A relentless critic in his writing

Mark Hicks of the Detroit News remembers Jerry Flint, the longtime auto industry writer at Forbes who died earlier this month at 79.

Hicks writes, “After becoming a senior editor and retiring in 1996, Mr. Flint became a Forbes columnist, writing a column for the magazine and its website called Backseat Driver.

“‘He loved the industry,’ said Larry Reibstein, an executive editor at Forbes. ‘That’s what made him a relentless critic.’

“Besides a ‘larger than life’ personality, Reibstein said, Mr. Flint also was known for sharing opinions and knowledge.

“‘If you had a question about cars, you’d go to Jerry,’ Reibstein said. ‘He’d be extremely generous about his time and bend your ear.’

“In his final Forbes column, Mr. Flint touched on current auto trends and developments as well as hopes for the future of the industry.'”