After 41 years, Patrick Bedard motors away from Car and Driver
In the latest issue of Car and Driver, editor-at-large and former professional racer Patrick Bedard has penned his swan song, announcing his departure from the print magazine that he has called home for the last four decades. Without indicating what his next move will be – either retirement or moving to some other outlet, perhaps, Bedard looks both back and ahead at the industry and his involvement. Bedard's departure may come as a bit of a shock to the system of longtime C&D readers, many of whom appreciated Bedard's singular ability to boil down complex issues and cut through the spin. Perhaps he's taken time off to write a book or relax, as no slings and arrows have been thrown that we're aware of. For now, we'll just assume that Pat's going to kick back and take more spins in that classic Mopar he's got. After all, Arizona is a retirement spot.
Either way, the pages of C&D will never be the same, and those who have become accustomed to the idea that there will always be a Bedard piece in Car and Driver are going to feel a gaping hole in the book. Let us know what you're up to, Pat.
[Source: Car and Driver]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
xspeedy 8:34AM (7/20/2009)
There must be some bad management produced mojo going around CD since both Csere and Bedard have left. Wonder what the real story is.
Reply
MTU 5.0 9:23AM (7/20/2009)
It may be that they both just felt if was time to move towards retirement (we'll see I guess), but I agree those are two very large losses for the magazine. I know I will miss them both.
JayC 8:39AM (7/20/2009)
Magazines are not selling that's all.
Reply
nuggetsmcduggets 8:50AM (7/20/2009)
Thats a shame, I'll miss all of his excruciatingly bland writing.
Reply
PJ 2:57PM (7/20/2009)
I didn't find his writing bland, but I did find that his "ability to boil down complex issues and cut through the spin" usually meant grossly oversimplifying them, and with quite a great deal of his own Libertarian spin. Nothing wrong with that, except than when you're talking about the primary mode of transportation for an entire country of people--cars are, in effect, our public transportation system--it's a bit silly to expect things like safety and emissions to be unregulated.
Also, like Yates, his column reached a point where he was pretty much recycling the same rant about the Prius and CAFE and Ariana Huffington every month. I'll dearly miss the engineering expertise he brought to the mag, but it was time.
Polly Prissy Pants 5:11PM (7/20/2009)
I agree. He was great when he could leave his wackjob political views at the door, but that was becoming increasingly infrequent, much as with my grampa.
jrhmobile 8:52AM (7/20/2009)
Crimony, was someone on vacation?
First you report on Saturday about an article in Automobile Magazine, then you let out this piece on Car and Driver. These magazines have been on the newsstands and in subscribers' mailboxes for damn near a month now.
Reply
gluckens 9:10AM (7/20/2009)
Excellent news! He's a douche and won't be missed.
Reply
Luis 9:19AM (7/20/2009)
I'm glad he's going. He's totally stuck in the past and he tries to turn complex issues into common sense but instead is senseless and simpleminded.
Good riddance.
Reply
Avinash machado 9:27AM (7/20/2009)
So almost all of the old guard is gone? How long before Phillips leaves too?
Reply
Jesus 9:27AM (7/20/2009)
Departure of one of the few remaining heterosexuals at C&D. Who will write about the true costs of leveraging nougat as an alternative fuel now.
Reply
Alex 9:36AM (7/20/2009)
C&D is a rag. The only time i pick it up to skim through it is at my doctor's office. There are much better magazines out there for motorheads. Car, EVO and 0-60 immediately come to mind.
Reply
Koko 9:56AM (7/20/2009)
I've really enjoyed Patrick's columns personally. I also liked reading Csaba's work. I'm not a fan of Eddie Alterman so far. But he's still new. Philips columns are usually non-sense, although I enjoy his humor in his actual articles. I'm guessing Patrick and Bedard will be appearing together somewhere else soon. Whether it's a print mag or online.
Dave T. 9:55AM (7/20/2009)
I was never a fan and it's pretty obvious that Alterman is MPH-ing C&D which is a very good thing. It's getting younger, brasher just doesn't have the pin-ups unfortunately.
Seriously, who wants to read 4 grey columns of opinion in a print mag these days?
Reply
JMF 10:06AM (7/20/2009)
Met him, Don Sherman, Csaba Csere, (ORourke or St. Antoine) + their great secretary at 2002 Hogback Road once when I snuck out of work a few decades ago. Got their autographs on my issue of C&D and will defineitely miss Bedard's articles.
Can only hope his replacment(s) will bring as much engineering background and a healthy snake oil scepticism approach to their articles as their predecessor did.
Not sure about the new editor in chief yet, but he brought back David E (who had just left when I visited C&D), so future expectations are better although still not sure if David E will become the new Car Czar.
Reply
Huuvola 10:36AM (7/20/2009)
His leaving is fine by me. I was really tired of his paranoid rants about red light cameras and other survivalist manifestos. He wasn't so much interested in driving or cars as he was trying to find every penny wasted by bureaucrats. And frankly, he's one of an aging generation of car reviewers that, I believe, has become jaded and obsessed with splitting hairs.
Reply
Protzenegger 11:03AM (7/20/2009)
So, you don't mind red light cameras?
phoenix 11:16AM (7/20/2009)
Sorry to see him take the buyout, but it's clear why: Llike most other well-paid writers these days, the budget just doesn't support them with circulation and advertising revenue in the dumpster.
I often disagree with Pat, but he's always had decent chops as a writer.
Reply
MRX19 12:13PM (7/20/2009)
Feel sorry for you young guys who never got to read C & D in its prime years. It was really the who's who of automtive journalism (Davis, Yates , Bedard, Mandel, O'Rourke, etc, etc). As much as the world goes electronic, still miss getting home at night and finding a great magazine in the mailbox.
Reply
evan 2:29PM (7/20/2009)
Oh man do I miss those days. I would laugh out loud reading Yate's columns, I was pretty sad when he left. Now, I don't think I will even read them anymore. Used to be one of my favorites, now, along with Automobile (who, btw, used to be possibly the best in the US) they are the worst. Hell, I'd rather read Autoweek. How could anybody not like Bedard's writing? It was logical, sensible, and always made sense. Always learned something.