Editor's Note: This week, Peter offers an inspired take on the orchestrated cacophony and general all-around chaos of the business with his High-Octane reimagining of the Bob Dylan classic, “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” In "On The Table," we preview the return of one of Aston Martin's most legendary names, Vanquish. And our AE Song of the Week is "Shattered (Turn The Car Around)" by O.A.R. In "Fumes," we have the second installment of Peter's new series, "The Racing Machines." And in "The Line,"we have results for the two INDYCAR races in Milwaukee, F1 from Monza, MotoGP from Aragon (Spain) and whatever else interests us. Onward. -WG
By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. It’s the beginning of September, and the lingering doldrums of the summer in the automobile business are fading from view. As you read this, hordes of people representing Design, Engineering, Product Development and Marketing are feverishly working away on what’s next. Finessing final design concepts, while envisioning what the compelling looks will be for 2030 and while wrestling with the engineering constraints brought on by an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of regulations and emissions requirements. Finessing the final days of new product programs, while jump-starting future products to life. Meanwhile, ad agencies – reconfigured and locally diminished – have finished fall advertising work and are working on the obligatory year-end holiday ad campaigns, while starting creative concepts for upcoming launches. And of course, the never-ending churn of the monthly sales figures continues.
And this orchestrated cacophony never ends. It’s why I define it as a constant swirling maelstrom of highs and lows, punctuated by triumphs, forgettable missteps and at times unmitigated bullshit. It’s the Autoverse as defined by today’s chaotic global environment.
The High-Octane Truth of the matter is that all of the major players at the car companies want every bit of it, all the time. And surprisingly enough, too many of these executives who should know better actually believe they can have it all. But it never works out that way. In fact, it doesn’t even come close to working that way.
Instead, it’s a two-steps-forward, three-steps-back dance for even the best of the car companies. For every out-and-out product hit, there’s always some corner of the enterprise that is woefully underperforming. And remarkably enough, there are always new executives who seem to have to find this out the hard way.
I was thinking about all of this over this past weekend, as one of Bob Dylan’s classic songs kept popping into my head. Part defiant and poetic social shit disturbing and part Dylan-esque gibberish, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” has a chaotic urgency about it that is hard to turn away from once you let it wash over you.
So, without further ado – and with full props to Mr. Dylan’s original – here’s the “Subterranean Motor City Blues” for your edification (special tip from WordGirl - play Dylan's song in another browser while you read along!).
And remember one more thing: Every time it seems like it won’t be long now for the good times to take hold, there’s always something lurking just around the corner to mess it all up. That has been the historical cadence for the Motor City and the auto biz as we know it ever since this whole thing got started.
When it’s good, this business here in the U.S. is an awesome, 17-million+ Rocket Ride. But when it’s bad, the juice - in this case, the EV juice - runs out eventually, and at that point it won’t take a weather man to know which way the wind blows.
And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.