The Pope is not the only one that is two tricks away from Pimp My Ride. Compliments of Jeremy Korzeniewski at autoblog.com, the President-elect himself, Barack Obama, has his family car of the past few years now for sale on eBay Motors. And the hype about going green and getting the Hybrid Ford Escape? Well, that is all well and good, but matters not as he will be moving into the seats of the 12 mile-per-gallon Cadillac One to lead the motorcabe. The current Presidential State Car is a 2005 hand-crafted, armored version of the stretch Cadillac DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) built on a GM four-wheel drive platform. For more, read Jerry's blog below:

Back when Barack Obama was still vying for the official Democratic presidential nod, the now President-elect made a well-publicized switch from a HEMI-powered Chrysler 300C to a Ford Escape Hybrid. The issue, of course, was that the HEMI is seen as a gas swiller (15 mpg city / 23 highway) and an obvious target for those looking to point a finger at the junior senator's green credentials. So, out went the 300C and in came the defacto mode of transportation for image conscious politicians: a Ford Escape Hybrid. The trade made headlines a while before everybody moved on to more important issues. Or have they? Obama's old 300C is back in the news and currently up for auction on eBay Motors.

Just how much would it cost to park Obama's old whip in your driveway? We'll know for sure in about a week, but the opening bid is a rather staggering $100,000. Even a low mileage 2005 300C (this one has racked up just 20,000 miles) isn't worth more than about $17,000 or so on the open market. Is it really worth an extra $80,000 (and probably much more) to drive the next President's ex-car? If so, the bidding is now open.

Sentiment and Timing go like hand and glove, mix and match, frick and frack, peanut and butter. Simply put, they go together.

With weeks left until the Big 3, rather the Big 2, run out of money, we get to see how sentiment and timing are related.

 

The executives of these automobile companies have calculated and recalculated their individual and collective needs and are pleading that “these monies are needed for the preservation and sustainability of their companies – companies that are deep rooted in our American fabric”.  At least this week’s trips to the Capital were made in planes (No!), trains (No!), and automobiles (YES!). Perfect. Now how about flipping some key members of the executive and management teams?  

Also this week, the members of the United Autoworkers Union declared the UAW is not willing to bargain - not willing to concede - any percentage or two of their 2009 wages or benefits. All this is at a time when unemployment has reached rates not seen since Nixon was president.

At another time, the UAW would receive lots of public support and sentiment for not backing to management. But, that time is not now. At a time when jobs are being slashed at a faster rate than Kordell Stewart was playing wideout for the ‘97 Steelers, the UAW are now “part cause and reason” that their employers may not cash in on time for the bridge loans to make a difference.

 

While the automobile dealer network has closed 900 doors this year, it is anticipated that number will balloon to the thousands in 2009. Thus far, however, the actions of the automobile executives, management, its Boards and UAW members show little interest in transforming their own house. Have there been cut backs? Sure, there have. But, in the face of disastrous consequences, all continue to display a face of status quo.  Sentiment and timing are strange and dynamic bedfellows. A month from now, a year from now, 20 years from now, how will sentiment and timing regard the Big 3’s willingness, able-ness and readiness to stay and thrive in business? 

 

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

Hooray for Mazda! Take a look at this 15 second spot....is there anything else to say? I think not!

WhoSaysWomenCantPark.wmv (1.19 mb) 

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

While I live like “OMG if 'it' doesn’t happen now, 'it' will never happen”, life really doesn’t work that way. Life happens, emerges, operates and occurs along a continuum.

 

The Big Three showed up in Washington D.C. late last week fully intending, with hands open, to get ‘theirs’. What an incredulous experience then to realize that just showing up doesn’t carry the day. I mean, it certainly did in Field of Dreams. That Kevin Costner just built a damn baseball stadium and next thing you know, cars were lined up in traffic jams from all over the plantetary system to see a bunch of dead players go 9 innings in what-had-been-a wheat field in Kansas. Was it Kansas? (I could Google that, but it’s so much more fun to guess.) 

So, showing up isn’t all it takes, right? That’s nice, but what is my point? Ah…the continuum of life and life’s events; back to that.

 In 1980, Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy. They received a ginormous financial bump from Uncle Sam, kept the same management team in tact, and made not one change to the benefit program or the union contract. What did change? The size of their billfold, for starters.  And, product innovation moved to the backseat while the US auto market share decreased from 75% to 48% today.  

Why does one “B” word have such appeal and the other leaves us skittish?  BAILOUT vs. BANKCRUPCY

Companies have gone into bankrupcy and have survived and thrived while many others have not. Bankruptcy - and the getting through it - demands a certain type of integrity, new thinking, creative dialogs, transformative actions leading to new results, as well as relentless stamina. This rigorous mindset is usually not executed by the folks who are currently running the company. (Chrysler, Ford and GM will need to implement one, if not all, of the above aspects to get some if not all of the allocated $25 billion.)

Fast forward from 1980 to November 2008. After arriving at the nation’s capital in their corporate jets, which was such spicy fodder for the politicians and the media, they got their proverbial balls busted. Showing up produced nothing.

 

Women-Drivers had our Board meeting on the same exact day last week. Be sure - all companies, all workers, all management and all levels - need to better craft and draft a compelling story of actionable, accountable results.

 

Let’s see what happens when the gang gets back together on December 8th. Let the c-o-n-t-i-n-u-u-m continue.

 

Drive your bargain,

Anne

Every day I am alive is a good day. I certainly don’t know what the alternative holds, but I do enjoy and live a full life. So, while each day is great, it occurs to me that these days are ExtraOrdinary.

 

• After 250 years as a country, the American public, in all of our glory, voted for a black President. Naysayers up until November 4th said it would never happen. Yet, white, black, Hispanic, and all other colors in our 50 states voted as a majority. Not even our European friends – not the likes of the English, the Irish nor the Italians have done that. ExtraOrdinary.

 

• Graciousness and generosity came from each of the candidates to each other at the end of the race – McCain to Obama, Obama to McCain. And, from Bush to Obama. At the end of the day the party lines were put aside and each recognized and acknowledged each other. All men rose to the occasion. Amen and ExtraOrdinary.

 

• Effective January, 2009, an African American president and his family will be living in the White House built by slaves in another century. Ironic and ExtraOrdinary.

 

• There will be between 4,000,000 – 5,000,000 fewer new cars purchased this year. The credit crunch, unemployment rising rates, and the price of gasoline through the first 3 quarters of the year, has had a tremendous effect on the car industry. ExtraOrdinary.

 

• $25 billion is now allocated to the big three (3) automakers. NADA is feverishly asserting that some of that money must be distributed to the dealer network… over 60 dealers closed their doors in September – that’s two a day. Recently, a Hyundai dealer from Washington, DC told me that the credit scores required to buy car as so high, heck, even I couldn’t purchase one! But if you can -  it is truly a great time to buy a car. Deals, Rebates, Employee Pricing. Like really – like Now. ExtraOrdinary.

• Is it not ironic that the price of gas dropped over 40% in a matter of months -- just as the financial and auto crisis occurred? Wow, there is a very fine and correlated line between supply and demand, huh Exxon? ExtraOrdinary.

 

• Ever notice how much we Americans love our cars? Almost as much as we love our football! In fact, when we go to the NFL games that cost individuals hundreds of dollars for seats  to actually sit in to watch the contest – ever notice how many “fans” never even get to the game? They are out in the parking lot; hanging near the cars, with the food and the beverage inside the cars. We gather around the cars, when its cold we even get inside the vehicles. And, while we say it’s about the camaraderie and filling of the bellies, I assert it’s all about the cars. ExtraOrdinary.

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne