Bailout Watch 330: Car Czar Welcomes Car Czar

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

The Detroit News [scroll down] is blogging the heck out of the don’t call it The Detroit Auto Show. As always (we can only hope), GM Car Czar Bob Lutz provides the requisite non sequiturs. The DetN’s Snell asked Maximum Bob about the prospect of another, more alpha (in the HUMMER sense) Car Czar, soon to be assigned by Congress to keep watch on the $13.4b of taxpayer money loaned to MB’s employer. Like the idea? He loves it! “We’ve never had a go-to person in Washington to pour out our hearts to,” Lutz said. “To have a person, a presidential appointee, intimately involved in the industry to review plans and have a dialogue with, I think is a very beneficial institution. I almost wish we had this before.” Almost, but not quite? But don’t worry, Maximum Bob reckons GM will “meet the requirements we signed up for” with the help of the new Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and yes, Buick LaCrosse. Of course, that’s not the whole plan. “GM is betting gas prices will rise once the economy recovers and pent-up demand for new vehicles in unleashed. ‘That’s what we’re counting on,’ Lutz said.”

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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