Between the Lines: Jalopnik’s Ray Wert on GM - Chrysler Merger
By Justin BerkowitzOctober 11, 2008 - 3,217 views
Last night, the New York Times “broke” the story that General Motors and Chrysler/Cerberus were discussing a merger. The report lacked only one crucial component: facts. As RF reported in his initial blog on the subject, the story unravels by paragraph two. We learn that the entire story is based on “two people close to the process.” While anonymous attribution is common new industry practice, a story without independent corroboration is a nothing more than rumor— especially when it defies common sense. General Motors’ assertion that they routinely talk to other manufacturers about collaborative efforts doesn’t count. But it does reveal the truth of the matter. [Continued]
Between the Lines: Jalopnik’s Ray Wert on GM - Chrysler Merger editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | Industry | Media | 20 comments 
Between the Lines: Chrysler’s Electric Vehicle Charade
By Justin BerkowitzSeptember 23, 2008 - 3,886 views
Chrysler unveiled some primo bailout bait today: three electric vehicles (EVs). Choosing CNBC as point man, ChryCo's CEO showed-off a fully electric Dodge sports car and a Jeep and minivan hybrid. While the press has been suitably impressed, pistonheads who've been following (and following and following) the hoopla surrounding GM's plug-in electric - gas hybrid Chevrolet Volt are settling-in for the long haul. Meanwhile, we must endure Auburn Hill's spin on the whole "future vehicles" thing. Or do we? Here's Chrysler press release...
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Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | 35 comments
Between The Lines: Bob Lutz’s “Working Hard on Tomorrow, Today”
By Robert FaragoJuly 19, 2008 - 49 views
In 2001, Robert A. Lutz jumped on the GM gravy train as the automaker’s vice chairman of product development. Since then, The General has continued its inexorable march to oblivion. Car-wise, Lutz’ regime has been marked by brand-defiling badge engineering and a seemingly endless stream of “nearly there” products. And yet the automaker’s camp followers continue to give Lutz a free pass. There’s only one reason for this blind spot: they don’t pay attention to what he does OR what he says. Perhaps they failed to notice that the guy’s got a blog.
Between The Lines: Bob Lutz’s “Working Hard on Tomorrow, Today” editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | 44 comments
Between the Lines: Motor Trend Disses BMW. Ish.
By Robert FaragoJune 30, 2008 - 80 views
Source Interlink Media owns Motor Trend magazine. Both conglomerate and car mag are heading south, quickly, in a big way. Ad revenues and circulation are in free fall. Motor Trend (MT) is fighting for it survival with glossy pimpatorials for equally doomed advertisers. The August issue features a glossy "special advertising section" for Buick ("Drive Beautiful") and a slick "advertisement" for the Dodge Challenger ("Motor Trend drives the new Dodge Challenger Through Europe"). Meanwhile, the chronically undercapitalized columnist arthur st. antoine takes a whack at a premium car brand: BMW. Huh?
Between the Lines: Motor Trend Disses BMW. Ish. editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | Media | 37 comments
Between the Lines: Berkowitz Hits the [Toyota] Open Road
By Justin BerkowitzJune 11, 2008 - 92 views
As GM’s FastLane and GMNext blogs have demonstrated, the U.S. automobile industry has fully embraced the concept of blogging-- as press release. Toyota, of course, has entered the e-fray. Their Open Road blog may do little (as in nothing) to stretch the boundaries of Web 2.0-itude, but it offers the usual insight into the corporate culture from which it sprang. ToMoCo’s plugging the new Venza crossover, designed to fill the gaping hole in their lineup between the Camry, RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Sienna. Into the depths we descend...
Between the Lines: Berkowitz Hits the [Toyota] Open Road editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | Sales and Marketing | 31 comments
Between The Lines: MT’s Angus MacKenzie’s on GM’s Sinking Stock Price
By Edward NiedermeyerMarch 18, 2008 - 32,670 views
Angus MacKenzie did everything but call TTAC by name in his essay GM Shares Tumble. So What? Yes, the Motor Trend scribe can “almost hear the Detroit death-watchers rubbing their hands with glee” at the news of GM's stock hitting two-year lows. It's true. Every time GM's share price dips, we light giant cigars, twirl our collective mustache and laugh maniacally. That Mr. MacKenzie sees critical coverage of the auto industry as journalistic schadenfreude goes some ways towards explaining Motor Trend’s increasingly toothless car reviews. But how can MacKenzie, an experienced car hack, justify pinning Detroit’s woes on anyone other than, well, Detroit? Hey, a man’s gotta eat.
Between The Lines: MT’s Angus MacKenzie’s on GM’s Sinking Stock Price editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | Media | 52 comments
Between The Lines: A Look Into Bob Lutz’ Mind
By Frank WilliamsJanuary 24, 2008 - 28,070 views
GM Car Czar Bob Lutz wants you to know what's on his mind. So, at last night's Automotive News congressional confab, Maximum Bob let rip, revealing the concerns triggering the suit's septuagenarian synapses. But, as usual, there are major gaps between Bob's thoughts and actual reality.
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Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | 34 comments
Between The Lines: New York Times Op Ed “Et tu Toyota?”
By Robert FaragoOctober 4, 2007 - 29,864 views
The New York Times may be called The Old Gray Lady, but I reckon it’s one of those old gray ladies you find lingering at lunch counters, constantly sticking their nose into everyone’s business. In today’s Op Ed piece, Thomas L Friedman takes Toyota to task. He's miffed that the Japanese automaker's siding with The Big 2.8 against proposed federal regs raising the required corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) figure to 35mpg by 2020. The arguments behind “Et tu Toyota?” may be old news to TTAC readers, but like the Times itself, we can’t resist a bit of nasty gossip.
Between The Lines: New York Times Op Ed “Et tu Toyota?” editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | 82 comments
Between The Lines: James May on American Cars and Food
By Glenn SwansonSeptember 17, 2007 - 41,633 views
Top Gear (TG) presenter James May’s nickname is Captain Slow. As you’d expect from a country where sarcasm is a team sport, the moniker disses Mr. May’s driving skills. But the nickname could just as easily refer to May’s intellectual agility. Like automotive alpha Jeremy Clarkson, May is always happy to take an analytical shortcut, especially if it leads to some good old fashioned America bashing. Writing about his recent stateside sojourn in the Telegraph-- "Eat Junk, Drive Junk"-- May once again reveals that the U.S. and the UK are two nations separated by British snobbery.
Between The Lines: James May on American Cars and Food editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | 133 comments
Between the Lines: Lexus’ F Ad
By Robert FaragoSeptember 11, 2007 - 35,533 views
During my brief stint in British advertising, I had the distinct pleasure of working with one Paul Harvey Douglas. Paul was the world’s best headline writer. He could distill an entire advertising campaign down to a single sentence, a phrase, a word. I wonder what PHD would have made of Lexus' ad for its new F-Series automobiles. “What is F?” the two-page Autoweek center spread asks. “F is everything you thought we weren’t,” it answers. I could almost hear Paul’s derisive snort. “F means their brand’s in ‘effing trouble,” he would have pronounced. Too right, mate.
Between the Lines: Lexus’ F Ad editorial continued »
Posted in Between the Lines | Editorials | 117 comments
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