GM’s Barra leads 2023 Automotive Hall of Fame class of inductees

DETROIT — General Motors CEO Mary Barra will smash another glass ceiling in July when she is inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame — the first female CEO of an automaker to earn that honor.

Barra, who has led GM since 2014 and is overseeing its transition into the electric vehicle era, is among six “mobility pioneers” who will be inducted this year.

Here are the other honorees.

• Fred Bauer, founder of Gentex Corp., the Zeeland, Mich., electronics supplier whose beginnings trace to the company’s electrochromic mirror in 1986. Today, Gentex has 6,000 employees and produces a wide range of electronics for vehicles, including rearview mirrors with cameras.
• Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentinian race car driver whom many regard as the greatest driver in history. He is the hall’s first inductee from South America. Fangio, whose nickname was El Maestro, won titles driving for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati. He died in 1995.
• Takeo Fujisawa, considered to be the co-founder of Honda Motor Co. He was instrumental in helping Soichiro Honda build the company from a maker of scooter engines into a global automaker. Fujisawa is credited with the decision to expand to North America in the late 1950s. He died in 1988.
• McKinley Thompson, a 1956 graduate of California’s Art Center College of Design. He made history as one of the industry’s first Black designers when he was hired by Ford Motor Co. to work at its Advanced Design Studio. In his 28-year career at Ford, Thompson helped shape some of the automaker’s most iconic postwar vehicles, including the Thunderbird, Mustang and Bronco. He died in 2006.
• Larry Wood, whose work has been enjoyed by millions of children — and many adults — all over the world, despite the fact that he never worked for an automaker. Wood worked at toy company Mattel and is known as Mr. Hot Wheels. He spent 50 years designing the miniature die-cast cars. His designs are credited with inspiring generations of automotive enthusiasts.

“This year’s class of inductees continues to recognize the breadth of contributions to this industry,” Sarah Cook, president of the Automotive Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “This group includes trailblazing innovators and leaders who have left an impact globally on the automotive industry and we couldn’t be more pleased to recognize their achievements and welcome them into the Hall of Fame.”

The induction ceremony is scheduled for July 20 in Detroit.