ON THE TABLE

September 1, 2010

Dan Akerson. Editor-in-Chief's Note: The Good News? He takes the reins of GM this morning as CEO. The Bad News? Despite all of the heavily orchestrated "get to know Dan" media coverage over the last two weeks, I have not seen one good reason - not one - for this guy to assume control of a car company. Can I repeat that? Not one. Good luck, Dan, you're gonna need it. And by the way, if you don't know what they're talking about in a meeting that has something to do with product? Shut-up and listen before weighing-in with your brilliance. The instant "experts" who have run roughshod over this business over the last 20 years have left a legacy of glaring mistakes, poor decisions, bad judgment and enough flat-out incompetence to last a lifetime. Please try not to add to that legacy, okay? And remember one more thing. Just because this job fell into your lap doesn't mean you're qualified for it. Prove that you're just not another opportunistic corporate financial weasel who has just been given the keys to the candy store for no apparent reason other than the fact that you were next on deck and you were "acceptable" to Wall Street. Or not. - PMD

Potential Fiat Dealers: Editor-in-Chief's Note: We just wanted to clarify that there's no truth to the rumor that the Chrysler dealers interested in the idea of getting a Fiat franchise were serenaded with "Love Train" by the O'Jays at a meeting this week. It never happened. There were signs of creeping giddiness and overheated expectations, however. - PMD

GM Marketers. Okay, boys and girls, it's crunch time. The new Chevrolet Cruze arrives in showrooms at the end of the month and you know what that means, don't you? It means that the dancing around the issue of making Chevrolet advertising great again will officially come to a stop with new advertising - from new ad shop Goodby Silverstein & Partners - making its debut along with the Cruze. And you know what that means, don't you? It better be frickin' great. Anything less will be a massive disappointment.

(Tasca Ford)
Tasca Ford will be offering professionally-built '33 Hot Rods from Factory Five as complete rollers. The cars will come completely assembled and painted (less engine & transmission). Custom paint jobs will also be available. Vehicles can be purchased directly at the dealership or from Factory Five Racing, in Wareham, MA. The new car can be seen up close at the Tasca Ford Open House event on Sept 11, 2010 - in Cranston, Rhode Island - in honor of Bob Tasca Sr.

(Ford)
Ford has introduced a new Police Interceptor utility designed to complement the sedan introduced earlier this year. Ford's big selling point to police agencies? The purpose-built sedan and utility Police Interceptors deliver at least 20 percent better fuel economy than the current Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Ford’s new Police Interceptor utility vehicle - based on the upcoming 2011 Explorer - is equipped with the Ti-VCT 3.5-liter V6 engine which delivers at least 280 horsepower with E85 compatibility. Front- and All-Wheel-Drive configurations will be available when it hits the streets in 2011.

WE'RE OPENING THE VAULT!

The AE wearables are back - and only in extremely limited quantities and sizes, we might add - and once they're gone, they're gone! We're starting with our most popular items, the classic AE Sweatshirt and AE Hat. Click on a PayPal button below to order yours now! (If you prefer to pay by check, please send us an email with AE STORE in the subject line, and we'll reserve your item.)

AE Sweatshirt - Crewneck, sturdy 80/20 cotton/poly, in black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. Size XL only. 40 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

AE Hat - Black with throwback lettering - the original AE logo in our Chiller typeface shown above. 25 bucks, including shipping. US orders only.

Publisher's Note: Check-out John McElroy's daily news show covering everything about the auto biz by clicking on the graphic below. Good stuff guaranteed. - PMD

See another live episode of "Autoline After Hours" hosted by Autoline Detroit's John McElroy, with Peter De Lorenzo and friends this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

 

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