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Jeff Daniels
27th February 2008 14:37
A rather dark cloud has descended on today with the news that Jeff Daniels, a longtime automotive industry journalist and technical report writer, has died. He was 68 and had not long ago written a report on future fuels (among others) for us. Retiring to the golf course was not for Jeff (he once told me: 'retiring is like waiting to die'). He'd had health problems before, but he seemed to have weathered that storm and was apparently back to his old self. I met up with him late last year in London and he was in fine fettle, attacking lunch in a Turkish restaurant with his usual enthusiasm and stressing that he was keen to stay busy - he was brimming with ideas. And he was an absolute mine of useful information and knowledge stretching back decades. I'll remember him as a down to earth bloke and always friendly, great company. Nothing was too much trouble to help someone out. Utterly professional, he would always go the extra mile if necessary. Believe me, he was an exceptional character who really knew his stuff but was never pompous with it. And he is the only motoring journalist I have ever come across who walked out on a product launch at the airport because he didn't like the rude tone of the security jobsworth when asked to take his shoes off for the X-ray machine. Most of us just put up with it. He was 'old school' (in a good way, old-fashioned values like courtesy counted). Typical Jeff, he thought he'd let down the profession in that rash act. He couldn't have been more wrong. He'll be much missed by many and our thoughts are with his family. The Guild of Motoring Writers issued this release today: The Guild of Motoring Writers is sad to report the death of well known member Jeff Daniels. Jeff, 68, a larger-than-life character who was working until very recently, won many awards for his writing, and his technical knowledge was outstanding. During his career he worked at Car and Autocar before turning his hand to PR at Datsun and Citroen. He returned to writing as a freelance contributing to Automotive Engineer, European Automotive Design and Evo. Jeff also wrote a number of technical and historical books. As well as being a long-serving Guild member, Jeff was a member and former chairman of the Fleet Street Motoring Group.
UK: Fossil fuels to dominate road transport to 2020; biofuels marginal
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I'm stunned. I had never met Jeff personally, but we had been close pen-pals for years, having met in the Financial Times Forums. His automotive expertise goes without saying in this forum, albeit before I believed him to be who he stated, his using the moniker 'Agnostic', he replied to my query on the Routemaster bus by supplying an encyclopedia's worth of technical details only a journalist would know! I have only just found out about Jeff's demise by asking persons in London to try and find out why he had 'disappeared'. His eml account is still active, but of course, no response. Jeff had been wonderful in writing to a mutual friend of ours, a former newspaper editor in the US, who was fighting cancer for years. I lost them both in the same month, it now turns out. I'm overwhelmed....I will try and write something a bit more uplifting later. Jeff will be missed by all.
Stephen Saines, Canada
I was lucky enough to have breakfast with Jeff on a recent launch, and it was the first time that I had met him. What a thoroughly nice guy, who was truly interesting and well humoured. The profession will sorely miss Jeff.
Ian Robertson, United Kingdom
A thoroughly professional man who was always interesting to listen to. Highly principled and yes - as others have said, old school in the right way. His techinical writing will be greatly missed. Paul Evans - Head of Sales & Marketing, SEAT Concessionaires. 1984-1989.
Paul Evans, United Kingdom
Jeff Daniels will be sorely missed. Probably more than anyone, his style of writing influenced me most when approaching motoring columns of my own. ‘Danspeak’ in Autocar was, to me, a must-read in the 1980s. He wrote with authority and knowledge and his style would still be welcome today. I had wished that he had not been taken from us so soon.
Jack Yan, New Zealand
Jeff was, quite simply, the finest writer of his generation on automotive technology and with it the kindest and most generous person you could ever hope to call a friend and colleague. When we launched European Automotive Design 12 years ago, he generously agreed to contribute an article without knowing a thing about us or whether we would produce a magazine he would want to be associated with. A Jeff Daniels masterpiece has appeared in every subsequent issue. His meticulous research, enormous knowledge, vision and insights into all corners of the automotive industry made his articles compelling reading for all engineers. He was never pompous in his writing or with the people with whom he shared his knowledge. He had a great sense of fun and a real zest for life. While one’s heart goes out to his family who will feel his lost most acutely, I like so many others will miss him enormously.
Roger Bishop, United Kingdom
He was a true professional and a gentleman.
Lynette Jackson, United Kingdom
Jeff was one of those ultra-rare beings I believe of whom nobody said anything negative and, perhaps more importantly, of whom it can be said that he had nothing negative to say about others. He was a friend to all, a jovial being, a technical writer whom even such as I could read with great admiration for his writing skills and come away the better informed. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and by a great body of unknown but devoted readers. John Weinthal - Head of Press and PR, SMMT, 1968-1984
john.weinthal, Malaysia
A great loss to the industry and of course his family. Jeff's articles have always been a 'must-read' ever since he attended a launch where I was part of the hosting party. Jeff was the one who elucidated the really interesting parts of the story from the engineers and wrote about it in a balanced non-judgemental yet interesting way, so as to draw his readers into a better understanding of what was under scrutiny. Later on a chance meeting in a Scandinavian airport lounge, we immediately reviewed ideas formed on his latest 'plant-visit', no doubt as a prelude to another insightful feature somewhere. Jeff subsequently kindly offered to road-test a prototype vehicle that I was working-on, by way of an independent reviewer. His critical and pithy comments were genuinely given to help us with the development, and never were the confidences exchanged that day, to be seen in print, despite plenty of opportunities. It seems not enough to say that he will be much missed.
John Dickens, United Kingdom
Just to echo the sentiments about Jeff Daniels; he was one of a diminishing group of writers who maintained an understanding of why our industry can be so seductive, so addictive -and so absorbing. When he interviewed you he could draw out the salient points so effortlessly, he made our attempts to explain why we did the things we did plausible and often made us think more objectively about our stated plans. A true professional commentator who graced our industry.
Keith Jordan, United Kingdom