Auto Execs Take a Swipe at Each Other at the Detroit Motor Show

Good manners dictate that unless you are provoked, you can politely ignore your adversaries. In the case of those involved in the auto industry, politely point out to your clients and/or the press why and in which areas your products are superior. That's a common practice. Openly attacking your opponents is considered rude. But Not anymore. At the 2012 Detroit Motor Show, some pretty poisonous remarks were uttered by several executives. BMW North America boss, Ludwig Willisch, dismissed the new Cadillac ATS and Lincoln MKZ saying that, despite their claims, they are simply not in the same league as the 3-Series.
“We don’t produce trucks, nor taxis or buses”, said Willisch. “We don’t produce sofas on wheels – and we don’t take mass-market vehicles and rebadge them as premium.”
Although he does have a point, maybe those remarks are trying to undermine the U.S. carmakers’ amazing recovery after their 2009 bailout adventure.
Former GM chairman and car guru Bob Lutz thinks that American carmakers have recovered their mojo, while some of their competitors are losing the plot.
“Some of the big Japanese companies are showing a distinct loss of momentum in design, engine technology and public perception”, said Lutz. “The Detroit Three are just one the roll doing probably the most competitive vehicles in the history of the American automobile business.”
At the Detroit motor show, Toyota put a billboard across the Cobo Center. It was an ad for the Camry Hybrid, reading “Sorry Fusion”, a direct reference to Ford’s model.
Two can play that game: Ford answered at Tuesday’s press conference for the Fusion with a video attacking the Camry and Honda Accord. “When the recession hit, they plummeted along with the rest of the industry”, said the commentator in the video. “What you might not realize is that Camry and Accord never recovered. They saw further sales and share losses more than a year before the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.”
John Mendel, Honda’s top U.S. executive, immediately picked up his boxing gloves: “Many of our competitors were enjoying the race with Honda running at half-throttle”, he said, in a race-like metaphor.
“They temporarily picked up a lap or two while we were in the pits. We’re here to serve notice to the competition that Honda is again firing on all cylinders. We’re back to full power,” said Mendel.
GM's executives were much more restrained. CEO Dan Akerson did not brag about his company reclaiming the number one spot as the world’s largest manufacturer from Toyota, while GM North America president Mark Reuss conceded that the Cadillac ATS has to earn its place among the competition: “We’re going to have to prove this. There’s no easy game here.”

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