Ed at his very polished Best, in his role as Awards Ceremony Emcee at Pebble Beach
I’m still in disbelief and shock over the New Year’s Eve passing of Ed Herrmann.
I first became aware of Mr. Herrmann’s power and capability as an actor from his portrayal of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the TV miniseries, Eleanor and Franklin and also enjoyed his work on some very cleverly written and well acted Dodge truck commercials. We also got to know and further love him as “the father” on The Gilmore Girls TV series. I didn’t at the time know that he was a serious and committed car guy.
All too sadly and soon, something we’ll never see or hear again: Edward Herrmann’s educated and always perfectly delivered commentary on the ramp at Pebble Beach. Ed was a big guy, 6’5″ if he was an inch and probably 275 pounds, but his heart and persona were so much larger than any human frame could hold
I first became aware of him as an auto aficionado when in 1999 he first took the stage at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the newly created role of the show’s Master of Ceremonies, a job created especially for him, and a role he was ideally created for.
We got to know each other about ten years ago when I was chosen as one of three “play by play” announcers for the the Pebble Beach awards ceremony. In preparation for this job, I was privileged to attend the meetings of Pebble’s “Ramp Committee” the group that executes the show’s detailed, expertly produced and well choreographed awards presentation. Ed and I spent days together in those meetings, connected easily, and hit it off instantly. We’d been friends ever since. He had a knife-edged sense of humor and as an award winning actor of considerable stature, he was a master of accents. During the meetings, when we switched discussion, from say, French to German cars, he’d sit and mutter a barrage of swear words in French then German accents, while I tried to avoid laughing and/or wetting myself in the middle of these very businesslike meetings. During the opening of the awards ceremony that year, Ed introduced me to the crowd with the best intro I’ve ever been given.
Ed’s beloved Auburn, taking home some hardware across the ramp at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Ed didn’t have a large car collection, but he had some jewels over time to be sure. He honored me greatly when he accepted my request and invitation to be interviewed for my My First Car book. You’ll find his story beginning on page 137, and if you can’t wait to find out, his first car was an Austin-Healey 100-6…
Edward Herrmann; the master of all he surveyed; here calling the shots of another Best of Show winner at Pebble Beach, with Concours Chairman Sandra Button just to his right
Edward Herrman passed away of terminal brain cancer December 31, 2014, at the long-before-his-time age of 71. My heart goes out to his very cool wife Starr and his three children. I will forever miss his rich baritone voice, his hearty laugh, his enthusiasm, his wicked sense of humor, and all of his otherworldly talents.
photography by me, and also courtesy of The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance