DEARBORN, Mich.—Keith E. Crain, chairman of Crain Communications Inc., parent company of Tire Business, is one of four individuals who will be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn this year.
In addition to automotive publisher and advocate Mr. Crain, the latest inductees include industrialist and engineer Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch; customer satisfaction pioneer J.D. “Dave” Power III; and the late designer and visionary Alex Tremulis. The upcoming event also represents the 75th anniversary of the Automotive Hall of Fame, which was established in 1939.
The 2014 ceremony, which will take place at the Inn at St. John's in Plymouth, Mich., is held in conjunction with the Concours d'Elegance of America, one of the world's great automotive exhibitions, on July 27.
According to Automotive Hall of Fame officials, the inductees “have significantly impacted the development of the automobile and the motor vehicle industry. Inductees are recognized for their individual achievements, innovations, and historic contributions.”
Here's a look at the 2014 inductees:
• Keith E. Crain—Chairman of Detroit-based Crain Communications and editor-in-chief of Automotive News, Automotive News Europe, Autoweek and Crain's Detroit Business, he also is recognized for his leadership and active participation in numerous civic and industry organizations, according to the Hall of Fame.
• Dr. Ferdinand K. Piëch—The Austrian business magnate, engineer and executive currently serves as the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group. Among his accomplishments, the Hall said he is credited with evolving and growing Audi to be considered among the finest lines of automobiles in the world.
• J.D. “Dave” Power III—The founder of Westlake Village, Calif.-based J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information services company, “established an empirical basis for measuring automotive customer satisfaction. Documenting what American consumers experienced helped Toyota establish a major presence in the U.S.,” the Hall said.
• Alex Sarantos Tremulis—Without any formal training in art or engineering, “one of America's greatest industrial designers began his career as a member of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg design team,” the Hall said, noting that among his many contributions were applying aerodynamic principles of streamlining to the automobile.
The Automotive Hall of Fame is located in Dearborn. Its self-proclaimed mission is to preserve and celebrate outstanding automotive achievement. Since its founding in 1939, the Hall has honored nearly 800 men and women from around the world.
In 1939, a group of men met in New York City and created the “Automobile Old Timers,” an organization dedicated to honoring pioneers from all parts of the automotive industry. The organization moved to Washington, D.C., in 1960. Then in 1971, according to a Hall of Fame press release, it moved to the grounds of Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) in Midland, Mich. The first permanent Automotive Hall of Fame building was built on the Northwood campus in 1975.
In 1997, another group of dedicated automotive aficionados moved the Automotive Hall of Fame to its present location next to The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
Tickets to the 2014 induction ceremony can be purchased by contacting Terri David at 313-240-4000 or [email protected].