Dan Neil

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This article is about Dan Neil, the automobile columnist. For the football player, see Dan Neil (football player).

Dan Neil is an automobile columnist for the Los Angeles Times, noted for his one-of-a-kind reviews of automobiles, which blend technical expertise with offbeat humor and astute cultural observations. Neil won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2004 for his columns in the Times.

Neil was born in New Bern, North Carolina and received a B.A. degree in Creative Writing from East Carolina University and an M.A. degree in English Literature from North Carolina State University. He began his professional writing career with the Spectator, a local free weekly, and began working for The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina as a copy editor in 1989. In 1991 he began editing and writing the paper's weekly automotive section. Since the section was technically part of the advertising department rather than the editorial department, the usual standards of journalistic ethics did not apply, something that appealed to Neil. In interviews he has stated that his goals at the time were to "learn to write and see the world", and these goals fit in well with the job of a local automotive reporter, as these writers are often invited to travel to lavish junkets at automakers' expense. During his tenure with the N&O Neil began to develop his quirky style of combining humorous observations and anecdotes with nuts-and-bolts automotive review, often using obscure literary analogies and incorporating tales of his sometimes ribald personal escapades. These articles generated some controversy and in 1996 Neil was fired from the paper.

Neil next enjoyed a varied career as a free-lance journalist, including contributing occasional automotive reviews to the New York Times. In early 2003 he took on a role of full-time columnist for the Los Angeles Times and quickly gained a following for his unique approach to automotive writing, which routinely incorporated criticism of Detroit automakers and U.S. government policies regarding emissions and safety regulation.

Neil has indicated that, in the wake of his winning the Pulitzer, he will continue writing for the Times, begin work on a non-fiction book, and possibly host an automotive-themed television show.