ON THE TABLE

October 17, 2012

(Chevrolet)
Chevrolet has confirmed that the seventh-generation Corvette will debut on Sunday evening, January 13, 2013, in Detroit, in a special unveiling for the media in conjunction with the Detroit Auto Show. To start the countdown to 1.13.13, Chevrolet is showing the new Crossed Flags logo for the new 2014 Corvette. “The all-new, seventh-generation Corvette deserved an all-new emblem,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design. “The new Crossed Flags design reflects the character of the next Corvette. The flags are much more modern, more technical, and more detailed than before – underscoring the comprehensive redesign of the entire car.” The new Crossed Flags logo was unveiled at Road Atlanta, where Corvette Racing celebrated a sweep of the 2012 production-based American Le Mans Series GT championships.

Chevrolet secured the manufacturer’s championship, Corvette Racing secured the team championship, and Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner captured the drivers’ championship with four wins in the nine races preceding Petit Le Mans, the 2012 ALMS season finale. Corvette Racing is the most successful team in ALMS history, with a total of 77 class wins, eight drivers’ championships, and nine manufacturer and team championships since 2001. The team has also taken seven class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2001. Corvette Racing will campaign the C6.R for the 2013 ALMS season. The C7.R is expected to make its racing debut in 2014.

“With the new Corvette, we set out to build a world-challenging sports car with design, refinement, efficiency and driver engagement that is second to none," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. "The result is a truly all-new Corvette. There are only two carryover parts from the C6 used in the C7 – the cabin air filter and the rear latch for the removable roof panel.”

The Crossed Flags logo has been a hallmark of the Corvette since its 1953 introduction. It has always incorporated a pair of flags, one a racing checkered flag and other featuring the Chevrolet “bowtie” emblem and a French fleur-de-lis. The design has evolved over the years, and has been featured on more than 1.5 million Corvettes built between 1953 and today.

Over coming weeks, more information and video content about the seventh-generation Corvette will be unlocked on www.one13thirteen.com. Enthusiasts can join the conversation about the next-generation Corvette, as well as keep track of new announcements on Facebook (facebook.com/corvette) and Twitter @Chevrolet(#Corvette). Fans that follow the #one13thirteen hashtag on Twitter can look forward to exclusive updates.

The first Corvette debuted as a concept car on Jan. 17, 1953 at the GM Motorama in New York City. That car originally featured an emblem with a checkered flag crossed with an American flag.  Because use of the American flag was prohibited as part of a commercial property, the logo was changed to the fleur-de-lis/bowtie design when the Corvette went into production in June 1953.

Ed Whitacre, Dan Akerson. Editor-in-Chief's Note: In Ed Whitacre's new memoir, "American Turnaround: Reinventing AT&T and GM and the Way We Do Business in the USA," he reveals why Dan Akerson shouldn't have even been let near GM. He also perfectly encapsulates the unbridled arrogance of these AT&T operatives who are now laying waste to GM and who think they're the smartest boys in the room, with everyone else being idiots. As if we needed more evidence of that. Reviewing Whitacre's upcoming memoir, David Shepardson of The Detroit News discloses that Akerson was not a fan of GM when he joined the board in 2009. Whitacre recalls, "Dan was pretty vocal during the executive session. Said he thought GM was one of the worst companies he'd come across in his entire life. And he was not a fan of GM cars — he made that crystal clear." Whitacre goes on to describe his meeting with the board after he had decided to resign. "Does anyone want the job?" He said there was silence. "Akerson, one of GM's most consistent critics throughout this entire period, sat silent. So did every other director." Akerson "basically volunteered to do the job," Whitacre writes, and no candidates were interviewed by the board. Hmm, let's see, Akerson had nothing but contempt for GM and its cars going in, so is it any wonder that he treats the True Believers in Design, Product Development and Engineering with nothing but contempt now, even though they're the ones keeping GM in the game? No. And the smug arrogance proffered by Whitacre? From frickin' AT&T? He's holding up that bastion of smoke and mirrors that treated consumers like dogs for years as "The Way We Do Business in the USA" - ? What hubris and what unmitigated bullshit. These telecom carpetbaggers will run GM right into the ground if left unfettered. And guess what? There's no one there to stop them (see below). - PMD

The GM Board of Directors. Editor-in-Chief's Note. If Whitacre's book proves anything it's that the GM Board of Directors is the most incompetent body of its kind in corporate America. I knew that Akerson was awarded the position of CEO after "volunteering," but this is ridiculous. It lends even more credence to everything I've said about Akerson, especially the "Accidental Tourist of a CEO" moniker that fits him to a "T." And the feeble selection "process" the GM Board employed to pick a CEO? That was the sum total of their due diligence? Absolutely unconscionable, flat-out indefensible and an utter disgrace. - PMD

Robert Ferguson. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Bristling that anyone would have the temerity to think that he's not qualified to become the global marketing head of Cadillac, he tells Automotive News that, "Anyone who sees this as GM bringing their political guy over to run Cadillac would not be very conversant on my background. My career has prepared me well for this opportunity." Memo to Ferguson (who insists he has the necessary regulatory and people skills to run Cadillac, thanks to his days as GM's chief lobbyist): There is absolutely nothing in your background that would qualify you as having the credentials to run Cadillac. Let me repeat: N-O-T-H-I-N-G. But if you want to convince yourself that your people skills will win the day, try telling that to the Cadillac dealers who aren't interested one lick in your people skills, but who are interested in whether you have a frickin' clue. Or not. - PMD

Fisker Automotive. The company announced that its mid-size Atlantic hybrid sedan will be delayed at least two years due to financial issues. Really? There's a shocker.

Chevrolet Marketers. Watching Toyota steal the "American-ness" right out from under Chevrolet has been interesting to say the least. Hell-bent on becoming part of the American fabric at all costs, Toyota has systematically usurped Chevrolet's "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie..." positioning for more than two decades now. Toyota's latest push? The Japanese automaker will team up with Martha Stewart to launch a new campaign as part of Stewart's "American Made" initiative, according to AdAge, conceived by Ms. Stewart to promote American brands and U.S.-made products. The branding opportunity will promote the Avalon, the first Toyota to be designed, engineered and assembled in America.

A123 Systems. The Lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, according to Automotive News. Johnson Controls Inc. has agreed to acquire its automotive battery business. JCI is also providing A123 $72.5 million in post-bankruptcy financing to continue operations through the court process, the companies said in a statement. The total transaction price is $125 million. The JCI deal includes A123's two battery plants in suburban Detroit, according to AN. The company employs 700 people in Michigan. Johnson Controls already operates a lithium-ion plant in Holland, Mich. JCI also will also acquire A123's cathode powder plant in China and its stake in Shanghai Advanced Traction Battery Systems Co., a joint venture with Shanghai Automotive. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Memo to the Green Intelligentsia and politicians in Washington and Northern California: Forcing electric vehicles down consumers' throats doesn't work, no matter how much you want it to be so. There has to be a legitimate business case and so far, except for a gaggle of niche-sters who just gotta have electric, there clearly isn't. - PMD

(Lincoln)
The official introduction of the new Lincoln - and its MKZ - is getting closer. Lincoln has just announced that its all-new 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid delivers more miles per gallon than any luxury vehicle in America with an EPA-certified 45 mpg city, 45 mpg highway and 45 mpg combined. The MKZ and MKZ Hybrid's standout features include a continuously controlled damping adjustable suspension, push-button shift and a retractable panoramic roof. Look for the MKZ at Lincoln dealerships by the end of the year.

(General Motors)
General Motors North America President Mark Reuss said this week that preparations will soon be under way at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant to build the Cadillac ELR, a luxury coupe featuring the extended-range electric technology first developed for the Chevrolet Volt. “The ELR will be in a class by itself, further proof of our commitment to electric vehicles and advanced technology,” Reuss said in a keynote address at the SAE Convergence Conference in Detroit. “People will instantly recognize it as a Cadillac by its distinctive, signature look and true-to-concept exterior design.” Production is scheduled to begin in late 2013.

(BMW)
The BMW Welt “ensemble” – formed by the BMW Welt, the BMW Museum and the BMW Plant – has quickly become one of Bavaria’s top attractions. BMW says, "This is where the past, present and future of the world’s most successful premium automobile manufacturer come together to create a comprehensive brand experience. Together, the BMW Plant, the BMW Museum and the BMW Welt form a whole: the complete BMW Welt experience." BMW wants you to come to Munich and experience it. "The proximity of this unique building with its futuristic architecture to all major areas of the BMW Group’s Munich location, combined with the opportunity of visiting the Museum and taking a guided tour of the Plant on the same day, makes this a unique three-pronged brand experience."

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