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5 » EDITORIAL AutoData | December 2018 Marcos Rozen, editor A very weird year W e have reached the end of 2018 and nothing more normal than that old but at the same time always current year’s balance. One conclusion seems to surpass any other: it was a very weird year for the automotive industry. Full of paradoxes. This periodwill be remembered for all the exhausting negotia- tions involving Rota 2030: first the MDIC battle with the Treasury and then the regrettable old manners for the PM approval in the National Congress of Brazil, which resulted in serious distortions of the original text and the addition of items that were absolutely not discussed in the scope of the program. Casting out nines, the year passed and we lived without an industrial regime for the sector, given the end of Inovar-Auto on December 31, 2017. Even so, our market will end the year in double-digit growth, but exports gave production quite a scare that it will almost reach the 3 million units, although this also represents an increase at the range of 10%. And we will even start 2019 under the expectation of a new government fromwhich no one has the courage to pin down exactly what can be expected. The main strangeness of 2018, however, refers to the loss in the personification of our segment, in our references. We lost, even in very different ways, two global executiveswho gave a face and leadership to the industry: first Sergio Marchionne suddenly died and then Carlos Ghosn (also suddenly) was recognized as a legitimate Brazilian dragged by a hurricane of denunciations engendered in the corridors of the same company he saved. Regardless of this story’s conclusion, he will never be allowed to represent again the executive we have recognized so far. And in our private universewe absurdly lost Sérgio Duarte and José Roberto Nasser in the same year, journalists that used to mirror our sector as well as their uniqueness. Saying they will be missed is negligible: the emptiness left by them has lunar crater significance for the profession that generates the pages of the magazine you read right now. What about us, how do we feel? Weird. Very weird. The pa- radox is to feel alive. Director Márcio Stéfani, publisher Editorial Board Márcio Stéfani, S Stéfani and Vicente Alessi, filho Newsroom Leandro Alves, deputy director of writing and new business, Marcos Rozen, editor Collaborated in this edition André Barros, Caio Bednarski Graphic Design/Art Romeu Bassi Neto Photos DR and disclosure Photo Cover Arte AD with photos by Christian Castanho So- cial Midia Allex Chies Commercial and advertising tel. PABX 11 5189 8900: André Martins, Érika Coleta, Luiz Giadas Subscriptions/customer service tel. PABX 11 5189 8900 Administrative and financial department Isidore Nahoum, counselor, Thelma Melkunas and Hidelbrando C de Oliveira Distribution Correios Prepress and print Eskenazi Indústria Gráfica Ltda., tel. 11 3531-7900 ISN 1415-7756 AutoData is a publication fromAutoData Editora Ltda., Pascal st, 1 693, 04616-005, Campo Belo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. Reproduction without prior authorization is prohibited, but citation is permitted provided that the source is identified. Responsible Journalist Márcio Stéfani, MTB 16 644 www.autodata.com.br AutoDataEditora autodata-editora @autodataeditora