ON THE TABLE
Monday, October 12, 2009 at 08:14PM October 14, 2009
Bob Lutz, GM. "Maximum Bob" is following through on his promise to take on all comers with the Cadillac CTS-V by staging a throw-down at the Monticello Motor Club in New York on October 29. A GM pro driver or appointed designee (Jan Magnussen or Olivier Beretta maybe?) will take on qualified challengers over a five-lap distance, with the driver/car posting the fastest time being declared the winner. All challenger vehicles must be comparable to the CTS-V - meaning a four-door sport sedan - and be devoid of any aftermarket mods, and the participants must meet specific qualifications. “We’re going to take away every last excuse people have not to consider our products,” Lutz said on his GM blog. "We have a lineup of vehicles that we think, if given a chance, can stack up with the best the rest of the automotive manufacturing world has to offer." Kudos to you, Bob. At least there's somebody in this business who still has their balls attached. For complete rules, or to enter the challenge (the deadline for entry is this Friday), visit www.ctsvchallenge.com.
Ray LaHood. The Transportation Secretary heaped big praise on Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne calling him “the next generation of Lee Iacocca” after a speech at the Detroit Economic Club. The Secretary visited Chrysler, Ford and GM this week on a tour. He also told reporters that "Detroit is back." Oh, if it were only that easy, Mr. Secretary, and by the way, who appointed you Industry Cheerleader in Chief? We applaud the sentiment, even though it's wildly premature, but the next Iacocca? Sergio couldn't even hold one of Lee's cigars.Ford, The UAW. The two parties reached an agreement on contract changes in order for the automaker to compete on a level playing field with GM and Chrysler. This means that Ford can really start to fuel its momentum in the market and properly fund its upcoming product lineup. Translation: A Glass House of Not Good for the other guys. Ford. That above item was the good news. The bad news was that Ford had to announce a 4.5-million vehicle recall to fix a cruise-control switch, adding to the 11.5 million vehicles already recalled over the last decade for the same problem. Just when you think you got it goin' on...
GM. The automaker is investing over $230 million in four plants in and around Flint, Mich. - Flint Engine South, Flint Metal Center, Flint Tool and Die and Grand Blanc Weld Tool Center - to help build the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze compact and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid sedan. As many as 500 jobs will be added. A tiny step back from oblivion, but at least a tiny step.
GM in China. No doom and gloom for GM, at least in China. The automaker expects to sell 1.6 million vehicles in China this year, up 55 percent over last year. And next year, GM expects to outpace the meteoric rise in the Chinese market, which is up over 34 percent already this year. It's clear that China will be the reason GM survives, as it continues to flounder in the U.S. market.
Saab. The Swedish automaker - which is about to be cut loose from GM - is contemplating moving its headquarters from downtown Detroit (the RenCen), to suburban hipster Royal Oak (Michigan). (Or Connecticut, whichever place comes up with the best tax incentive deal.) Which got us to thinking. Maybe GM should follow Saab's lead and shake things up a bit. How about moving Chevrolet car headquarters to Charlotte, NC, and Chevy Truck to Austin, Texas? And how about moving Cadillac to New York? And Buick to L.A.? And GMC to Telluride? And GM Corporate to Warren, Michigan, where it probably belongs anyway? Nothing else seems to be working, so why not?
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
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