We met up with the Cadillac CTS Coupe crew at Dogpatch Studios in the Dogpatch area of San Francisco.  Grabbed a CTS Wagon and headed to the Carneros Inn in Napa Valley where we tag teamed with a CTS Coupe that was the feature of this drive evaluation. Cadillac lodged the media at the Bardessono Hotel in Yountville.  Environmentally pure, the Bardessono is an experience in itself.  

The CTS Coupe is the third of the three bodystyles Cadillac plans for the CTS.  The first was the sedan introduced in 2008 followed by the European-inspired wagon in 2009 and now the Coupe in 2010.

Don Butler, Vice President of Cadillac Marketing took the gathered press through where Cadillac is and where Cadillac plans to be in the future.  Bold, product-oriented positioning will have Cadillac going head-to-head against Audi, BMW and Mercedes.  Lexus was added as an afterthought. 

Cadillac had set up a flurry of identical specification CTS Coupes for this group of journalists and analysts to drive through the hills surrounding Napa Valley.  Some of the most picturesque and challenging roads in the country put the CTS Coupes to the test.

Continue reading "2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe - Flash and Dash" »

Posted by George Peterson at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Cadillac Adds Premium Care  Cadillac is adding standard scheduled maintenance - Premium Care - to its 2011 Model Year products. Providing scheduled maintenance is a way to demonstrate commitment to the customer, reduce ownership costs and increase customer loyalty. BMW has been offering scheduled maintenance for years and has effectively shed its "Break My Wallet" image that existed prior to the scheduled maintenance program.

Premium Brands Abandoned Standard Scheduled Maintenance  In the past, most of the European luxury brands included standard scheduled maintenance - BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover. As costs went up and belts had to be tightened all with the exception of BMW dropped out. Surprising because consumer input to AutoPacific has indicated that standard scheduled maintenance is a strong enticement in selecting one brand over another.  BMW was winning the battle with no competition.

Standard Scheduled Maintenance Returning as Customer Satisfaction and Marketing Tool  Brands have begun to slowly return to standard scheduled maintenance as a customer satisfaction enhancer and sales enticement... Volvo, Volkswagen are now on board.  Jaguar has added its Platimum Coverage for 2011 that provides all scheduled maintenance for 5-years or 50,000 miles.  2010MY Land Rover models include scheduled maintenance for a short period after purchase. Perhaps they will follow Jag's lead.

In any event, standard scheduled maintenance appears to again gain traction in the marketing wars at the top of the market.  That VW has adopted it may indicate adding standard scheduled maintenance even to popular high volume brands.

Posted by George Peterson at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Cadillac's owners' cumulative scores for each Cadillac model in AutoPacific's 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction research have given Cadillac a win in the race to be best brand overall. Cadillac outpoints Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Lincoln and Buick (top Popular Brand). This is Cadillac's seventh win in the past eleven years. Winning so often is testament that Cadillac is selling to buyers who really appreciate their vehicles.

The Cadillac Escalade Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle is the only Cadillac winning its class outright, but the CTS, the STS, the DTS and the SRX scored well enough to move Cadillac into overall leadership.

For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.

Posted by George Peterson at 7:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Buick and Cadillac Win Top Brand Awards Buick wins the AutoPacific 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award for top Popular Brand. Buick's feat completes a General Motors sweep of brand winners - Cadillac wins as top Premium Brand.

With three vehicles - LaCrosse, Lucerne and Enclave - Buick has achieved superior scores overall topping Honda, Ford, GMC, Mercury and Hyundai among Popular Brands. Some might contend Buick is a Premium Brand. If Buick had been included in the Premium Brand list it would have come in behind Cadillac, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Lincoln. Buick's performance is excellent whatever class the brand is entered into.

Class Without Ostentation With a "mature" buyer base, Buick has to score highly in ease of use, easy to get into and out of, comfort and quietness. A Buick buyer demands transportation that does not challenge them or their neighbors. They want a vehicle that conveys class without ostentation. With Buick, they have it.

For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.

Posted by George Peterson at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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For the third year running, the Cadillac Escalade is the top-rated vehicle in AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award for Luxury Sport Utilities.

As might be expected, the Escalade is highly rated for overall quality, feeling safe while driving, power/acceleration, and exterior styling. Satisfaction with fuel economy was not a high point for the Escalade, but that score was overwhelmed by many other characteristics, including exterior size, that were highly rated.

For a complete list of winners and description of the Awards, click here.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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National Survey Reveals Cadillac as Top Premium Brand, Buick as Top Popular Brand, Ford Motor Company Has Most Awards with Seven, Suzuki Kizashi as Top Car and Lincoln MKT as Top Truck

TUSTIN, Calif. (May 20, 2010) -- AutoPacific today announced its 14th Annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA) to help consumers make informed vehicle purchase decisions.

"While the auto industry is showing signs of improvement, more than ever before, manufacturers need to be able to differentiate themselves. Proof of satisfied customers is as good as gold," says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "We've found that more than 25% of new car buyers are positively influenced by owner-based awards like the VSA when deciding on a new car or truck."

AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award is an industry benchmark for measuring how satisfied an owner is with his/her new car or light truck. This study by the Southern California-based automotive research firm summarizes the results of over 42,000 new vehicle owners.

"Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes," says Peterson. "The winners perform well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience."

Continue reading "Autopacific Announces 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 6:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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The data for April 2010 new vehicle sales are now in, and there is some dramatic news in the full-size pickup arena.

When compared with April 2009, Ford's F-Series share of the full-size pick segment is up...way up! Up from 34.3% of segment last year to 39.1% of segment this year -- an increase of 4.8%.

The Dodge Ram share of segment is down by an equally impressive amount, from 18.8% of segment to 12.6%, a 6.6% loss.

The GM entries (Chevrolet Silverado, and Avalanche, GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade) and the Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan have all about maintained share of segment. The results are very similar if you compare April 2010 to April 2009 or if you look at the first four months of 2010 with the first four months of 2009.

What did Ford do right? No doubt the current F-150 and F-250/350 Super Duty models are as good as any vehicles in their segment. That helps! But what happened to the Dodge Ram? Both the Ram 1500 and Ram 2500/3500 heavy Duty models are great products - especially with the Ram's Cummins I6 diesel. As far as I can tell, pricing and incentives are also competitive. So what's the problem? My speculation (and it is no more than that) is that pickup-truck buyers concern about Chrysler's future may be at the heart of the problem.

Posted by Jim Hossack at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Being a company focused firmly forward, we don't talk used cars much. But a program like this deserves some virtual ink.

Recalls have been in the news this year like rarely before. The depth and scope of Toyota's problems has increased sensitivity to any manufacturer's recalls--and make no mistake, there are many issued. Most not so severe as Toyota's problems with accelerator shims, but out there all the same.

Half of the equation for ensuring cars on the road have had any recall work performed is in the owner's hands. Often, owners ignore recall notices, particularly for minor issues, or figure it'll get handled with the next oil change, to have it fall off today's crowded to-do lists.

GM and Carfax announced a measure of help for anyone looking to purchase a used vehicle, making it easier to find out if the car was affected by a recall and if the work was done. GM is providing VINs to Carfax of millions of Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, GMCs, Saabs, Saturns, Pontiacs, and Hummers with open recalls.

Continue reading "Recalls and Used-Car Shopping: GM and Carfax Team Up" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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With the 2010MY, it could be said that Cadillac launched their first real modern crossover SUV. The 2004-09MY SRX was not without its charm, but it always felt more like a big wagon than SUV, with its length, stiff sides, and flat roof. Today's SRX, previewed by the cleverly named 2008 Provoq concept, brings style and elegance to the formula, evolving and warming the Cadillac design themes.

Our first drive in a 2010 Cadillac SRX came this winter, in a nice, snow white (actually Platinum Ice Tricoat, a color worth its $995 premium) exterior. The interior, a two-tone shale with brownstone, was warm and inviting. Our $47,010 test car, being a Premium FWD model, took navigation as standard, including the 40GB hard drive, Bluetooth phone, rearview camera, Ultraview extra-long sunroof, autosense windshield wipers, intelligent key, and heated rear as well as front seats; the only options were the paint color and a $1295 rear-seat entertainment system. The Premium model makes my favorite, gotta-have features standard, appropriate for Cadillac and easier than sorting through a series of bundles and packages to get the right mix of content.

Continue reading "2010 Cadillac SRX: Stylish and Modern" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"For the third year running, the 2009 Cadillac DTS wins the Motorist Choice Award in the Large Car segment. With a spacious cabin, huge trunk, and plush seating, owners find the DTS to be a very pleasant vehicle to own and operate." -- AutoPacific

"Best-in-segment ownership costs and a strong showing in the AutoPacific survey were the keys to the DTS win." -- IntelliChoice

Owner Satisfaction Highlights
* Exterior Size
* Brand's Reputation
* Reliability / Dependability
* Driver's Seat Forward Visibility
* Feeling Safe While Driving
* Safety Features

Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
* Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"In a closely fought battle, the Cadillac Escalade wins the 2009 Motorist Choice Award for Luxury Sport Utility segment-again. Cadillac style, expressed by exterior and interior styling as well as image, resonates with these buyer; satisfaction with Power and Acceleration helped secure the win." -- AutoPacific

"The Cadillac Escalade has best-in-segment maintenance costs and was ranked first in the AutoPacific survey." -- IntelliChoice

Owner Satisfaction Highlights
* Brand reputation, Vehicle Reputation and Image
* Exterior and Interior Appearance
* Ride, Handing and Braking
* Overall Quality, Reliability and Dependability
* Safety Features (and large size) give Escalade owners a strong feeling of safety while driving

Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
* Lowest Maintenance Costs
* Better than Expected Insurance Costs

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Awards Show Consumers Enjoy Luxury and Size
(August 11, 2009) -- Right brain, left brain; the practical versus the emotional -- an age-old dilemma often at the center of decision making when buying a new car or truck. The 2009 Motorist Choice Awards recognize new cars and trucks that give their owners both economic and emotional satisfaction, helping new-car buyers find vehicles that best satisfy all of their personal-transportation needs. The fourth annual Motorist Choice Awards survey, announced today, scores 196 cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs. With the top overall scores in both owner satisfaction and value, the Lexus LS placed highest of any 2009 model year vehicle.

Large and luxury vehicles dominated this year's results. The top 34 ranked cars, and 106 of the top 107, are large cars, luxury cars, sport utility vehicles, crossover SUVs or minivans. Only one small car, the BMW 1-Series, scored in the top 100, landing in the 35th slot. Toyota Prius is the next-highest-scoring small car, coming in 107th.

Awards are given for top-scoring vehicles scoring in each of twenty-three segments, as well as for the top-scoring brand. Nine manufacturers earned segment wins, led by Toyota with nine awards (including three for Lexus), followed by General Motors with six (Chevrolet 4, Cadillac 2), Honda with three, and Chrysler with two (Dodge 1, Jeep 1). Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen took top honors in one segment each.

(And check out our video on YouTube.)

Continue reading "Motorist Choice Awards Reveal Vehicles That Please Both Hearts And Minds" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Public Responds Positively to Ford's Actions, but Some Still Have Reservations
TUSTIN, Calif. (June 17, 2009) -- American consumers' opinions about Ford Motor Company have been positively influenced by the company's decision not to accept government bailout funds, and by the bankruptcy filings of rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Automotive research and analysis firm AutoPacfic conducted an online survey of more than 900 U.S. consumers regarding their purchase intent and opinions of individual car companies. Highlights include:

* Asian and European manufacturers scored highest when the survey asked "How concerned are you about buying/leasing a vehicle from" a particular maker, with an average of 61% "Not concerned at all." Ford scored 48%, far ahead of GM's 15% and Chrysler's 14%.

Continue reading "Survey Indicates Ford Benefits From Troubles Of Others And Not Taking Bailout" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Cadillac Escalade dominates the Luxury Sport Utility segment with top-of-the-segment scores in no fewer than 30 of 48 attributes. The Escalade, also a 2008 winner, comes out on top despite tough domestic and import brand competition. Leading Escalade attributes include:
• Brand reputation, vehicle reputation and image
• Exterior and interior appearance
• Dynamic characteristics including ride, handing and braking
• Quality, reliability and dependability
• Safety features (and large size) give Escalade owners a strong feeling of safety while driving

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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For the second year in a row, Cadillac wins the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award for top-scoring brand. Earning an overall score higher than thirty-six other major American, Asian and European brands including Lexus, Lincoln, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and BMW proves Cadillac understands their owners and satisfies them. Cadillac is successful across a range of attributes and an all-round winner, scoring highly in categories including:
• Brand and vehicle reputation
• Exterior and interior styling
• Dynamic characteristics, including ride, handling and braking
• Quality, reliability and durability
• Safety features, and a feeling of safety when driving

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Continue reading "Does Bailout Money End Up Killing GM?" »

Posted by dbarrett at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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GM's 2009 Sunday press conference packed a powerful punch, with several production vehicles and a hint of what a Cadillac based on the Chevrolet Volt architecture might look like. Introduced by Bob Lutz himself, the Cadillac Converj is likely to see light of day as a production vehicle down the road, though Cadillac is also just as likely to find an alphanumeric name. Though Cadillac did not specify launch timing, a logical expectation would be that the vehicle arrive about 2013MY.

Aside from distinctive Cadillac styling, the Converj gave GM a chance to discuss the next stage for their Voltec system (the new corporate name for their range-extended electric vehicle powertrain archicture). The 161HP Converj is, like Volt, a front-drive application, though a two-door coupe with seating for four.

Perhaps the current concerns about fuel efficiency, the allure of an ultra-cool-sounding powertrain, and the fact that Cadillac styling is strong across the range will be strong enough for the Cadillac brand to support an entry-level product like this, but the brand's history with brand cloning and small, front-drive entries is not good. Remember Catera? Cimarron?

In the meantime, follow the jump for the official Cadillac details and a few more photos.

Continue reading "2009 NAIAS: Cadillac Converj" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Cadillac's CTS expands the range. This car was formally introduced in Paris, and some attendees of the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance caught a look, but this is the first U.S. auto-show circuit showing. With the goodness of the CTS for a base, it should be no surprise that Cadillac has created a Euro-style, sexy-but-practical wagon.

Follow the jump for more photos and the full Cadillac press release.

Continue reading "2009 NAIAS: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Cadillac's first-generation SRX was weakly received, to put it mildly, and never quite met Cadillac's expectations. The successor has turned to the front-drive, unibody architecture of the crossovers consumers are buying these days. When they are buying at all, that is.

More photos and Cadillac's full release are below the jump.

Continue reading "2009 NAIAS: 2010 Cadillac SRX" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Are we nearing the end of Chrysler? Or the beginning of a new blended family? Or just another day at the rumor mill?
Late on Friday, the first stories began appearing about GM and Chrysler in possible merger talks. And at least in Detroit, dominated the weekend news cycle. GM's stock went up this morning, but given that the Dow was up 5.6% and GM went up only about 3%, the stock bump might have happened without merger talk. GM closed on Friday at $4.89, a number some say is actually less than the company would be worth in capital assets alone.

All of this merger talk, whether these deals are realistic or not, does nothing good for public perception. The economy is weak, last week's events on the stock market don't reassure anyone, and talking about GM and Chrysler perhaps needing to merge to survive only further erodes confidence in American business. While GM and Chrysler LLC, as well as any other maker in trouble right now, needs to consider even unthinkable options and test our common assumptions as they get out of this trouble, this merger does not inspire hope.

Continue reading "Exhaust Notes #32: More Detroit Merger Talk" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific: Cadillac Escalade owners gave then vehicle high ratings for styling and image, which may not come as any surprise, but they also gave high marks to the feel of Escalade’s interior fabrics and materials. Adding to Escalade’s 2008 Motorist Choice Award® win were strong ratings for reliability, vehicle ride, interior controls, driver’s seat visibility and instrumentation.
IntelliChoice: The Cadillac Escalade has best-in-class maintenance costs, strong retained value and does not underperform in any one area.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 6:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific: Despite tough competition in the large luxury car segment from vehicles such as Chrysler 300, Mercury Grand Marquis and Toyota Avalon, the Cadillac DTS took home a 2008 Motorist Choice Award®. Owners pointed to how quiet the DTS was from inside the vehicle and gave high marks to its ride, handling and braking. Contributing to the DTS win were the car’s exterior size and innovative technology.
IntelliChoice: The Cadillac DTS was among the best in overall ownership costs and has best-in-class insurance costs. Combined with its first-place ranking in the AutoPacific survey, that makes the Cadillac DTS a 2008 Motorist Choice Award® winner.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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On August 3, I finally returned to one of my favorite summer events, the annual Meadow Brook Concours d' Elegance. Held the first weekend of August every year since 1979, this Concours is one of the premier events of its type. Not quite as prestigious as the Pebble Beach Concours happening the weekend of August 16 (yes, the same weekend as Detroit's Woodward Dream Cruise), Meadow Brook has earned a strong reputation. For me, it's simply a chance to wander among cars from storied brands of today and yesterday. Delahaye, Packard, Auburn, Duesenburg, Pierce-Arrow, Studebaker, Peugeot, Ferrari, Cadillac, Lincoln, Chrysler, Rolls-Royce, the list goes on and on.

Meadow Brook is home to a mansion of the same name built by the widow of John Dodge, one of the two Dodge brothers that helped establish the automotive industry we know today. The home and its property now belongs to Oakland University. Aside from the sheer joy and pleasure of celebrating the automobile as an art from, the event's purpose is to raise funds for upkeep of the 88,000-square-foot mansion and its grounds. Seems a fitting choice of fundraising event.

Continue reading "2008 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Each year AutoPacific identifies the Brand and individual vehicles that top all others in vehicle satisfaction: The Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck. Owner satisfaction is measured across 46 specific areas related to a vehicle's operation, comfort, safety and the overall purchase/lease experience. The 2008 ratings reflect input from 33,500 buyers and lessees of new vehicles acquired September through December 2007.

2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Award top brand honors went to Cadillac, while other luxury brands such as Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche also had strong showings. But what does it mean to have a top brand? Though calculations single out one brand as having the highest overall score, each individual attribute also has its own top scorer. Sometimes the detail underneath it all can have just as much, if not more, meaning than the final outcome.

Continue reading "Top Brands in Vehicle Satisfaction for 2008" »

Posted by Deborah Grieb at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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After a lovely 4th of July weekend, doing my best to focus energies on anything not related to work (something I hear is easy for most people to do, but I've never quite got the knack of), I started my usual workday morning routine at my local Bally Total Fitness. And, sure enough, as soon as I get near the gym TV, there's the news, dragging me right back to 5:15 am Monday morning reality.

The 5 am scoop in Detroit was the rumor GM is considering dumping more brands, one way or another, and firing more mid-management white-collar employees. (No, UAW, you do not have the corner on losing jobs. I swear.) Of course, by time I was in the office and caught up with e-mail, GM has flatly denied that any brand, other than Hummer, is up for review. We'll only know the truth of that if GM manages to hold onto the seven remaining brands, and assuming Hummer is sold. Here's the thing: If GM is not considering reducing their brand count, they should be.

Rumors actually surfaced on this subject last week. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was on my way home to enjoy said holiday weekend that I heard an automotive journalist being interviewed for his opinions on the rumors and what GM should do opine that Saab and Saturn are the likeliest brands to go. Monday morning and it's groundhog day again. Between that interview and Monday morning, it turned into "news" that GM is considering selling those two brands. Says a lot about how quickly (and recklessly) rumors and speculation fly in this industry, but that's a story for another day.

Continue reading "Exhaust Note #19: Is GM Breaking Up?" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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