Inducted 2018
Automotive Journalist
John McElroy
John McElroy is possibly the hardest working automotive journalist on the planet. He is the host of the Emmy Award-winning national PBS television program, “Autoline This Week,” host of a live webcast, “Autoline After Hours,” and host of “Autoline Daily,” the first industry webcast of industry news and analysis. McElroy also broadcasts three radio segments daily on WWJ Radio 950 and writes a monthly opinion article for Ward’s Auto World.
McElroy’s automotive interests started at age 6 on his first auto plant tour. His fascination with the ever-changing car industry grew as he read about design, production and automotive engineering principles. While earning a bachelor’s degree in English at Wayne State University, he worked as an hourly UAW employee at various area plants. McElroy has been the Detroit editor for Road & Track, editorial director for Automotive Industries magazine and even penned the annual automotive entry for the Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook. In 1998, McElroy founded Blue Sky Productions to coordinate all aspects of his work.
An industry educator and author noted: “John is a member of a very small group of journalists who have excelled in every dimension of their work … due to their commitment to all aspects of the industry rather than just a random story or a current news item.” McElroy has won numerous industry awards, including two Detroit Press Club International Wheel Awards. McElroy’s automotive insight and expertise has been tapped by ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News. He is a frequent guest on CNN, NPR and the CBC.