Last Cars Reviews Blog: carpocalypse now

In yet another stunning display of GM's critical lack of understanding of the importance of transparency when asking for public assistance has asked aviation regulators to block the public's ability to track the company's leased private planes. When will this company learn a little thing called "message?"

When asked about the request to the FAA, GM spokesman Greg Martin declined to discuss the reason, only saying "we availed ourselves of the option as others do to have the aircraft removed."

The move comes after the automaker was criticized for flying CEO Rick Wagoner (pictured above demonstrating a landing maneuver) in a leased Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV jet on November 18th and 19th to testify in front of Congress for a $25 billion loan to save the American auto industry.

While the move is something they're "allowed" to do, it's monumentally stupid given their desire for a bridge loan to save the company. Congress, the media and the public (even SNL!) already would like to tar and feather the automaker and it's CEO, this is yet another reason to do it. Just a hint to the PR staff at the General — right now you need more transparency, not less of it. You certainly don't need to be making moves easily perceived by the public as hiding information, and this can very easily be perceived as such.

We're beginning to wonder whatever happened to GM's vaunted PR staff — and whether there's anyone over there who's truly in command of the automaker's message.

[Bloomberg]

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Saturday Night Live took on the not-so-Big Three's congressional testimony and "jetpooling" incident in this weekend's "cold open," and unfortunately fell into the trap of shamelessly mocking tired stereotypes. Which is sad, because we'd watched SNL take on a new level of relevancy as of late thanks to the uber-adorable Tina Fey and an election season devoid of real political commentary. That's not to say watching Will Forte as Rick Wagoner, Darrell Hammond as Bob "The Builder" Nardelli and Jason Sudeikis as Alan Mulally isn't funny, but hearing about quality issues on the upcoming Ford Fiesta and a Cadillac XLR-V is a bit ol' and busted if you ask us. Now quality issues on a Chrysler 300C? That's comedic genius. But hackneyed and tired jokes aside, we were more concerned with further evidence the automakers have done the world's worst job of getting their message out.

For example, when we heard Casey Wilson as NY Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Clueless) explaining to the auto chiefs Congress mandated 200 MPG cars and in doing so they've "done their part." The joke on cluelessly ineffective CAFE over-reaching was met with absolute silence. Contrast that with a moment later when Hammond, as Nardelli, responds to the question "What is Chrysler doing to make more fuel efficient cars?" with "I don't know." The joke's greeted with massive laughter. Here's a tip for GM, Ford and Chrysler — when you become a bigger punchline than Congress, you know you've done a piss-poor job at message management. Just sayin'... [SNL via Crooks and Liars]

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GM Asks FAA To Bar Public Tracking Of Leased Corporate Jet, Still Asks Public For Money [Carpocalypse Now]

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