In memory of the car enthusiast Bernd Wieland
06/12/2019
Bernd Wieland (May 5, 1960 - June 3, 2019) is dead. The long-time editor-in-chief of Auto Bild and the classic car magazines Auto Bild Klassik and Motor Klassik died at the age of 59 in his hometown of Stuttgart. The news came as a complete surprise to his friends, colleagues and many representatives of the classic car scene.
The industry had known him for over two decades as a warm and charismatic person. And as someone who was enthusiastic about cars of all prices and sizes, as long as they had a characteristic that could arouse emotions. He often liked to quote the great Fritz B. Busch: "I feel the joy of driving as soon as I hold a steering wheel in my hand."
Bernd Wieland felt just as at home at the Concours d'Élégance at Pebble Beach as he did at the bratwurst barbecue at the Bockhorn classic car market. And his colleagues found him just as relaxed as he was there as their boss and editor - reliable and charming, even when it came to tough topics and differing opinions. Bernd Wieland was in control, but he never saw his position at the center of power as an end in itself, but always sought to be close to the people around him. He was interested in them and knew at least as much about them as he knew about cars. As much as he was a professional, as much as he was on the trail of content and quality, it was always the other person that counted for him. No one had to be a streamlined type to earn his respect. It was much more important that he stood by his cause and understood it. Bernd Wieland was quick to expose any bullshitters, and quite a few people greatly underestimated him, the artistic type with the soft Swabian accent, the mischievous laugh and his curly hair. If he noticed this, he would ask for a one-on-one meeting in his executive office. It never got loud. But many a person came out embarrassed and with a bright red head.
Bernd Wieland was someone who had perfected the "management by love" method. He motivated people to perform with a smile, warmth and a pat on the back - and never forgot to thank and praise them when it seemed appropriate. Wherever he was, the tone was both pleasant and demanding. Cynical sharpness or management platitudes were abhorrent to him.
Nor did he need them to be successful. For eleven years, he was editor-in-chief of the weekly magazine Auto Bild, trimming the magazine for topicality and depth in difficult times and guiding it with flair towards the future. In 2007, he launched the Auto Bild Klassik title. The idea had been around at Springer for a long time, but it took the new Auto Bild boss Wieland to convince the company of the respectable size of the market niche. The fourth German classic car magazine was an immediate success, with sales figures sometimes exceeding 120,000 issues per month. His heart always beat for classic cars, especially Italian ones. He adored the great designers, especially those from Pininfarina, Bertone and Zagato, but also owned two classic Tatra cars, recognized the iconic potential of the Renault Avantime as a first owner and owned a Mercedes-Benz 190 E alongside all the exotics.
He began his journalistic career with a double degree - business administration and journalism - at the Motorpresse in Stuttgart. One of his favorite anecdotes was the story of the young editor Wieland, who dared to edit a manuscript by the great car writer Fritz B. Busch, which he didn't find funny at all - later they became friends. From 1996, he was managing editor of auto motor und sport and led the ailing magazine Motor Klassik to steadily increasing circulation with a precise relaunch. In 1999, he took over as editor-in-chief of Motor Klassik and launched the new Youngtimer title - as always, he let himself be ignited by the enthusiasm for new things and firmly believed in the continued growth of the scene. He listened to the doubters with proven friendliness, but then decided to take an unconventional and courageous approach. In 2004, he rose through the auto motor und sport hierarchy to become deputy editor-in-chief.
The stages of an impressive career came to an end in 2017. Bernd Wieland and AUTO BILD parted ways, even though he initially remained "Editor-in-Chief of New Formats" and advisor to the company in Hamburg. However, the company with its hierarchical management culture and the car-loving free spirit could no longer find a course on which they could agree. Bernd Wieland then worked as a freelance journalist and consultant. He remained closely connected to the scene.
His early death was shocking. He still had a lot planned, he met with colleagues and brainstormed ideas, he still wanted to say and write a lot, as many cars were still driving.
In him, the classic car scene has lost a loyal friend, someone who did not love the usual status symbols, but rather life with its pleasures - and the cars, whether pre-war Bugatti or Tesla, that fascinated him insatiably. He was a man who always saw with his heart, even those around him who could not or would not do so themselves. He knew that he was on the right side, even though this increasingly cost him his strength. Only a few suspected how much it was.
Many will miss him.
