Promise her anything, but never in front of witnesses.
That’s the lesson Ross Weigand learned at the charity preview gala for the Chicago Auto Show.
Admission was $100 a ticket that night. To help attract a crowd, Chevrolet donated a 1994 Camaro convertible to be awarded in a drawing from among ticketholders.
Weigand attended the benefit with Dawn Albers, who he has been dating for two years. Albers agreed to attend the social function on one condition: If she won the car, Ross would buy her an engagement ring.
Yup, Albers won. Nope, no ring as yet.
“He never thought I’d win the car,” Albers said.
And the ring?
“We’re still negotiating that one,” she laughed. “There was no time limit and it wasn’t a do it or get off the pot agreement.”
Why would Ross be reluctant? After all, for the price of a ring he gets a lifetime with Dawn-plus a 1994 Camaro convertible.
“But to get the car he has to get me first,” she said.
Of course, Dawn can’t press the promise of that ring too much. Ross, you see, bought the winning ticket.
If this one has to be settled in court, let’s hope it’s at the office of the Justice of the Peace.
The adventures of the Des Plaines couple were but one noteworthy event during the auto show as we unload a notebook worth of entries.
The conservative road: For years the domestic automakers, especially General Motors, were criticized for bland designs and look-alike cars. It seems the Japanese carmakers now are guilty of the same charges.
“They like the square look. They have design studios in the major markets of the world, such as California and Germany, but when left to their own devices they revert to conservatism,” said GM President and Chief Executive Jack Smith when asked whether Japanese styling isn’t a tad blah.
“When we started talking with Toyota about building a car for them (to be sold by Toyota in Japan starting in 1996) we suggested the Pontiac Sunfire (the 1995 replacement for the Sunbird) because of its sporty looks, but they preferred the more conservative (Chevy) Cavalier. They didn’t want the more stylish look.”
Smith also commented on higher interest rates and the effect on car sales.
“When people are in a good mood, when they are in a comfortable mood, they buy a car. Higher interest rates could turn that off,” he said.
And he was asked whether GM still is a bit bloated.
“Two years ago we had 13,000 people in our central office, today 1,500. Two years ago our salaried work force was 94,000, now its 71,000 and we’ll bring that down into the mid- to high-60,000 range this year. On the hourly side we’ve come down in two years from 300,000 to 260,000, and we need to keep driving that down through attrition. We aren’t where we need to be yet. We don’t see any major changes to our plant closing or layoff plans,” he said.
GM’s chief executive was then asked to confirm or deny the rumor, that as the guest of Hillary Rodham Clinton at the President’s State of the Union address to Congress he reportedly said afterward that he never applauded more for things he didn’t believe in.
“The President mentioned the tax increase would only apply to people in the top 1 to 2 percent income levels and I found myself clapping. I don’t know why,” Smith said, which we’ll take as a confirmation.
Winning formula: In the questioning mood, we asked Toyota general manager Dave Illingworth why he feels the Toyota Avalon sedan will succeed in the U.S. market when the Toyota T100 truck hasn’t fared that well.
“Because I have five kids that still have to be put through college,” he replied.
Look for the T100 to undergo some significant changes for 1995.
Illingworth said Toyota has discussed building the T100 in the U.S. as well as the Toyota Previa mini-van. Both could be assembled at Toyota’s Georgetown, Ky., plant that builds the Camry and Avalon, which comes off a stretched Camry platform. But no decision yet, he said.
Next month Georgetown’s second plant starts production.
Truer words . . . David Turner, executive director of North American design for Ford, described the 1995 Mercury Mystique sheetmetal as “not flashy and with few decorative exterior accents.” A shorter description would have been “bland.”
Somewhere along the line, used cars became “predriven,” the glove compartment became the “glove box,” the trunk became the “deck lid,” and now, according to Turner, comes the latest in Detroit vernacular-“a harmony of joints,” which means all the pieces on the Mystique fit without mismatched lines or gapping holes.
By the way, Mystique will be equipped with an ash receptacle when it goes on sale this fall. Or do you still call it an ashtray?
Little extras: Mystique does have some neat features, such as a “curb light” that goes on when you open the door so you don’t step onto or into something you shouldn’t.
Also, the key fob has a panic button to push to sound an alarm if you sense trouble when going to your car. And the gas gauge has an arrow pointing to the side with the fuel filler door. Also, Mystique comes with a micron air filter to keep the passenger cabin free of pollen and dust for asthmatics.
Mystique will be offered in GS and LS versions with a choice of a 2-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine or a 2.5-liter, 24-valve, V-6., which Ford says will require only fluid and filter changes, but no tuneup, for 100,000 miles. With lead-free gas, electronic ignition and longer range spark plugs, truth be known that most cars probably would do well for 100,000 miles if the owners only changed fluids and filters regularly.
