Meet Javier Mota | Javier Mota, has covered the automotive industry for over 25 years, both in English and Spanish, reporting for numerous outlets including Univision, Telemundo, Sirius XM Radio, CNN Español, and the Impremedia Network.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Javier Mota and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Javier, how do you think about risk?
In mid-2000, one of my job duties was to build editorial teams to launch the Univision.com site, which followed the America Online format with content on topics as diverse as gardening, movies, sex and technology.

When it came time to launch the Autos channel, I thought I had the perfect candidate: a news editor fresh from La Opinión in Los Angeles, who had just arrived at our new Miami operation.

However, fate had a surprise in store. Instead of taking the opportunity, he declined the assignment, citing his passion for journalism focused on global politics and economics. He soon resigned and accepted a position at America on Line AOL, from where he took off on his own path to success.

What initially seemed like a setback eventually became the catalyst for an opportunity that changed our lives.

With the urgency of launching the Autos channel, I had no choice but to start it myself, even though I was never passionate about the subject or knew much about.

I was forced to do it in parallel to my main position as Editor-in-Chief of the Sports channel, a subject that I was not crazy about then and even less so now.

For me, what I have always liked is the work itself, not a particular subject. Many say that I am just a workaholic.

It was 6 years of juggling dealing with upper management bureaucracy, supervisors who did not understand or help us do what we did, and the demands of two channels with content for two completely different audiences.

Those juggling acts, which ultimately turned out to be transformative, lasted until I returned to Miami after coordinating coverage of the 2006 Germany World Cup for Univision.com. That’s when I left Sports altogether to devote myself exclusively to covering cars.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What motivates me is what automotive journalism offers; the people I meet, the stories I discover, and the places I’ve been able to visit during nearly 25 years of traveling around the world.

For example, my recent visit to the BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico was more interesting to me for the positive impact that the nearly 4,000 direct jobs have created in the local community, than for the opportunity to drive the BMW M2 that is built there.

Every trip or assignment is a new chapter that leads me to meet fascinating people and stories. Whether it’s a presentation at an Auto Show or a quiet conversation with a designer in a studio, I love uncovering the different layers of the industry, understanding what makes it tick, and most importantly, sharing that knowledge with my audience.

For me, cars are simply the vehicle – literally and metaphorically – through which I get to live in a world of new experiences every day that I would never have otherwise encountered. They serve as the backdrop to the larger story – the human connections, diverse perspectives, and unexpected adventures I get to document.

I enjoy telling those stories, not so much as the mechanics or aesthetics of the cars themselves. So while others might find joy in the roar of an engine or the gleam of chrome, my satisfaction is in the journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When people ask me where I live, my answer is: “I do my laundry in Miami”, since I am out of town about 300 days a year. And the truth is that I actually don´t like Miami at all. I don´t go to the beach or the clubs. Traffic is horrible. For me the best time for fun is going skiing in Chile during the Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It´s a quick overnight flight from Miami International Airport: So, that´s where we would go; ski resorts like Colorado, Valle Nevado, La Parva or Corralco.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a Shoutout to Carlos Ferreyra, who unwittingly shaped my new career, simply by saying “no, thank you”, when he rejected the position of Automotive Editor at Univision.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosferreyra/

Website: https://autos0to60.com/category/blog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/javiermota/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiermota/

Twitter: https://x.com/javiermota @javiermota

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/javier.mota

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@autosjaviermota

Other: https://solodinero.com/author/javier-mota/

Image Credits
@JavierMota