History

The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Automotive News page on 14 January 2025, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

The first issue of Automotive News was published under the name Automotive Daily News in New York on August 27, 1925, by Slocum Publishing, with George Slocum as its Detroit advertising manager. The chief backer of Automotive Daily News was Bernarr Macfadden.

In 1933, Slocum purchased the other investors' interests, moved the newspaper to Detroit, as well as switching to only publish on Wednesday and Saturday instead of five times a week. In June 1938 the Wednesday issue was discarded, and the June 4 issue was the first to use the name Automotive News. Slocum also reduced the subscription price from $6 to $4 per year. In 1939, he changed the publication day to Monday.

Circulation was 5,000 when Slocum moved the paper to Detroit. It grew to 12,000 at the commencement of World War II but fell to 8,748 during the war. During 1942–45, when there was no auto industry, Automotive News retained 73% of its circulation. From 1936, Pete Wemhoff served as the managing editor, editor, publisher, and general manager for the next 35 years.

Slocum Publishing Co. was purchased by Crain Communications in 1971. Keith Crain became the publisher and editorial director.

Automotive News is now a part of Crain Communications' Automotive News Group. Keith E. Crain is the Editor-in-Chief of Automotive News and Chairman of the Board of Crain Communications. Long-time publisher Jason Stein stepped down in 2021 and was replaced by KC Crain.

Article Index

Date	Article	Details
27 August 1925	$2,500,000 DEAL TO END BUS WAR What is regarded as a move to end the bus war in Indiana and promote harmony between interests is seen here with the announcement yesterday that control of the Red Ball Bus Terminal Company of Indianapolis and W.B. Hiner's Red Ball Bus Lines had been sold to a syndicate...	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Indianapolis, Indiana Topic: Red Ball
27 August 1925	AUTO MECHANICS UNIONIZE W. Schoenberg, organizer of the Automobile Mechanics Union, has announced that 19 of the 34 garages and repair have signed a new scale of pay and working conditions.	News Article (text) Publication: Byline: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Joliet, Illinois Topic: Automobile Mechanics Union
27 August 1925	AUTOMOBILE TRAVEL TO NATIONAL PARKS GROWS The total automobile travel to the national parks and monuments will reach the 2,000,000 mark by the time the park travel year closes, it was estimated at the Department of the Interior today.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	Big Military Bus Terminal Asked for U. S. Capital Construction of a motor bus terminal and armory in the central section of the capital will be recommended to congress at the next session, by the district commissioners.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	CLOTH MILLS KEEP BUSY ON LARGE CONTRACTS FOR AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Automobile productive activity is reflected in reports from mills in this district which are turning out large contracts for upholstery cloth and accessories.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Cohoes, New York
27 August 1925	A Daily Newspaper for the World's Greatest Industry The Automotive Daily News is the first daily in the world to serve the greatest industry in the world.	Commentary (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News
27 August 1925	DEALERS JOIN IN USED CAR SALES Grand Rapids hasn't solved the national used car problem, but seven local dealers are enthusiastic over the success of an original used car plan which has proved workable and which has disposed of the used car problem for them.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Byline: Dateline: Grand Rapids, Michigan Topic: Grand Rapids Motor Market
27 August 1925	EUROPE SPEEDS TIRE PRODUCTION Growing demand for American-made tires in many foreign countries and an increase in the foreign output are shown in cabled reports of tire production made public today by P.L. Palmerton, chief of the rubber division of the Department of Commerce.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	Further Drop Forseen Gasoline prices in Washington will drop this year to 1924's 16 cent level or probably lower, Paul Himmelfarb, Penn Oil Company president, predicted today.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	Gas Tax Popular When— Taxing gasoline is rapidly becoming a popular form of raising money among state legislatures.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News
27 August 1925	GEORGIA ENACTS NEW AUTO LAWS Georgia has long been a fertile field for automobile thieves and a dumping ground for stolen cars.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Atlanta, Georgia
27 August 1925	GENERAL MOTORS TRUCK BRANCH MANAGERS HOLD SERIES OF MEETINGS It is now under way here, and at the Pontiac plant of the company.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Detroit, Michigan Topic: GMC
27 August 1925	Has Plan to Nab Auto Tax Dodgers Plans to separate personal property taxes on automobiles from general personal taxes as a cure for “dodgers” is being advocated today by District Tax Collector Towers.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	HEALTHY DEMAND FOR CARS IN OHIO Optimism prevails among Cleveland passenger car dealers, based on the splendid condition of business not only as regards new car sales for August and the bright outlook for September, but also as regards used car stocks, it was revealed in a survey of dealers completed here today.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Cleveland, Ohio
27 August 1925	Increased Business Forces Moon To Take 200,000 Sq. Ft. More Space The large number of orders for both Moon and Diana cars on hand at the Moon plant and the subsequent large volume of shipments has made necessary the acquisition of additional manufacturing and shipping facilities.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: St. Louis, Missouri Topic: Moon
27 August 1925	Many Inquiries Received For American Products The bureau of domestic and foreign commerce of the Department of Commerce today announced a formidable list of inquiries from prospective purchasers and agents in foreign countries for American made cars, trucks, parts and accessories.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	Motorized Apparatus Used in Forest Fires Motorized fire-fighting equipment has revolutionized methods of fighting forest fires, especially in the Black Hills, National Forest, which boasts a splendid highway system.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Rapid City, South Dakota
27 August 1925	Nation Assured of Motor Fuel Supply The testimony of automotive engineers is cited to show that an anticipated increase of 50 per cent. in motor efficiency will more than offset the demands of a rapidly growing population.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: New York, New York
27 August 1925	NEW FORD CARS COMBINE 'EYE' AND SERVICE APPEAL Body changes, more pronounced than any made since the adoption of the model T chassis, and numerous changes in the chassis itself, were announced here today by the Ford Motor Company, with prices remaining unchanged.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Detroit, Michigan Topic: Ford Model T
27 August 1925	Nova Scotia to Enforce Car Laws Immediate and rigid enforcement of the laws respecting motor vehicle traffic in Nova Scotia is provided for in a program decided upon by the provincial government and announced by Hon. Percy Black, minister of Highways.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Halifax, Nova Scotia
27 August 1925	Old Carriage Days Recalled at Picnic Oldtimers attending the first annual picnic of the Dort-Durant employees on Saturday recalled the time, a generation ago, when W.C. Durant and J. Dallas Dort, owners of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company, startled the vehicle world with the ultra-fashionable road cart.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Flint, Michigan Topic: Dort
27 August 1925	“Out on the Coast” It surely is good luck that the Automotive Daily News is again bringing me in close personal touch with my old friends back East, through a daily letter to them in my columns.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Byline: John C. Wetmore Dateline: Los Angeles, California
27 August 1925	PENN CO. ASKS FULL PROBE OF ITS ACTIVITIES “The suit filed against the Penn Oil Company in connection with the alleged misuse of the name 'Mobiloil' is another attempt of the Standard Oil interests to discredit competition in the oil industry,” said Alvin L. Newmayer, attorney for the Penn Oil Company.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C. Topics: Pennzoil, Mobil
27 August 1925	Price-Cutting War in Gasoline Spreads Further drastic reductions in the price of gasoline were forecast today as the important companies in the industry gave indications of continuing the spectacular price-cutting which has been in progress for some time.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: New York, New York
27 August 1925	RAILROAD PLANS BUSES FOR ITS NIGHT SERVICE The Washington and Old Dominion Railway, which operates an interurban line to nearby points in Virginia, is giving consideration to the inauguration of bus service as a feeder to its lines at several places.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C.
27 August 1925	RALPH B. DORT CONTESTS WILL Ralph Bates Dort, eldest son of the late J. Dallas Dort and one time advertising manager and foreign representative of the Dort Motor Car Company, has appealed his father's will, which was recently admitted to probate here.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Flint, Michigan Topics: Ralph Bates Dort, J. Dallas Dort, Dort
27 August 1925	SHOW SEASON IS UNDER WAY The fall automobile season in Eastern Ontario got under way today with the Central Canada Exhibition.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News
27 August 1925	SLEEVE VALVE ENGINE COMING It is generally agreed that one of the most desirable qualities an engine can possess is quietness, and, knowing this, engineers have oddly enough confined themselves almost entirely to the development of the poppet valve engine.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Byline: H.A. Tarantous Dateline: Detroit, Michigan
27 August 1925	STATES DIFFER ON WISDOM OF GASOLINE TAX Inquiries by The Automotive Daily News reveal such a sharp divergence of opinion that it is impossible to form a general conclusion as to whether the tax is popular or unpopular.	News Article (commentary) Publication: Automotive Daily News
27 August 1925	Traffic Meeting Success Assured “More than 125 have already signified their intention of being present and I believe that at least 200 will be present when the sessions open,” says L.J. van Schoick, in charge of the safety activities of the Detroit Automobile Club.	News Article (text) Publication: Byline: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Detroit, Michigan
27 August 1925	Truckmen Flay Minnesota Act The Minnesota Truck Owners' Association today is prepared to attack the entire structure of the Automobile Bus Regulatory Act passed by the last Legislature upon the grounds that it is discriminatory and unconstitutional.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Minneapolis, Minnesota Topic: Minnesota Truck Owners' Association
27 August 1925	TWO BIG OVERLAND DEALERS MERGE The largest consolidation that has taken place in Washington and this section in years was announced yesterday when it became known that the Wardman Motor Car Company and Justice Motor Company, the two Overland and Willys-Knight distributors, have been merged under the name of the Wardman Justice Motors, Inc.	News Article (text) Publication: Byline: Automotive Daily News Dateline: Washington, D.C. Topics: Wardman Motor Company, Justice Motor Company, Wardman Justice Motors
27 August 1925	VACUUM CO. ANSWER “Here is our answer to the Penn Oil Company,” said F. W. Lovejoy, director of sales promotion for the Vacuum Oil Company, to the Automotive Daily News, as he pointed to a letter from the National Better Business Bureau.	News Article (text) Publication: Automotive Daily News Dateline: New York, New York Topics: Pennzoil, Mobil
27 August 1925	Automotive News Briefs CHEVROLET AT PEAK OUTPUT · CLEVELAND BUSINESS · Exports $60,000,000 Autos to Tropics · GOOD GLASS DEMAND · HANG 'EM IN SIGHT · IDAHO REGISTRATIONS OF PASSENGER CARS GROW · Lauds Dort · Moon Reduces Prices · MOTOR SHAFT COMPANY ERECTS NEW BUILDING · New Ford Angle · S.D. PLANS FOR WINTER · Wilson Co. in New Building, Sept. 1 · Would Run Bus Between Seattle And Los Angeles	Automotive News Briefs (text & photo) Publication: Automotive Daily News Topic: Henry Ford