, Inc. created a more customer focused, transparent and contemporary business model for automotive retailing. Under his leadership, AutoNation has been the largest automotive retailer for 19 consecutive years, selling nearly 12 million vehicles, the only retailer to accomplish such a feat. He has been widely recognized in the automotive world by both his peers and the press. His business acumen has also been recognized beyond the automotive industry with his service to the Federal Reserve Bank and recent appointment as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, responsible for the Southeast United States. Mr. Jackson is not just setting milestones in the automotive industry but in the community at large as well.  In 2013, Mr. Jackson decided that AutoNation would commit its charitable resources toward driving out cancer. Through its Drive Pink Initiative, AutoNation has raised more than $13 Million to fund cancer related charities.

Tom and Ray Magliozzi – Tom and Ray Magliozzi – Also known as “Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers,” were the co-hosts of NPR’s national weekly radio show, Car TalkCar Talk, NPR’s biggest entertainment hit, was produced from 1977 until 2012 and continues to be distributed in syndication.  In 1973, the MIT-educated Magliozzis opened a do-it-yourself repair shop, Hacker’s Haven. The shop rented space and equipment to hackers trying to fix their own cars.  The Magliozzis were invited in 1977 to be part of a panel of automotive experts on a call-in show on Boston’s NPR affiliate WBUR-FM.  In the fall of 1987, nine months after being asked to participate in NPR’s Weekend Edition, Car Talk premiered as an independent NPR program, and shot to the top of the ratings. In 1992, Tom and Ray won a Peabody Award for Car Talk for “distinguished achievement and meritorious public service.”

Frank Stronach –  From its inception as Multimatic, a one-man tool shop in Toronto, Mr. Stronach’s work ethic and vision ultimately generated Magna International, one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world.  His innovation in creating a unique corporate culture and compensation system, driving competition and excellence, has changed the global landscape of the automotive supply base.

Kiichiro Toyoda (1894-1952) – Kiichiro Toyoda was the Japanese entrepreneur whose vision and perseverance expanded his father’s business, Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, into the world of automotive manufacturing in 1933.  His technical and entrepreneurial skills resulted in the creation of one of the largest and most influential automobile companies in the world, Toyota Motor Corporation.  Mr. Toyoda was the president of Toyota Motor Corporation from 1941 until 1950.

The 2018 Automotive Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala Ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the MGM Grand Detroit. Tickets for the black-tie event are available at AutomotiveHallOfFame.org or by contacting Kerry Doyle at (313) 240-4000 or KDoyle@thedrivingspirit.org.

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