You just can't find an evangelist when you need one. After decrying the supposed pro-Japanese bias that leads journalists to neglect their true calling — selling GM cars — GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz went on to finger GM dealers as disloyal. Not that he doesn't understand:
"Almost all of our large and powerful dealers who come to our GM dealer introductions, they open their shirt and say, 'See this Chevrolet tattoo,' and with tears in their eyes, 'I'm one of your most loyal dealers, we've been in the GM family for the last 50 years.' Those are the same guys I saw at the Chrysler dealer meetings, the same guy I saw at the Ford dealer introductions ... these guys all have portfolios now. They just have to be careful they open the right shirt button when they show the manufacturer the brand tattoo."
Of course, as the Journal's John Stoll notes: "Mr. Lutz worked at Ford, Chrysler and GM during his long career, evidently giving him unique insight into dealer habits."
[Source: The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)]
