Name: Nick Kurczewski

A.K.A. I’m always ‘Nicholas’ here in France, since Nick sounds way too close to a very nasty French swearword.
Place of Birth: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Age: 29
Year, Make and Model of Your first car/truck: I wanted a very rough 1988 Jaguar XJS V-12 Coupe when I was 17 years old. But I was sensible and, for the same price, bought a reliable 1989 VW Jetta GLI. That damn Jetta turned out to be the biggest used-car lemon in the history of automobiles! Sadly, I was unaware of Lemon Law at the time.
Occupation: Freelance automotive journalist
Employer: I write for The New York Times, Octane, AutoWeek, Sports Car International, CarandDriver.Com, Hemmings, Edmunds.Com etc. I’ve been based in Paris for three years now and love it.
What did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?
A Formula One driver. I went to Canada, raced F2000 cars, and discovered I was too slow – and too broke to pay for a ride.
How long have you worked in the auto industry?
Been a full-time freelancer for just over 3 years now.
What do you drive now?
The Paris Metro! I don’t have a car. I know, an automotive journalist without a car…shame on me.
Are you out at work? Yes.
Was being gay ever an issue at any of your jobs? No, not really.
If so, how did you deal with it?
Being a freelancer, I get to work with lots of different people and most folks put two and two together fairly quickly. Sometimes the subject can come up in an awkward way, though I’ve never had any problems or issues. And heck, being in Europe, who the heck can tell who is gay and who isn’t?
If you had one piece of advice to give to a gay person wanting to work in the auto industry, what would it be?
It sounds cliché, but just be yourself. Definitely know your subject, be professional, and have fun. The auto industry is a very open-minded place and I think that the rules of success are the same if you’re gay or straight.
Ok, here is the fun part; if you had $25,000 and had to buy a new car, what would it be and why? Because parking in Paris is such a pain, it would have to be a Smart ForTwo.

Same question but bigger budget; $50,000:
I’ll defer to my boyfriend of eight years for this one. He loved the new Audi TT Convertible when I tested it, so I think that would get the nod.
If money was no object and you had to drive it every day
A Pagani Zonda. I don’t care if it costs as much as house and looks like a spaceship. I love that car.
What is your favorite car of all time and why?
That’s a really tough question. A 1935-37 Auburn Boattail Speedster would be near the top of the list. Then again, a 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast or a Facel Vega Excellence would do nicely too! It’s impossible to choose just one.
If your car/truck could talk, what would it say about you?
“Have you lost weight? My you look lovely today. Your last article was wonderful! How do you do it?” And for this I’d keep it washed, waxed, and always full of premium-unleaded.

Finally, why do you want to be featured on Gaywheels.com?
Because for once it’s nice to be the interviewee and not the interviewer!
RETURN TO HEADLIGHTS