the highmileage mission.

Hi. My name's Adam. I'm a liveblogger. A webcaster. A photographer with a focus on car culture. I moved to Detroit because I believe in this mission. Is there room for me on your team?

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 14:00:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal ...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:30:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce Japan and Texas to the 2010 Ford Mustang, click on the “Mustang Drifts Japan Liveblog” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.

Language barriers are imperceptible when bonding over cars. I personally proved this theory during the 2010 Ford Mustang’s introduction, when I tailed Formula Drift champion Vaughn Gittin, Jr. to Japan for the world’s first international automotive liveblogging session. During the 400-kilometer drive from Tokyo to Ebisu Circuit, I carefully adopted the role of “automotive ambassador” by inviting local car buffs to take a photo inside the Mustang.

Emerging forms of media have enabled me to introduce enthusiasts to new cars in meaningful, special ways. Click the category links on the right to discover who I've met.

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 13:00:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal ...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:10:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce the Camaro to the Midwest and its online enthusiast fanbase, click on the “Camaro Cross-Country Webcast” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.

It was easily the most anticipated model relaunch of the decade. Chevrolet needed a special way to ship the first 2010 Camaro to Texas — so they contacted me. I drove the car from Detroit to Dallas and organized meetups along the way to allow fans the chance to sit in their long-awaited hero-car. I introduced the Camaro to enthusiasts and prospective owners in its native settings: at a social media-savvy dealership; at a famed heritage parts warehouse; at three impromptu car meets and a prominent aftermarket performance shop. The trip culminated in a 44-car caravan through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area. My Camaro, named “Silver”, arrived in time to win the Texas Auto Writers Association’s Car of Texas award that weekend.

If you're hiring an optimistic, energetic, personally invested advocate, you should be in touch. Please see my VisualCV, an interactive next-generation résumé, at http://highmileage.org.

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 11:00:00 -0500

If you're hiring an optimistic, energetic, personally invested advocate, you should be in touch. Please see my VisualCV, an interactive next-generation résumé, at http://highmileage.org.

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 08:04:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce people to the Ford Fiesta, click on the “FiestaMovement Honorary Agent” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.

Charlie Brumfield and Nick Malone, the guys at BurnoutRadio, were always willing to toss me the keys to their Euro-spec Fiesta. During the Fiesta Movement, I looked to Charlie and Nick as springboards for ideas relating to the B-segment, and car culture at large. In this photo, Charlie and I are celebrating the arrival of the US-spec Fiesta at Ford’s Texas HQ. Though the Fiesta Movement is over, I still value the lessons I learned as an honorary brand ambassador — and the friendships I forged remain strong.

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal ...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 08:03:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to introduce the Mitsubishi i to Los Angeles and my Twitter followers, click on the “Mitsubishi i Photoshoot” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.

Sheetmetal surface language and detailed design cues are important endcaps, but size and proportion are the basis of any iconic design. America’s acceptance of smaller vehicles can be accelerated by giving the public an opportunity to pore through an internationally successful foreign-market vehicle like the Mitsubishi i. I asked photographer Chris Ness to accompany me on a tour of Los Angeles landmarks, and invited several passers-by to sit inside the car. We streamed our photos to Twitter to engage the digital realm, as well.

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal ...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 08:02:00 -0500

To learn how I leveraged social media and my interpersonal skills to bring Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr fans to the New York and Austin auto shows, click on the “Mazda Auto Show Coverage” link to the right and browse through the thumbnail grid.

When Mazda’s social media agency urgently needed an auto show correspondent, one Tweet was all it took to enlist my help. Mazda’s social media agency depended on me to help discern project objectives, figure out the best way to engage auto show attendees and create meaningful content on the New York International Auto Show floor — with only hours’ notice. The first project was so successful that Mazda invited me to plan and execute auto show coverage in Austin, as well.

This quest isn't intermittent. Interact with me at twitter.com/highmileage and youtube.com/highmileage.

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 07:00:00 -0500

Madelyn Miller of CarLadyNews poses with bikers in front of...

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:04:00 -0500

Madelyn Miller of CarLadyNews poses with bikers in front of Alice’s Restaurant at the Ford Fiesta’s national launch in California. We welcomed curious onlookers into the car at each pitstop.

After forging a close online friendship, I finally met Fiesta...

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:46:00 -0500

After forging a close online friendship, I finally met Fiesta Movement agents Bryan and Brandon Redeker face-to-face at its American debut. I later introduced them to XPEL Technologies, and brokered a mutually beneficial relationship: XPEL will outfit their Fiesta autocrosser with headlamp protection shields, and the Redekers will shoot a grassroots installation guide.

My last European-market Fiesta photoshoot in Dallas....

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 13:44:00 -0500

My last European-market Fiesta photoshoot in Dallas. BurnoutRadio and I assembled local social media influencers, including friends from Ford and GM regional headquarters, to bid Texas’s first Fiesta goodbye.

I took the Ford Fiesta to an autocross race in Corpus Christi....

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

I took the Ford Fiesta to an autocross race in Corpus Christi. Lumographer Tay Portillo shot this picture in between runs; Albert Valera took another shot in grid. The Fiesta and I placed fourth overall. We changed minds. We enlisted believers. We made the Fiesta a feared weapon on-track.

I drove a European-spec Fiesta from Memphis to Dallas, and made...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

I drove a European-spec Fiesta from Memphis to Dallas, and made a special effort to stop at rural dealers. Small dealers usually have excellent staff retention rates. Web users watched as I webcast lifelong QualityCare techs’ stories of 300,000-mile Fiestas from the ’70s. That gave me important context for the historical significance of the Fiesta’s re-launch.

Slater’s Performance, Houston’s preeminent Ford...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Slater’s Performance, Houston’s preeminent Ford speedshop, gets its first look at the 2011 Fiesta. Some brand enthusiasts have literally banked their livelihoods on the automotive brands they trust. It’s the least we can do, as automotive analysts and communicators, to validate their enthusiasm by showing respect for their passion.

Three thousand miles. One hundred handshakes. Fifteen dealers. Two webcasts. One autocross. A cadre of lifelong friends. Not bad for an honorary Fiesta Movement agent.

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:08:00 -0500

Before the Ford Fiesta’s formal arrival in the United...

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:07:00 -0500

Before the Ford Fiesta’s formal arrival in the United States, I was privileged to be granted the title of “Honorary Fiesta Movement Agent” by the crew at BurnoutRadio. Their gracious generosity allowed me to log approximately 3000 miles in the European-spec Fiesta. Along the way, I introduced the Fiesta to major metro dealerships’ sales staff, QualityCare technicians at rural dealers, lifelong Ford enthusiasts and skeptical autocrossers who hadn’t seriously considered a Ford in years. This is a catalog of the friendships I forged.

Mazda's social media firm needed fast, accurate rich-media reporting from the auto show floor. They sent just one message. I was their guy.

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Mitsubishi tossed me the keys to a Japanese-market i. We made fast friends. We made beautiful art. We made small-car skeptics think again.

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Introducing the most anticipated car of the decade to faithful fans in the Midwest was the biggest obligation of my career. It was also my biggest victory.

Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500