It should be quite a scene next week in the small bayou town of Pass Christian, Miss., when Ted Grozier arrives.

Ted Grozier in his favorite locale. Says the young automotive journalist, ³I always knew I had an interest in cars, but then I discovered I had an interest in writing about cars.² Staff photo by Rose Lincoln

Just days after graduating from Harvard College, the 22-year-old New York City native will head south toward the heart of old Dixie, just below I-10 along the Gulf Coast. And there will be no mistaking him when he pulls into town behind the wheel of his light blue, 1983 Mercedes 240 diesel.

Grozier, you must understand, has been enamored of cars and other mechanical devices for as long as he can remember. His mother tells the story of how, when she took him to a dairy farm as a child, he spent more time inspecting the barn door latch than petting the sheep. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grozier’s first job will be as staff writer for a new publication, based in Pass Christian, called Auto World Weekly.

Not many Harvard graduates venture into automobile journalism – but Grozier is proud to be the exception to the rule.

"I think it’s special," Grozier says. "What’s nice about it is it’s one of those childhood dreams that everybody thinks is somehow not a legitimate profession, but regardless of whether they think it’s legitimate or not, [my friends] are envious that I get to drive all these new cars, and have an opinion about them, and people will take me as an expert, for better or worse."

Grozier, who is graduating with a degree in engineering, actually stumbled onto his new career while taking a year off from college between his junior and senior years. That’s when he met Sue Mead, a freelance auto writer from Williamstown, Mass., where he spent his weekends during childhood.

Mead solicited Grozier’s help in writing copy for her syndicated automotive columns. Soon, he was writing for two web publications, the Special Car Journal (http://www.specialcar.com) and The Car Connection (http://www.thecarconnection.com).

"I always knew I had an interest in cars," Grozier says, "but then I discovered I had an interest in writing about cars."

In January 1999, The Car Connection sent Grozier on assignment to cover the illustrious Detroit Auto Show. At that point, Grozier realized he was hooked on the profession. "I got to see how these automotive journalists do business. It’s a lot of fun. I got to work on the Web, where the deadline is always five minutes ago, and that was exciting."

Through his work with The Car Connection, Grozier met William Jeanes, the former editor of Car & Driver, who was lured out of retirement by American Media Incorporated (which owns the National Enquirer, among other periodicals), to develop and run Auto World Weekly, which begins publication this month. One of Jeanes’ first decisions was to offer Grozier a full-time job – writing news, compiling product reviews, and conducting road tests. Despite a salary that would frighten away many potential prospects, Grozier gladly accepted.

"He said ‘We can only pay you so much,’ but I thought it was an incredible amount of money for the job and the location," Grozier explains. "He was apologetic, but for me, this is a win-win situation.

"Having taken a year off, I have the advantage of seeing where my [Harvard] classmates are now, and quite a few of them are in New York. Some of them get paid a lot of money, but they spend it on booze and rent and taxi cabs, and there’s no money left over."

As Grozier packs up his Mercedes, and embarks on his journey into the bayou, he voices no regrets, and speaks confidently of his future. "My argument has been…why not? Some people go to China to do something different. Some people go to France. I’m going to Mississippi."

Happy motoring, Ted.