Davis influenced the format of automotive journalism by introducing premium publishing features[2] and he influenced the profession by mentoring a gamut of automotive photographers, illustrators, designers and journalists – including Jean Lindamood Jennings, Robert Cumberford, Bruce McCall, P. J. O'Rourke, Jim Harrison and David Halberstam[2] – as well as younger colleagues and journalism students.
[3] Known for his own straightforward writing style and his colorful personality – at six-foot-three inches tall, bearded, portly[4] and always immaculately dressed – Davis had once been featured in The New York Times On the Street fashion section.
Automotive writer Todd Lassa called him "a raconteur, an impresario, a bon vivant in a tweed, three-piece suit.
Davis was born in Burnside, Kentucky, on November 7, 1930 – in a house without running water, on a hill called Tyree's Knob.
[10] Davis overturned while racing his sports car (an MG TF 1500) at age 25 in Sacramento – badly damaging his face.
"[14] At the magazine, he became friends with automotive luminaries including race car drivers Juan Manuel Fangio, Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby.
[10] Davis left Car and Driver in 1967 – reported variously as either having been fired by Leon Mandel[11] or having resigned[2] as a result of a difference of opinion with management over his criticism of the Blaupunkt radio in his "Turn your Hymnals to 2002" column.
[15][16][17] He returned to Car and Driver in 1976 to serve as the magazine's editor and publisher – and moved its headquarters from New York to Ann Arbor[18] in 1977.
Until his death, he continued to contribute to numerous automotive venues, including international publications[11] such as the British magazine CAR.
"[8] Joe DeMatio, deputy editor at Automobile Magazine said Davis "was very opinionated and did not hesitate to ruffle feathers, even if they were those of his own bosses.
James R. Healey, the auto columnist for USAToday, recalled that while speaking at the Washington Automotive Press Association, Davis also likened General Motors managers to the piano players in a whorehouse, "aware of what was going on upstairs but unable to do much about it even if they were so inclined."
"[21] Davis was periodically estranged from the editor of Automobile, Jean Jennings,[11] who described him as "the most interesting, most difficult, cleverest, darkest, most erudite, dandiest, and most inspirational, charismatic and all-around damnedest human being I will ever meet.
"[11] David Cole, chairman emeritus of the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research called Davis "a provocateur, in some ways kind of like the Bob Lutz of auto journalism.
"[10] Eddie Alterman, editor-in-chief at Car and Driver, described Davis as "the dashing, witty, high-spirited, and deeply knowledgeable writer/editor who brought the automobile to life.
"[6] His office was filled automotive art and featured a clipping with Ernest Shackleton's 1914 ad to enlist participants in a voyage to Antarctica: "Men wanted for hazardous journey.