ON THE TABLE

November 10, 2010

  Stumblebums du jour in Washington. Former president George W. Bush admits that he decided to bail out General Motors and Chrysler in early November 2008, far sooner than previously known, according to David Shepardson of The Detroit News, who reviewed an advance copy of Bush's new book, "Decision Points." Bush said that he "had to safeguard American workers and families," and that he acted to avoid the massive economic impact of a collapse of the auto industry, and did not want to saddle President-elect Barack Obama with a "mess." The problem is that Bush made the decision even before the chief executives of GM, Chrysler and Ford went before Congress hats-in-hand asking for help as vehicle sales fell off a cliff in the midst of the worst economic recession in seven decades. Wait a minute, let's back this up. Do you mean we had to sit through the hand-wringing and massively ill-informed pontificating from such unconscionable stumblebum/blowhards as Sen. Richard "They Don't Call Him Dick for Nothin' " Shelby (R - Alabama) and Sen. Mitch "Which Way is the Wind Blowin' Again?" McConnell (R-Kentucky) among others, when the decision had already been made? WTF? This just in: We want those two days back. Oh, the horror... the horror.

Coda Automotive. The electric car company fueled, financed and run by the vampires of Wall Street and which based its whole raison d'etre on converting an existing Chinese car platform to electric power, saw its CEO, Kevin Czinger, and its chief of sales, Michael Jackson, leave within a week of each other, long before the car's hopeful introduction scheduled for the second quarter of 2011. Right. Anyone want to bet on the likelihood of these cars ever seeing the light of day? Could this be the beginning of The End for Coda, er, um, the coda for Coda? Yes. And yes.

GM. The company will finally drop the name "Goodwrench" from its dealer service departments after more than three decades beginning February 1, 2011. It will be replaced by Certified Service monikers for each division, for example, Chevrolet Certified Service, Cadillac Certified Service, etc. An easy 10 years too late but all together now, would you miss it?

Meister Brau. That world-famous Chicago brew - and racer's favorite - that fueled the Midwest in the 50s and 60s is up for sale, or, at least the brand name is. The beer label is among 150 trademarks that span 13 categories ranging from toys to personal-care products that will be auctioned off next month in New York, according to Advertising Age . The trademarks were acquired over the years by Michael Reich, CEO of Brands USA Holdings, who apparently believes now is the best time to sell. "In recent years, there has been a renewed interest around the world in branding that evokes nostalgia, making this auction of classic trademarks a rare opportunity for investors and forward-thinking companies looking to capitalize on the authenticity that they provide in the global marketplace," said John Cuticelli, CEO of Racebrook, which is conducting the auction on behalf of Brands USA on Dec. 8 at the Waldorf Astoria or via online bidding. Meister Brau occupies an important place in U.S beer history. And not just - as AdAge points out - the favorite beer of Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's "Vacation" movies. No, the real claim to fame for Meister Brau? It was once owned by the Peter Hand Brewery in Chicago, and they were the inventors of the first "Lite" beer back in the late 60s. The Miller Brewing Co. bought Meister Brau in order to get its hands on the "Lite" concept and formula. And the rest, as they say, is beer drinking history. (Peter Hand Brewery also sponsored the famous "Meister Brauser" Racing Team which raced Scarab and Chaparrals in the late 50s and early 60s with notable drivers Augie Pabst and Harry Heuer.)

(Pawel Litwinski © 2010 Courtesy of Gooding & Company)

Gooding & Company will once again present an interesting array of quality consignments at its annual 2011 Scottsdale Auctions, including the sensational 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic (above). One of the most beautiful automobiles to leave Italy's carrozzeria Ghia during the Jet Age 1950s, this extremely rare sports car - Chassis No. 106.000035 - was the first Supersonic of only 12 models created and is considered the finest example in existence. Treasured by its current owner for the past 55 years, this car has only been driven a mere 17,000 miles since new and remains in exceptionally well-preserved condition with its original engine, paint, complete interior and even the original Pirelli tires still intact. Gooding & Company believes this museum-quality automobile will sell for between $1.1 - $1.4 Million in Scottsdale. Gooding & Company's 2011 Scottsdale Auctions will again take place at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 21 and Saturday, January 22, 2011.

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Our "Quick Take" this week covers the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT. If there's one car that represents the "new" GM, our Taupe Gray Metallic/Medium Titanium tester is it. Saying the new Cruze is "the best small car GM has ever produced" - like I've been seeing in a lot of other reviews - doesn't even begin to do this machine justice. In vehicle dynamics, package size and content, the price/value quotient, fit and finish and the quality of the overall execution, the Cruze delivers excellence, thoroughly and unequivocally. I even have to admit that its looks grew on me over the week we had it. I was especially impressed with its steering feel and suspension tuning, which I found to be perfectly acceptable even for enthusiast drivers, and which means the sport versions coming will be even better. No, none of the hoary "pretty good for an American car" disclaimers apply here, because the Chevrolet Cruze is an excellent car worth paying real money for. Kudos to the True Believers in GM product development who made the Cruze as good as it is. It's simply an outstanding piece of work. - PMD

2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT: $20,600, ($18,175 Base Price; 1.4L 4-cylinder DOHC VVT Ecotec Turbo with 138 HP, 6-speed automatic transmission; Connectivity Plus Cruise Package - Cruise control, USB audio interface, Leather wrap steering wheel, Bluetooth for phone, Leather trimmed shift lever, Steering wheel controls - $525; 1LT Driver Convenience Package - 6-way power seat adjuster, driver, Remote vehicle start, Rear parking assist - $685; 16" alloy wheels, $395; Compact spare tire replaces tire sealant and inflator kit, $100.  Total Options: $1,705; Destination Charge $720).

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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" with hosts John McElroy, from Autoline Detroit, and Peter De Lorenzo, The Autoextremist, and guests this Thursday evening, at 7:00PM EDT at www.autolinedetroit.tv.

 

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