TheDetroitBureau.com (TDB) reports that GM’s lame duck Car Czar is a Chrysler creditor. The size and nature of Bob Lutz’ claim against the other zombie automaker is not yet known. But I reckon the ex-ChryCo exec’s pensions and bennies got sucked into the black hole. (Hey, I did warn him.) In fact, Lutz is going for a C11 triple: Exide, Chrysler and GM. While we await the official Chrysler court docs, the list of Auburn Hills’ other creditors is long and revealing. Number one: you, the taxypayer, dwarfing the second largest creditor by some $9.42 billion. So large, in fact, it’s not even on the list. Which leaves chassis maker Ohio Module Mfg. Co. as the largest non-governmental creditor. Ad agency BBDO Detroit Incorporated clocks in at number two most owed, at $58,055,133.44. As TDB observes, “Who would have thunk it! Well maybe it’s like American beer, the advertising and promotion cost more that the production of the stuff inside the can. Still, this is more money owed for advertising than steel, since U.S. Steel Corporation is owed only $16,182,772, as of April 30.” Looks like the spinmeisters got spun.

We now have two hybrids on our lot. It won’t last and, trust me, I know that. But I’ve always tried to buy low and sell high when it comes to cars, and non-Prius hybrids are actually reasonable these days. The car in question was a 2001 Honda Insight that was offered by a domestic dealership that had little experience with the product. The check engine light was on (recall related), the A/C was blaring ($35 of tint solved it), and the retail price was a bit prodigious ($6988 with 145k miles). They had a sealed bid sale and I got it for $4001.

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Chrysler’s stiffed a member of our Best and Brightest:

When I purchased my ’09 300C I traded in an ’05 that had a Chrysler extended service contract with time and mileage remaining. I called Chrysler and they gave me all of the information for obtaining a pro-rata refund as per the contract. I faxed it over and got very quick service. I had a check from Chrysler in the amount of $363.62 in under two weeks. I cashed it at my bank and today my bank mailed it back to me: Insufficient Funds! The check was drawn on a JP Morgan Chase account. I guess the bankruptcy is going to strike close to home.

In an interview with Autoweek, GM CEO Fritz Henderson finally stepped out from under Rick Wagoner’s shadow and stated his firmly held belief that the new Cruze and Spark will spark Chevy’s renaissance. Or, if you prefer, they’ll “fortify Chevrolet as a competitive, top-quality brand in the next two years.” True story?

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The Detroit News has obtained a confidential memo from GM to federal legislators. The smoking gun reveals that the soon-to-be-taxpayer-owned (officially) automaker plans to boost US sales of vehicles built in China, Mexico, South Korea and Japan by 98 percent (to 365k units). In the face of union criticism of the plans, GM claims that the percentage of its imports will remain at 33 percent. By 2014. When its sales recover to 3.1 million vehicles per year. Providing it maintains its current market share. All things being equal. With the wind in the right direction.

At the same time, The General aims to shrink production in Canada, Australia and European countries by about 130k. For a sneak peak at the less tortuous justification for this outsourcing on Uncle Sam’s dime, we turn to veteran Detroit apologist and Washington Post car critic, Warren Brown . . .

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200km/h ticked by on the digital speedo and I was still pressed into the sports seats. 230km/h flashed by, and the scenery of autobahn, cars, and trees started to blur. 260km/h rolled by and I started to think “Holy hell!”. At 303km/h I became a laser-guided Autobahn Cruise Missile. I swear I heard sonic booms echo off the Opels I passed. The Porsche and I were melded at this point, a human-machine interface so cohesive it would take three g’s of braking force from the vented discs to separate us. I thought I had found driving Nirvana at this point, but I was wrong.

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Police in Wisconsin need no warrant to electronically track the moves of motorists not suspected of any crime, according to a ruling handed down yesterday by the state court of appeals. The decision came as a three-judge panel unanimously declined to overturn the stalking conviction of Michael A. Sveum that had been based largely on evidence provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device secretly installed on Sveum’s car while it was parked on his private driveway.

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Captainzerocool writes:

Sajeev, I’ve recently acquired a 1969 Ford F100. It is a solid truck with the 360FE and three on the tree. It does, however, have an electrical problem that I can’t nail down. Apparently, the key or the ignition switch isn’t needed to get the motor to attempt to turn over. Once I attach the positive terminal, the starter motor begins to rotate and will not quit until the battery is disconnected. The starter and starter solenoid have been replaced. Is there some random wire that isn’t/needs to be grounded? Any and all help is appreciated.

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A TTAC source signs in with an interesting question:

I have one on “anonymous background.” Did you know members of the board of bystanders at Chrysler get new cars for life? I’d have thought Cerberus would have gotten rid of that stuff, but no. There is someone I know who was a director who got his new car this year. You think the gov’t is going to change that policy now that we own it? I wonder how many other “traditional” perks that were waaaay too common in Detroit and not the rest of the world are still being given to retired execs and board members?

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade (or glazed strawberry lemon streusel muffins). When Chrysler gives you lemons, you’re SOL. Since April 30, Judge Arthur Gonzales has to approve payment on claims against Chrysler incurred before C11. That includes “lemon law” settlement checks to customers who bought defective Dodge, Chrysler or Jeep products. Not happening. “San Diego attorney Ellen Turnage represents a client who reached a settlement with Chrysler over a 2006 Dodge Magnum with a bad suspension. The car has been returned to Chrysler, but the automaker’s check bounced. ‘Now he’s got no car and no money, so he can’t go buy a new one,’ Turnage said of her client. ‘He’s stuck. We’re hanging on to a glimmer of hope that at some point this will all be resolved.'” As the LA Times reports, Turnage’s pessimism is well-justified. Instead of saying, sorry, we’ll expedite this, the new Chrysler is telling aggrieved customers to FO&D.

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The US Treasury Secretary had a little chin wag with Reuters re: GM. It seem that Mr. Geithner is as pleased as punch with his minions’ work with Chrysler’s bankruptcy. So pleased, in fact, he sees ChryCo’s dissolution solution as a template for GM’s C11. You know “if”. “There is a range of ways to achieve [GM’s restructuring]. You saw what we did in the Chrysler context as one way to do it and if that proves necessary in the GM context, we’ll do that.” And then the aforementioned “if”. “But we’re not at the point where we need to make that judgment yet.” Sure. They’ve got 28 days to convince GM’s bondholders—a motley crew of “investors” looking at differing payout and maturity dates—to take a flyer on a company that hasn’t made a profit for . . . sorry, debt for equity swap. And here’s some fuel for those who see the government’s role in the US auto industry as reprehensible.

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A TTAC source has pinged us: “‘I’ve just heard 2nd hand that the Delphi OnStar team has had all their GM contracts canceled. It seems that GM may be getting rid of OnStar completely, but it isn’t clear when that would happen. This sounds like a pretty good business decision to me since cell phones have become so widely adopted, and navigation systems are getting cheaper.” This tip flies in the face of a recent Reuters report, in which the head of said OnStar claimed the service was wildly profitable. OK, “highly.” Which is the same as “wildly,” given GM’s current slide into C11. Anyway, “GM does not break out its revenue or profits from OnStar, but had said the division had turned profitable in 2003 and has been steadily and more profitable since. The division receives part of its revenues from consumer subscription fees.” One possible explanation (just in): GM is simply “de-sourcing” Delphi as OnStar supplier, as it prepares to deep-six the bankrupt parts-maker’s contracts. Or something. But wait! More tipster action from an ex-OnStar employee after the jump.

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