Perry Lefko, an experienced automotive journalist has joined the Canadian auto dealer team. Lefko is a multi award-winning writer and multi best-selling author who has been a journalist for more than 35 years.
Twenty-one of those years were spent with the Toronto Sun, and most recently Lefko has focused on the automotive industry for major news outlets such as the Toronto Star Automotive News Canada and the Canadian International AutoShow, including writing articles for its website and organizing panels for topics on diversity and electrification.
“I entered into the automotive writing business when I met Norris McDonald, a veteran automotive writer who is one of the most respected individuals in the business, quite by chance,” Perry said. “I was working for Elections Canada and he was voting in the riding in which I worked. When he showed me his driver’s license, I asked him if he worked for the Toronto Star – he was the editor of the Wheels section at the time – and introduced myself. He has become important in my life as a friend, who is always encouraging, and a mentor.”
For more than five years Perry has specialized in automotive writing about dealerships and dealer principals, including profiles on Nav Bhatia, Vaughn Wyant, Susan Gubasta and Benny Leung and industry executives such as Don Romano, Wolfgang Hoffmann and Larry Hutchinson. He is also keenly focused on the Canadian auto shows and the impact COVID-19 has had on them and the industry at large.
“I joined Canadian auto dealer having had a chance to meet Todd Phillips a couple of times. Todd made an impression on me with his assistance at some events while I was new to the business,” Perry said. “I found that to be comforting because the automotive industry can be complex along with its terminology, and it also showed me something about Todd’s character. I also like the overall Canadian auto dealer ethos and felt I could help to make the strong content even stronger. I am looking forward to using my journalism instincts and knowledge of the automotive industry to deliver breaking stories and interesting profiles about companies and people. Although the industry is centred around cars, I truly believe it is about people.”
Perry believes this is a uniquely interesting time in the industry because of the ongoing effects of COVID on the international semiconductor chip shortage and the advancement of digital retailing. The overall effect of the pandemic on dealerships and the way they conduct business, and the continued efforts to move towards electrification are topics of great interest to Perry.
“I think COVID will continue to affect the global supply chain, which will mean dealerships will not have access to new inventory and will have to be aggressive to secure used vehicles, which have become a hot commodity,” Perry said.
In addition to writing about the automotive industry Perry has been active as an author, having written more than 10 books since 1995, most recently helping former National Hockey League players turned broadcasters Eddie Olczyk and Nick Kypreos write books about their lives and careers. He has also written books about or with sports stars such as Doug Flutie, Michael (Pinball) Clemons, Bret Hart, Sandy Hawley, Sandra Schmirler and Colleen Jones. He is currently working with Canadian realtor Raman Dua on his autobiography.
To contact him about stories for Canadian auto dealer, you can reach him at perrylefko@gmail.com.
