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Meet the Media: Rebecca Lindland, Automotive Industry Analyst & Freelance Writer

I straddle two worlds: long as an analyst and consultant, and more recently, as a freelance writer. I have a global perspective, having managed a global forecasting team for many years and lived in Saudi Arabia from 2013-2015. I’ve traveled to dozens of states and countries and can say hello, thank you, and some form of let’s go/hurry up in eight languages, which tells you a lot about my personality.

The media often quote me as an automotive industry analyst, and I am a co-host of Wheelbearings podcast and creator of rebeccadrives.com, a site specializing in car reviews 200 words or less. I’ve just started a blog, “Reflections” on the site, providing me a place to share my musings. I was an occasional contributor to Forbes from 2011-2019 and have written for N.Y. Daily News and J.D. Power, amongst others. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/impressed-resiliency-american-consumer-analyst-194730393.html

Can you tell us what types of stories, trends, or issues are on your radar now?

As the long, challenging year of 2020 recedes in our rearview mirror, I’m focusing on changes in automotive mobility use as we acclimatize to new work, study, and shopping habits, locations, and policies.

We are also in the midst of significant demographic changes. Baby Boomers are moving reluctantly into retirement age, and technology allows the very youngest generation (I call them Generation App) to make their mark earlier than ever in the marketplace. https://www.rebeccadrives.com/post/will-millennials-make-governor-newsom-s-electric-vehicle-mandate-a-reality

Describe the craziest or most fun story you have written.

Without a doubt, the most exciting story I wrote was the sale of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Greg Whitten. Not only did I get an exclusive, but I also got the chance to ride in the GTO and had a front-row seat at the Sotheby’s auction at Pebble Beach. It was quite an extraordinary opportunity.

What story or stories are you most proud of?

Along with the GTO story, I’m also proud of my Forbes’ Audi R8 story about a women-only driving event at Monticello raceway. It was a glorious day surrounded by some of the industry’s best women, and my first event back after nearly three years in Saudi Arabia. It also dovetailed with Audi’s 2017 Super Bowl commercial, Daughter.

What elements or characteristics do you look for in a story?

I look for a distinctive perspective, a personal experience. How is this story different than all the others out there?

How long have you been in journalism, and how did you get started?

My analyst career stretches back to 1999, but my first foray into writing stories was as a Forbes contributor in 2011.

Finish this sentence: If I am not reporting, I am …

reading, researching, watching HGTV, and driving, of course.

What advice do you have for P.R. people that want to pitch you?

Understand I’m not a traditional journalist as I live in both spheres. I am just as likely to be quoted in an article as have my byline on an article.

Any pet peeves with P.R. people?

Please, know your history. Read about the brand you’re serving or the technology you’re pitching. Know the backstory, and the people involved.

Tell us a little about yourself (family, interests, hobbies, background, etc.)

I live in Greenwich, CT in a mid-century modern house I’m in the process of restoring. I’m happily, blessedly single, the youngest of 8 kids, and only my oldest brother and I are the gearheads in the family. I don’t know why, but I’ve known every car on the road since I was a little kid.

I have a cat named Lucy (after our beloved Linus passed away in early 2020) and love dogs and horses as well.

I didn’t fly on a plane until I was fourteen, and it was an instant addiction. I would love to get my pilot and helicopter license. I adore the freedom a helicopter provides and the quiet a long-haul plane ride affords. I still prefer a window seat and can stare out of one for hours.

Raised with one T.V. and five brothers, I am a fan of many sports. I’m ambidextrous and unobtrusively switch hands mid-match when I play tennis or pool, or when I throw a ball.

Cooking is a true struggle for me. It vexes me, unlike nearly any other vocation. I am terrible at bike riding but great at the balance beam. I love decorating shows and believe renovation and rebuilding an essential form of sustainability. This world is all we have. We must be good, responsible stewards of it.

You can follow Rebecca on social media at:

Twitter: @Rebecca_drives

Instagram: @Rebecca_drives

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaDrivess

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