Corvette Driver Dick Guldstrand Car Guy of the Year Award

Automotive Enthusiast/Consumer News Show
with Steve Ford

This Week's Show:
Dick Guldstrand Car Guy of the Year Award
Date: 06/10/97
Time: 08:00pm est

This Year's Recipient: Dick Guldstrand

In an industry surrounding cars, The Car Guy's 2nd annual "Car Guy of the Year" award is about honoring an individual who has accomplished an outstanding lifetime achievement or contribution to the world of wheels.

For the 1997 "Car Guy of the Year" award, show host Steve Ford, The Car Guy®, is joined by this year's standing award committee, comprised of colleagues Roy "Ace" Miller (chief judge of the Santa Barbara Concours d' Elegance, nationally recognized auto historian, journeyman technician/classic automobile shop owner and periodic co-host of The Car Guy Show); Bob Sinclair (former president of Saab Cars USA, automotive business consultant and recipient of the 1996 "Car Guy of the Year" award); Bob Gordon, (president of The Auto Channel); Chuck Jordan (former vice president of design for General Motors Corp., and columnist for Sports Car International magazine); and surprise guest Tim Allen, star of the TV show Home Improvement, as well as race car driver/enthusiast, who will announce the 1997 "Car Guy of the Year" award winner.

As The Car Guy's "Car Guy of the Year" award enters its second year, The Auto Channel joins to co-sponsor the show and award, including the distinguished award plaque that is delivered during the 1997 award announcement program.

AWARD CRITERIA AND COMMITTEE EVALUATION POINTS FOR NAMING THE "CAR GUY OF THE YEAR" FOR 1997:

Proven knowledge of both the auto industry AND an equal level of understanding about the technical aspects of automobiles
Noteworthy contribution to the automotive community
Active participation in the car enthusiast arena
Respect and admiration from peers
A genuine passion for cars

JOIN US TO HEAR THIS YEAR'S WINNER NAMED ALONG WITH A FUN CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WORLD OF WHEELS EXCLUSIVELY ON "THE CAR GUY SHOW" ON "THE AUTO CHANNEL"

Join us each week for an informative program that features:

Consumer topics:
- Automotive Service and Maintenance
- New Automotive Events and Destinations
- Questions from listeners
Guests:
- Automotive Celebrities and Auto Industry Personalities
- High-Performance and Repair Experts
- Public Institutions such as Highway Patrol and AAA
Trivia Contests:
- E-Mail Participation in Automotive Trivia

CAREER BACKGROUND

Steve Ford, THE CAR GUY, holds one of the strongest combinations of in-depth national marketing knowledge, hands-on automotive service experience, and consumer reporting abilities in the mass media. His blend of being an accomplished automotive service technician and award-winning journalist gives him keen insights into the needs of contemporary motorists.

With a career commitment to utilizing his multi-media skills and automotive credentials to assist the public, Ford has achieved journalism successes across a broad spectrum of media. In addition to being a four-time winner of the prestigious International Automotive Media Conference (IAMC) "Moto" award for automotive reporting in radio, television, syndicated newspapers and trade/technical columns for the professional auto-service industry, he has also earned the IAMC "Silver Medallion" for Internet Digital Audio/Cybercast reporting on the World Wide Web and a Detroit Press Foundation "Wheels" Award for outstanding automotive journalism in broadcast news. In addition to IAMC journalism awards, Ford's automotive press materials and media campaigns have earned the International Association of Business Communicators 1st-place "Ace" award, Publicity Club of Los Angeles 1st-place "Pro" award, and Public Relations Society of America 1st-place "Protos" award.

Education & Experience

As an automotive industry professional, Ford has developed insights and depth from more than 20 years in the field. While a youngster, his zest for automobiles was so great that his high-school auto-shop teacher called him a "car-a-holic," and encouraged him to supplement his high-school shop training with night courses in advanced automotive service at an occupational center. Ford completed the occupational program, along with more than 10 semesters (550 hours) of high-school shop class, and earned his California Bureau of Automotive Repair Tune Up and Emission Control License prior to receiving his high-school diploma. Upon graduation from high school, Ford earned an award from the Pacific Automotive Show as one of the "Top Ten Automotive Technical Students in the Western United States."

Throughout his subsequent years as a dealership and independent repair shop auto technician, Ford attended college at night. His enjoyment of marketing studies and interest in sales promotion led him to work as automotive manufacturers' representative. This experience, combined later with college experience, enabled Ford to work as a key automotive account product specialist at the leading national advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi/DFS. After serving several years in a national advertising agency while continuing college at night, Ford left full-time work to dedicate his final year-and-a-half of college on a full-time basis.

After earning a bachelor's degree in marketing communications, Ford entered the broadcast media. At Los Angeles radio station 93 KHJ, he reported daily automotive consumer features as THE CAR GUY. Ford also continued automotive advertising and public relations agency work, which has provided him with national marketing experience helping achieve campaign and sales successes for auto manufacturers/ distributors, specialty tool, global auto supplier, industry association and service businesses.

Ford is a member of the International Motor Press Association, Motor Press Guild, Automotive Press Association, International Automotive Technicians' Network and Service Technicians Society, and holds advanced-level professional technician certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) in Engine Performance (L1 - Engine Computer Controls & Emission Systems).

Awards Won By Steve Ford, THE CAR GUY

· International Wheel Awards - 1998:
	Detroit Press Foundation
	3rd Place:  All Broadcast Media - Best News Programming
		
· International Automotive Media Conference - 1997:
	"Moto" 1st Place   -  TV News - Topical Short Features
	"Moto" 1st Place   -  Newspaper: Regular Column/Syndicated
	"Moto" 1st Place   -  Newsletter: Technical/Trade Column
	Silver Medallion   -  Internet/World Wide Web: Digital Audio Program

· International Automotive Media Conference - 1996:
	"Moto" 1st Place   -  Radio/News Programming: Short Features
	Silver Medallion   -  Radio/Live Weekly Show: Feature Programming
	Silver Medallion   -  Newspaper: Regular Column/Syndicated
	Silver Medallion   -  TV News - Topical Short Features
	Bronze Medallion   -  Newspaper: Features/Syndicated

· Publicity Club of Los Angeles - 1994:
	Annual "Pro" Award - 1st Place/Overall, Media Campaign

· International Association of Business Communicators - 1993:
	Annual "Ace" Award - 1st Place/Overall, Press Materials 

· Public Relations Society of America - 1992:
	Annual "Protos" Award - 1st Place/Overall, Press Materials