Vale Christopher Mullett: Publisher and journalist

Transport industry publisher and journalist Christopher Mullett unexpectedly passed away this month due to complications from routine surgery.

He founded the Motoring Matters Magazine Group, which operates the successful PowerTorque and Delivery titles, aimed respectively at the heavy truck and light commercial vehicle sectors.

ECOcar magazine was also among the Motoring Maters stable for 20 issues. The title was mothballed in mid-2013 due to a lack of advertising support for a subject matter that was arguably ahead of its time.

Based out of a home office with his wife and business partner Maree and employing a team of designers and writers who also worked remotely, Chris lived life to the full and worked in the places he loved. These included Bowral in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales and latterly Airlie Beach in North Queensland.

Having started his career in London’s Metropolitan Police, Chris established Motoring Matters as a public relations business when he migrated to Australia in the 1980s, picking up work with tyre brand Michelin and Mitsubishi’s Ralliart motorsport division. Later, he served as the last editor of Truck Australia magazine before that title closed in 2003.

The next move for Chris was to create PowerTorque magazine, covering drivetrain systems and other technologies in the heavy haulage sector. This insightful technical coverage, including transport refrigeration, led him to cross professional paths with many VASA members.

Delivery magazine launched in 2004 as a buyers’ guide for fleet managers and small business owners seeking the right light commercial vehicles for their needs, with ECOcar magazine launching around a year later.

With a diverse career path behind him, Chris adopted a philosophy of hiring for attitude and training for skill when building his publishing team. As a result, several well-established figures in both media and transport owe their current positions to the trust, opportunities and mentoring extended by Chris and Maree early on in their careers.

In a statement, Maree said Chris “lived for the transport industry and the wider automotive sphere, maintaining a role as an enthusiastic supporter and reporter of the industry, all the while living life to the full”.

“He worked hard but did so with an unfailingly positive outlook on life.”

She said publication of the October/November editions of PowerTorque and Delivery will go ahead as planned, with transport industry communications consultant and journalist Alexander Corne temporarily stepping is as associate publisher.

“Our plans for the magazines going forward will be unveiled in due course,” said Maree.

“The entire team at MMMG is devastated at the loss of my husband, our colleague and friend. We will dedicate the next editions to his memory, striving to deliver the quality product for which Chris had worked so hard.”