Vale: Ash Westerman

摘要

WHEELS REMEMBERS ONE OF ITS ALL-TIME GREATS. WHEELS MEDIA mourns the loss of Ash Westerman, long-time staffer and close friend. He was 57. A hugely respected member of the Australian automotive industry, Ash started out as a sales representative but in the late 1980s transitioned to his real calling - motoring journalism - joining MOTOR magazine under the editorship of Davey Robertson. With an infectious passion for cars, a natural road-testing ability and a gift for clear, concise and entertaining writing, Ash was soon a crucial member of the MOTOR team as it stole sales off rival Wheels through the 1990s. He would divert from cars, however, to play a key role in the early days of ACP's Ralph magazine - Australia's answer to UK lad mags like Loaded and FHM. Ash brought his talent to this fast-paced, fiercely competitive publishing environment, never out of place in a world filled with expert wordsmiths all looking to one-up each other with the sharpest and funniest headlines, intros and captions. In 2002, Ash began freelancing as a sub-editor for Wheels before then-editor Ged Bulmer asked him to join the team full-time two years later. Adding a layer of polish to the work of many of the country's best writers, he helped make the magazine sing with his cleverly crafted captions, headlines and intros.