WomanOnWheels.ca

Ralph Gilles: A lifetime achievement award for design

Ralph Gilles has been a designer at Chrysler/Stellantis his entire career, and had a hand in such iconic designs as the Viper, Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Jeep Grand Cherokee, and now he's receiving a lifetime achievement award for his work. Find out more in my story at Driving.ca.

This popular YouTuber washes his cars for fans with autism

Wash, rinse, repeat. Car wash videos are surprisingly popular on YouTube, and especially with children with autism. That's what prompted one father to create Reviews By Vince, where he shows how his cars get squeaky-clean. Find out more in my story at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Who was J.D. Power, and what does he mean to you when you're buying a car?

J.D. Power is a powerhouse today, but the enormous company started at a kitchen table ... and you won't believe who the "Associates" in J.D. Power & Associates were. Find out in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

Looking back at women in the auto industry...

Women were never as prominent as men in the auto industry, but there were still a lot of them working as inventors, engineers, and adventurers over the years. If you've never heard of women like Mimi Vandermolen, Helene Rother or Dorothee Pullinger, find out more in my story over at the National Post (Driving.ca).

General Motors: It all started with a salesman

Most auto companies began with a new vehicle, and then its inventor created the business around it. General Motors was different: founder William Durant created an umbrella company and brought automakers inside. He lost the company twice, and then founded a third. Find out more in my "Rearview Mirror" column at the National Post.

Meet Canada's newest F1/Infiniti employee!

Each year, for the past four years, Infiniti and Renault Motorsports have sponsored the Infiniti Engineering Academy, which picks the top engineering students from around the globe to do a one-year stint with its engineers in Britain. Canada has been part of it for two years, and this year, Matthew Carsson of London, Ontario represents the country. Find out more in my story at AutoTRADER.

What made Henry Ford tick?

He didn't invent the automobile or the assembly line, but he made both the cornerstone of transportation. His stubborn nature helped his company but also hurt it. And he's still, to this day, possibly the most famous person ever in the auto industry. Check out my story on Henry Ford at the National Post.

How much technology is in your car? Maybe enough to go to Mars ...

That's Gita Ravindran, and she works on connectivity systems for General Motors of Canada. How do you get a job like that? Well, in Ravindran's case, you start as an aerospace engineer working on the Mars Rover. Find out more in my story at the Toronto Star.

How one auto dealer is shaking up the auto industry

Greg Carrasco, general manager of Thornhill Hyundai, doesn't approve of the way most dealerships sell cars. So his store doesn't pay commission to its salespeople, and he won't hire anyone who's worked at a dealer before. Find out more in my story over at the Toronto Star.

What's it like to put Porsche's experiences together?

Whether it's sliding around snowbanks in Porsche's Camp4, or driving through the mountains to a luxury resort, all of Porsche's driving experiences are put together in Toronto by Jennifer Cooper. Find out what it's like to have such a cool job in my story over at the Toronto Star.

Ian Callum: Redesigning Jaguar

Designer Ian Callum doesn't just design for Jaguar: he redesigned it. He joined the company and was tasked with turning stodgy vehicles into exciting ones. Read my interview with him at the Toronto Star.

On the inside: What it's like to design interiors

That's Michael Stapleton, the director of design for GMC's interiors, who says it isn't easy to make an interior come together. It has to look good, but it also has to work. Find out more in my story at the Toronto Star.

Need a tow? Here's what to know ...

That's Sukhbir Rai, who owns an auto shop and tow truck business, and does much of his work under contract to CAA. I wrote a profile on him, including some of his tips for those who need a tow, over at the Toronto Star.

Now here's a job: Importing mud ...

That's Mike Sweers, who's the chief engineer for Toyota's trucks. You might think that just involves designing the curves and making sure it can tow, but there's more to it: part of Mike's job requires him to import dirt from around the world. That even included truckloads of mud from Alberta to help him solve a problem. Find out more in my story at the Toronto Star.

What it's like to Welder Up!

Ontario native Grant Schwartz is the "new guy" on this season of Vegas Rat Rods, and I had a chance to talk to him about such stuff as building a car every two weeks, and doing it in temperatures that can hit 38C ... and then they have to close the doors! Find out more in my story at the Toronto Star.

Auto body: Never too late to change careers!

Jeanne Marriott couldn't get into shop class when she went to school, and then she had to get a business off the ground. But she finally decided to follow her dream and start as an apprentice in body shop work. Find out more in my Cool Auto Jobs column in the Toronto Star.

One of Canada's best drivers trains Canada's worst

If you're a fan of Canada's Worst Driver, you know Philippe Létourneau, who teaches high-speed driving to the worst of the worst. He didn't originally want the job, but personal tragedy convinced him that he could make a difference. Find out in my story on him in the Toronto Star.

Clay: Still an important part of car design

Clay car models have been around since the 1920s, and computers can't make it go away. It's still an essential part of vehicle design and engineering, and I got to see Bailey Isgro doing the job over at General Motors. Find out more in my Toronto Star story.

Selling sensors in a man's world

Susan Hitchon sells tire pressure monitoring sensors, but it's not always easy for a woman in a male-oriented profession. So not only did she learn all about tires and sensors, she became a tire technician trainer. Find out more in my Cool Auto Jobs column at the Toronto Star.

Laying down lines: Here's what a pinstriper does!

In my Cool Auto Jobs column at the Toronto Star, I have a look at Rollie Guertin, one of the finest pinstripers anywhere. Not only does he paint the custom stuff as you see here, but he's put the finishing touches on cars that have won international trophies at the highest level. Find out more here!

Who teaches self-driving cars how to drive themselves?

At Volvo, some of the work is done by Marcus Rothoff, who not only has to figure out how to get the car to drive itself, but what infrastructure needs to be set up and what laws are required. Find out more in my story over at the Toronto Star.

Product planning: Putting together the car that people want to buy

What's the coolest possible thing? Looking at something in your car - the same production model that anyone can buy - and realizing that you're the one who put it there. My latest "Cool Auto Jobs" column in the Toronto Star looks at Patrick Danielson, a former PR manager (meaning he had to deal with us!) who now figures out what has to go on the next new Hyundai for Canada.

CAA: Making the connection between drivers and lawmakers

In my "Cool Auto Jobs" column in the Toronto Star, I have a look at Teresa Di Felice, whose job it is to keep an eye on the lawmakers and make sure that drivers have a say in what goes down. Find out more!

What does it take to sell a tire?

I have a new column in the Toronto Star that looks at jobs in the auto industry and how they relate to drivers. And since tires are the only thing between the driver and the road, I thought I'd start with Greg Lamothe, director of sales for Kumho Tire in Canada. He has to figure out not just what tires Canadians need, but how many, and for that, he starts two years in advance. Find out more in my story!

John Krsteski: Making Hyundai look good

It takes a lot of people to produce a car, but it takes someone at the helm to make sure it all comes together: the design has to be good-looking, it has to move the brand forward, and most importantly, it has to translate into mass production. Find out more about how John Krsteski does it at Hyundai in my article at the Toronto Star.

What does it take to design a Jeep?

How about a Canadian who penned the Grand Cherokee, as well as the new Chrysler 200? Find out more about designer Jeff Hammoud in my story at the Toronto Star.

Auto People: A look at Ford CEO Dianne Craig

She never wanted to be in the car industry - she was far more interested in math - but Dianne Craig worked her way up the ladder at Ford and now holds the top position at the company's Canadian operations. Find out more in my story at the Toronto Star.

What's it like to run Volvo?

Another in my series on people connected with the auto industry: Marc Engelen, president of Volvo Cars of Canada. He's certainly serious about the job, visiting all of the country's dealers in person after he arrived from Belgium. Read all about it in the Toronto Star.

Hyundai Canada: An interview with the president

Steve Kelleher is the president and CEO of Hyundai Canada, and has been for quite some time. He's also a fun guy and a great interview, and the subject of my Auto People column this time around for the Toronto Star.

There's more to a bumper than you think!

The fascia on your vehicle may seem simple, but there's actually a lot of engineering in it - and especially at Ford, where kicking your foot under it can open the liftgate. I have a story on engineer Kaci Hrynewich over at the Toronto Star.

Jaguar's Wayne Burgess: Designer, musician, taxicab genius

I had the opportunity to interview Wayne Burgess, the man whose team was responsible for the new Jaguar F-Type (which is, to put it mildly, an F'ing gorgeous car!). But he was also almost single-handedly responsible for a vehicle that just about everyone in London has been inside at some time. Find out more in my Toronto Star story.

Mercedes-Benz: Balancing environment and production

That's Prof. Dr. Herbert Kohler, who looks after environment and sustainability at Mercedes-Benz in Germany. It's a tough balancing act, because he has to make sure that production flows smoothly while considering the effect that vehicles and factories can have with respect to the environment ... and the neighbors. Read more in my Toronto Star story.

An interview with Peter Schreyer

I recently had the opportunity to interview designer Peter Schreyer, who transformed Kia and is now heading up Hyundai's design centres as well. Read all about it in my Toronto Star story.

Look in the distance - it's a Nissan!

Of all the things that designers have to consider when they create a vehicle, I never thought that distance would be one of them - but it's true. Read more about Nissan design Taro Ueda in my Toronto Star story.

The guy who brings your truck to market ...

I had the opportunity to interview Michael Cairns, head of engineering for Chrysler's Ram Truck division, and discovered there's a lot involved in bringing a truck to market. Find out more in my Toronto Star story by clicking here.

The brains behind Smart

The Toronto Star column I write on auto designers has been opened up to include many different people who all contribute to getting cars into the showroom. This time around, I spoke with Dr. Annette Winkler, who heads up the global Smart brand. Read all about it by clicking here!