The TED Formula
09 May 2020 2 min read 2 images
Ted Gushue is one of those people who have made their passion not just their work, but their way of life, achieving success and becoming models for people around the world at a very young age. We interviewed him to discover the origins of his passion, to reveal his future projects and to understand his opinion and vision about the future of the world of classic cars. Ted was born in the United States to a family of architects, artists, and engineers, and his passion for classic cars had already been in the family for some time. His father, grandfather and uncle spent a lot of their free time buying crashed cars and then restoring and using them. Among them were also important pieces, such as a Ferrari 330 GTC and various Porsche 911s. The passion turned into a job when he realized that he too had something to say and had the ability to tell stories in a way people really like. Ted took on the role of Managing Director for Petrolicious, from 2015 to 2017, where he contributed to the exponential growth of what is now one of the most popular classic car platforms in the world. He then decided to break away and create his own consulting firm, so he could work independently and build his own road. Ted’s ability is to address broad themes beyond the automotive world, including architecture, design, lifestyle, watches and more. All of this is told in a very captivating and sincere tone, which pleases his audience, who take him as a role model. So much so that in 2018 he was contacted by Porsche, which decided to put him in charge of Type 7, the official Porsche digital magazine, which in a short space of time became one of the most popular social channels. The secret? The editorial care, the variety of content and the spectacular photographic component. Shortly afterwards this turned into a printed magazine, also called Type 7. The connection with Porsche is written in Ted’s destiny. In fact, he tells us, this brand has always been part of his life. The first car he got into was the 911 SC in which his parents took him home from the hospital as soon as he was born. He now owns a 1976 Porsche 911S, restored to perfection and in every detail.
His main inspirational model is Denis Jenkinson, the legendary sports journalist famous for his participation as co-driver of Stirling Moss at the 1955 Mille Miglia. Likewise, Ted became obsessed with the idea of wanting to be present at all the major events, competitions, rallies, and to experience them first hand. He bought his first Leica camera in 2015 and started taking pictures of people, cars, details, panoramas that quickly made him famous across the world. Also, because his approach is inclusive, he speaks to everyone with the same language. He is universal. And this is the key to preserving the passion for cars in the future. He is very positive, because passion, especially among young people, is at a very high level and social media engagement confirms it. But events have to change their approach. They should be, he tells us, more addressed to a younger audience. Concourses, especially, in the future will have new targets and the new generation will have different characteristics from the current one. A new format is necessary. Young people want to have fun and feel they are part of something. The ICE and Bernina Gran Turismo are two examples in this direction in St. Moritz. Two events that make fun and participant engagement their key component. Goodwood also, manages to be universal and attracts a huge audience as a result. With $20, you can see a priceless spectacle. Social media helps in this direction, too, as it allows people to get closer to this world and learn very quickly. Passion is the key to Ted’s success and it’s paying off. He is very busy and in the coming months we will see the release of the second edition of Type 7 and his first solo book as a photographer, published by Rizzoli in Spring 2021.
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