Randi Payton, President/CEO of Detroit-based On Wheels Inc., began publishing African Americans on Wheels in July 1995 as a quarterly with 500,000 circulation. It is now bimonthly at 750,000. "We call it a newspaper-delivered magazine," Payton says, noting it is "one of the few newspaper-delivered magazines that qualified for MPA membership and we were the first insert to receive an ABC audit."

Besides newspaper distribution, copies of AAOW and Latinos On Wheels are also distributed at community, auto and other events, plus to industry execs, dealers and suppliers. LOW, first launched in 2001 with 500,000 circulation, was relaunched last year and now has 400,000. 

Asians On Wheels will launch as a digital publication, due in part to the challenges of getting advertiser support. Payton recalls, "We had to go around and make top executives in the industry aware that not all Hispanics speak and read Spanish, etc.  You'd think that was the job of the agencies, but they were the ones resisting English. And that is still the case in Asian media. We decided we can't fight that battle again with the Asian agencies." He also points out that English is either the first or second language in most Asian countries. "And let's not forget that many Asians are second and third generation and don't speak their native language."

In 1995, Payton launched www.automag.com, which later became http://www.onwheelsinc.com.

Here, Payton talks about the car-buying habits of different ethnic markets, reader feedback, auto shows and the effect of soaring gas prices on model choices.

Q. In a nutshell, how would you say each of your three ethnic audiences differs when it comes to car buying?

A. Asians tend to be culturally tied to a particular brand. Among Latinos, the first generation is dominant in used cars, while the second and third generations buy and lease newer vehicles. White Latinos tend to be affluent and purchase higher numbers of luxury vehicles, while less-affluent Latinos tend to buy trucks for working and family vehicles. African Americans tend to be split 50/50 between domestic and foreign products. Also, they buy more luxury and stylist vehicles, but women are more likely to stick with vehicles that have a proven maintenance record, like the Accord and Camry.

Q. In terms of reader feedback, whether to your print or online editions, what African Americans on Wheels feature has sparked the most reaction? 

A. We generally get high reader feedback on advertorials on people and companies, such as our recent June-July issue on the "70 Most Influential Men," which was very popular. We also get a lot of feedback on motorsports topics and historical features on the first black auto maker and other little-known news.

Q. You just covered the New York International Auto Show in April. Which of the major annual auto shows is the biggest for you? And why?

A. The North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January is the most important, because we host our "Urban Wheel Awards" in conjunction with the show. Ours is the only multicultural event held in partnership with an auto show and we attract about 3,000 people annually.

We also worked with the New York show for about 10 years and launched an "Urban Dealer Awards" in conjunction with that show. It didn't go over well. The awards were open to all dealers in the U.S. but because we were doing it, the industry thought it was a minority event. Only the criterion was based on how well dealers do in diversity—which is the most important issue for all dealers—or how well they can market and communicate with the growing multicultural consumer. For example: If a Washington Metro dealer gets 20% of its customers from D.C., 25% from Prince Georges County, and the rest from Montgomery and Virginia, does its workforce, staff and marketing mix reflect that reality? In most cases, it does not and that is one of the biggest things affecting unprofitable auto makers.

Q. Given the soaring price of gasoline, have you noticed any significant change among your readers in terms of choosing smaller cars over SUVs?

A. No, we have not. In fact, the African American RV association continues to expand its membership and chapters. Some of our readers do consider fuel-efficient vehicles. However, for the most part, African Americans in general tend to want luxury items. The average household has three cars and now they are adding motorcycles.