
Welcome to Whitepine Communications
Take a look under the individual headings to find out more, and go to WPC NEWS for reports on what I’ve been up to lately. Whether it’s writing articles and columns for books, magazines and digital media, copywriting, editing, proofreading or translating from German into English – my job is to find the right words. With excellent journalistic credentials and more than 30 years of experience in the automotive sector, I cover not only the vehicles themselves, but the technical, structural and socio-political developments shaping the global automotive industry and its supply chain. A technical background in powertrain and design is backed up by an in-depth appreciation of the issues impacting the automotive business today and the crucial matters of digitalisation, alternative drive and future mobility.
Journalism

Elaine Catton has been a freelance journalist for more than two decades. Her outlets over the years have included Automotive News (International), European Car (USA) and Automotive Engineer (UK). She has also been a regular contributor to Audi Driver (UK), Volkswagen Driver (UK), quattro quarterly (USA) and ettore, the Bugatti customer magazine. While covering all aspects of the automotive sector, specialist expertise includes:
- Future mobility
- New and legacy powertrain technology
- Environmental issues
- Design
- German automotive brands
Copywriting

White Pine Communications provides copywriting, editing and proofreading services. Working with publishers and communications agencies, WPC is particularly skilled at developing strong written content from source material generated in either English or German by non-native speakers.
The final result is cohesive content that effectively communicates the client’s message in keeping with house style. Typical projects range from editing and proofreading entire books to ghost-writing articles and blog posts for major corporations.
Translation

An excellent translation is engaging and authentic, and conveys the original meaning using the syntax and idiosyncrasies of the destination language. White Pine Communications provides excellent German-English-German translation services, specialising in: press kits, marketing material, speeches, websites, technical documents, corporate reports, books, magazines and press articles within the automotive and industrial technology sectors.
As well as providing high-speed turnaround on time-critical items, WPC has also worked on award-winning automotive books and publications by respected authors and journalists.
- Covid car launches and digital makeoversAs Europe went into lockdown, the entire automotive industry came to a shuddering halt. Factories fell silent and car dealerships shut up shop. In the first instance, it left car companies and their communications agencies with precious little to communicate. AlthoughContinue reading “Covid car launches and digital makeovers”
- Engine designers navigate uncharted waters on the voyage to electric driveSince the Benz Patent-Motorwagen first sputtered to life in 1885, the automotive revolution has been dominated by the internal combustion engine. An assortment of alternatives have poked their heads above the parapets over the years, only to be unceremoniously shot downContinue reading “Engine designers navigate uncharted waters on the voyage to electric drive”
- WPC at the 2019 Frankfurt International Motor ShowWhite Pine Communications had plenty to do in the run up to the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. And it all involved putting words into the mouths of some high-ranking individuals. One of my jobs was to translate the speech delivered byContinue reading “WPC at the 2019 Frankfurt International Motor Show”