Anyone remember Chevy Chase's immortal line "Francisco Franco is still dead?" I'll wait until the Tata purchase of Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands goes through– if it does–  before using Chase's riff. Meanwhile, Tata is launching some kind of weird-ass PR offensive. The Wall Street Journal [sub]  is carrying a press release feature story on Tata's "hands-off" acquisition style. Apparently, the Indian way of such things, in general, is to "Do next to nothing." The evidence for such patent rubbish? Tata didn't throw management overboard when they acquired the U.K.-based Corus Group and Tetley Tea. Oh, and apparently Tata won't be outsourcing. "During a London meeting with Tata Motors executives in November, Mr. Maddison [Unite union rep] recalls, 'We came straight down and said 'We've obviously got fears that you've got a massive component base across Asia. Would it be your intention to source from Asia into the U.K.?'' They hit it straight back and told us 'No way.'" Dude, get it in writing. [thanks to Robert Schwartz for the link] 

I drink Espolon tequila. It's not a matter of taste, smoothness or snobbery. Veteran drinkers– like car buyers– know it's always better to buy top shelf hooch to minimize the inevitable after-effects. Get drunk on the cheap and you pay the price (the old "I have to get better so I can die" routine). By the same token, buy a Dodge Durango and it will burn all the way down to the pit of your automotive soul, leaving you with a hangover that will last years. Where's the fun in that?

The line of succession at Ford Motor Company doesn't have a Ford in it (surprise!). In an interview with Automotive News [sub] last week, Ford personnel chief Joe Laymon laid out the short list for the next CEO. Of course, the board of directors has the right to consider other than his these six candidates, but the self-proclaimed "owner of Ford's succession-planning process" said CEO Alan Mulally asked him to identify those worthy of ascension to the throne. Not surprisingly, "Mullet" Mark Fields is on the list; when asked to comment on his chances of making it to the top, he stated "I am not going to go there…I am not focused at all on things like the succession race. We [note the change to the "royal we"] are focusing on doing our jobs." And of course, Big Al's favorite Toyota ex-pat Jim Farley made it. Assuming the proper "aw shucks" attitude, he humbly commented "You earn those opportunities. Right now, I haven't done anything." [At least he admits it; honest has to count for something.] The other four in the running are Lewis Booth (VP for Ford of Europe and what's left of the PAG), Joe Hinrichs (VP of global manufacturing), Don Leclair (CFO), and Stephen Odell (COO, Ford of Europe). So who will it be when Mulally's five-year contract runs out in 2011? Just as with GM, watch to see who they move into the corporate COO position next.

“Not making a car like the Prius was a mistake.” In recent days, GM’s Car Czar has amped-up his pro-hybrid rhetoric, including this mea culpa. Clearly, Vice Chair Bob Lutz’s enthusiasm for gas – electric products has undergone a volte face, inspired by his fatalistic conclusion that only alt power can satisfy federal regulators’ mandates for increased fuel efficiency. But in his newfound zeal, Maximum Bob is rewriting history. In the interests of truth, let’s set the record straight.

Whatever else you can say about the aspiring electric vehicle (EV) maker– and we've said plenty during the previous thirty-nine installments– you can never accuse Tesla Motors of humility. Before they've delivered a single car to a single paying customer, Tesla is now talking about European sales. Innovation Beat carries the glad tidings. "We have always wanted to distribute in Europe, but with the low dollar we are going to move quicker,” says Darryl Siry, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service at Tesla. “The introduction date for the Roadster in Europe will be announced in a couple of months.” Will that be that before or after the White Star sedan EV prototype hits the streets? Meanwhile, Wired reports that Siry was equally vague about the delivery date for the second "production" Tesla Roadster. "The factory turns out 'gliders,' or rolling chassis without drivetrains. The cars will be shipped — Siry said he imagines [Tesla founder Martin] Eberhard's car will be flown — to San Francisco for final assembly. Every Roadster will have its battery pack, transmission and motor installed in San Carlos. 'The whole process before they're passed to sales takes a couple of weeks,' Siry said, and Eberhard will probably get his car in April.'" Probably? 

As sure as night follows day, you can count on seeing the following after news of an automaker in trouble.  “___ is in talks with Renault/Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.” The other thing you can count on: these talks won’t amount to a hill of beans. At most, the result will be some sort of technology-sharing venture in some peripheral market or an engine deal for a car you’ve never heard of. Why all this sound and spin signifying nothing? Because the Brazilian-born auto exec knows which side of his bread is buttered. 

Not that the average American Lexus buyer could give a damn, but Toyota's luxury division has singularly failed to gain traction outside the U.S. market. Which is exactly the point: Americans are far less bothered by issues of provenance (i.e. or lack thereof) than any other developed automotive market. Business Week reports that the analysis applies to Lexus' home turf. "When Toyota (TM) introduced its Lexus brand in Japan three years ago, the company was hoping drivers like Masayoshi Haku would swoon over the luxury lineup. The 46-year-old doctor is a car lover with a $110,000 BMW 750 sedan and a $60,000 Porsche Boxster, so he should have been a prime customer for Lexus. But Haku hasn't taken the bait. Why? Lexus is too Japanese for his tastes… 'Foreign brands have more individuality.'" Sales reflect this non-import bias; Lexus sold just 34,800 cars in Japan last year. As Biz Week points out, Lexus did itself no favors with its initial lineup, featuring "the $52,000 GS sports sedan, the $68,000 SC convertible, and the entry-level IS sedan, starting at about $40,000. All three had previously been available in Japan under the Toyota nameplate— for about 20% less than the Lexus models." Oops. [thanks to stalightmica for the link]

Judy Smongesky has been driving around San Diego for nearly four decades in her Silver-Blue 1965 Mustang. It has over 300k miles on the clock and she's rebuilt the engine twice. Only problem is, it's not her car. Turns out back in 1970 Eugene Brakke reported his 'Stang as stolen. Last week, when Smongesky was preparing to sell the car, the police notified her that it was hot. She sure was surprised, as her father had bought her the car when she was a teenager (some things never change). Even though MSNBC reports that Smongesky's had the car 9.5 times longer than Mr. Brakke, she's giving it back to him. And he has the nerve to be angry about the paint job (the car was originally gold). The whole ordeal proves conclusively that even though possession is 9/10s the law, it's not.

From TTAC reader Ian Opp: "With all the talk about gas prices, etc. why is mid grade still being manufactured? I understand that most cars are either biased towards reg or premium, so wouldn't it behoove us to scrap the whole idea of an 89 octane?" To which I'll add a sub-question: what about substituting an E85 pump? According to the the ethanol industry, you can get better fuel economy with ethanol than regular gas. No, really; they actually want you to believe that. Check out this study from The American Coalition for Ethanol (link to the full report at the bottom of the press release). Are you craving corn juice?

I'd never own a Viper, but I'd love to drive one. As would millions of enthusiasts. In fact, the "wikkid car but even people who worship it end-up doing so from afar" is an entire genre (currently heading down market with the Pontiac G8 GT). Anyway, let's suppose the U.S. economy suddenly recovers and Chrysler decides it needs a halo car for the Dodge brand (gotta sell those Durangos) and… Anyway, how should the next, entirely theortetical Viper look? I am a big fan of the 1992 RT/10. I'd like to see its side vents make a come-back. I'd also like a sharper noise with some creases following the white stripes (those would look cool even if the paint is monochromatic). Then I'd place a black inner fold on the sides to emphasize the skirts, also as a tribute to the RT/10. Finally I'd add some lights that are completely new, but you could guess you'd seen them before. Voila! The Viper macho-look is completed.

[For more Avarvarii photochopistry, click here]

In his first conference call with automotive analysts, freshly-minted GM CFO Ray Young said that his employer has $27.3b in cash and $7b in undrawn credit lines upon which to draw. Although that ain't hay, subtract the $10b GM needs to keep the lights on, consider the company's ongoing cash conflagration, factor in declining sales and the American Axle strike's effect on cash flow, remember that GM lost $10.6b in 2005, keep in mind that GM's already sold the family silver and… the automaker's liquidity isn't quite so reassuring. But don't take my word for it. "As CFO, my priority is making sure this place is funded," Young said. "While we believe the industry (in U.S. sales) will be in the low 16 million units, we have triggered actions right now to make sure we start to conserve liquidity." Automotive News [sub] reports that GM's Beancounter-in-Chief revealed that GM is postponing [unspecified] non-product related capital expenditures from the first half of '08 to the latter half of the year– and beyond. "If the market doesn't return, we will defer that further into the future," Young said. GM's CFO said the suits are now running the business on a "quarter-to-quarter" basis. Oh, and Young said that GM ran about 940k units of dealer stock the end of February, roughly 125k units below the level at this point last year.

The Financial Post reports that car prices in Canada have plummeted 6.8 percent last month, the biggest drop since 1956. The number comes from Statistics Canada's February inflation report, which reportedly shocked even the economists who collect the data. Vic Singh, chief economist at the Canadian Auto Dealers Association explains the phenomenon as an "accumulation of several months of falling prices, as the soaring Canadian dollar forces auto dealers to cut sticker prices in an effort to keep consumers from heading south of the border to get a better deal." A strong Canadian dollar, aggressive manufacturer incentives and increased demand for compact cars are also cited as reasons for the sharp downturn in prices. Of course, good old Econ 101 analysis indicates that this is what the textbooks call market self-correction, as Canucks have been paying high premiums on their vehicles for years compared to their American neighbors despite the strong loonie. Check out a slideshow comparing prices in  Canada vs. US in November, 2007 here to see what we're talking about.

First of all, I apologize again for the broken comments function. As a survivor of the early PC, I know the agony of dysfunctional if not downright evil computing. As a smart ass kid in a school where corporal punishment wasn't the name of a porn star, I know the frustration of not being able to speak the truth. Thanks for all the emails giving us a heads-up, and your patience awaiting the site's restoration. Second, a big thank you to Justin for his sterling work at the New York Auto Show. I still think I should have "accidentally" fallen and grabbed the sheet covering the Hyundai Genesis concept while Justin just "happened" to be taking some photos of the liggers. But otherwise, Justin's editorial judgment is pure TTAC, AND the guy's a hard worker who knows his onions. Well done that man. And kudos to Frank Williams for holding down the fort. We literally couldn't have done it without him. I'm proud that Frank considers TTAC a worthy place to hang his hat. And, of course, thank you for your e-patronage, our raison d'etre. 

My first car was a 1985 Pontiac Parisienne Safari Station Wagon with a tow package and when I got it, 173,000 miles. It was brown with a brown interior. The 5.0-liter V8 cranked out (maybe) 140 horses and it didn't even have a tape deck. It's a wonder I like cars at all. Of course here in LA you see lots and lots of high school children driving 'round in a shiny new BMW 3-series. Lexus IS's and new Mustangs are popular choices, too. On the other hand, there are the parents out there who feel safety is priority one, and arm their spawn with heavy metal in the form of Expeditions and Denalis. Then of course there is the little turd who cut me off this morning in a Yellow H2. Man, would I like to smack his father. Yeah, so, what should kids drive?