Filed under: MPG, GM, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily, At Witz End
It was probably mid-1980, soon after the federal government agreed to guarantee massive loans to financially struggling Chrysler Corp., when then-Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca invited groups of auto media and analysts to its styling center for an off-the-record preview of what was coming two, three, even four years down the road. Most were impressed.
We couldn’t write about what we saw that day, but we could report in general terms that, much to our surprise, it looked pretty damn good. That was a very crafty move that probably altered outside perceptions - mostly by word of mouth - enough to help the company survive to launch those appealing new products and pay off those loans seven years early.
A couple years later, Ford was on the ropes thanks to woefully bad product quality and styling. Then-new Ford Chairman Don Petersen sat down next to me at a table full of auto writers wolfing down box lunches during the company’s summer Dearborn Proving Ground “long-lead” press preview. Between bites of his sandwich, he opened his brief case, pulled out a handful of photos and surreptitiously showed them to me. They were styling models of the next-generation Thunderbird (which looked terrific) and Mercury Cougar (less so, but distinctive) and a pair of smooth, nicely proportioned compacts that would launch two years later as the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz.
The following summer, Ford Design PR leaders pulled some of us aside, one by one, took us into a design studio and showed us models of what would become the first-generation Taurus and Sable sedans and wagons that would save the company’s bacon more than two years later. Again, we were on our honor not to report what we had seen. Again, the object was to subtly improve outside perceptions and expectations.
Fast-forward to Aug. 11, 2009, one month and a day after the “new General Motors” emerged from Chap. 11 bankruptcy. As you’ve heard, GM invited a substantial number of auto media and analysts to its Warren, Mich. Tech Center to open its kimono and show off pretty much everything it has coming in the next few years. Find out what was revealed after the jump.
Continue reading At Witz’ End - A sneak peak at the “new GM’s” critically important product future
At Witz’ End - A sneak peak at the “new GM’s” critically important product future originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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