Posts filed under 'auto industry'
February 25th, 2009
Local resident John Connell went to the Chicago Auto Show last week, and took some pictures (click here) of a promotional truck featuring images of the Rockford-based band.
The truck isn’t for sale. Instead, it is designed to get automotive professionals and media to look at products that RealWheels Accessory Corp. sells.
The dashboard is trimmed with checkerboard patterns, the kind guitarist Rick Nielsen of Rockford wears. And a TV screen that rises from the back of the truck showcases Cheap Trick music in the Rock Band 2 video game. The “Dream Police” vehicle is a tribute to the 30th anniversary of the band’s album, which its creators grew up listening to, Jeff Dolphin of SVL Productions, Rockford, has said. The local company consulted with RealWheels on putting in the video screen, fog machine and lasers on the truck.
Connell’s take on the show?
“The show this year was a bit of a disappointment as there were less vehicles this year and a lot more tacky vendors, which I’d not seen in the previous years.”
February 16th, 2009
There won’t be a car czar to oversee government loans to the dreadfully challenged car makers, according to new Obama plan outlined in this cbsnews.com story.
As the teams move forward, Obama “wants to make sure that we’re getting the expertise and input of agencies across the government,” an official said.
I really want to believe that appointing senior administrative officials instead of one czar will help.
But the glass-half-empty in me wonders if it’s a bad omen: That in a U.S. auto industry collapse that puts the economy in an irreversible skid that it’ll be easier to spread the oversight blame among a bunch of people, a system, than to point at just one czar-like person. And when that happens, there seems to be a big cloud of amorphous unaccountability. The accountability seems to evaporate.
Seems when I can point a finger at somebody, I can understand something better. And I have a picture of what went wrong if I can attach a face to it. Sure, I could attach Obama’s face to it, but now, he’s like teflon.
December 19th, 2008
Hard to believe, but it seems like the taxpayers will get what’s needed in the White House’s $17.4 billion in financial relief for the Big Three automakers:
1. Loans will be called in by March 31 if carmakers aren’t financially viable. Most of the relief will come via short-term loans. And the car makers have only until March 31 to become financially viable. If they don’t, the loans will be called in and all funds must be returned, according to CBS News.
2. Taxpayers are the first in line to collect. The deal also requires the automakers to give the government loans priority over other creditors.
3. There will be limits on executive pay and elimination of perks like corporate jets.
4. Autoworkers will also have to make concessions. The government set targets to allow the Big Three to become competitive with foreign competitors by the end of 2009 as far as wages and worker rules.
Dare we say that this restructuring could be the beginning of a competitive U.S. car industry?
December 11th, 2008
When I hear the now-popularly mainstreamed word “czar,” I still think “Russian emperor.”
And I picture a man.
Those two reasons may be why I’m having trouble appreciating the “car czar” term that’s all the rage on Capitol Hill now.
President Bush will appoint a “car czar” to hand out taxpayer’s $14 billion in emergency loans to U.S. automakers if Congress passes a pending bill.
I’m thinking “car czarina” or “car czarette” might better suit my way of thinking.
After all “czar” connotes “power,” and isn’t it powerful men at the top of the Big Three automakers that have helped get the industry into this mess by making powerful SUVs to their delight?
And doesn’t “czarina” make you think of Thumbelina, in other words, “small,” as in let’s make smaller, more-fuel-efficient cars?
I’ve gone too far out there with that logic, you’re thinking?
OK, then propose better ones. Or choose from a few below.
What would you substitute for "car czar"?
