You probably weren't up in Traverse City at the beautiful Grand Traverse Resort for the annual conclave of Michigan minds of the automotive industry. You know damn sure we weren't gonna make the trek up there to hear a bunch of folks tell us what works and doesn't work in the auto industry — that's just way to wonkish, even for Wert's taste. But, we've talked to people who were up at David Cole's annual gala , and man, wow — we totally weren't missing anything. But, for those of you who're looking for the inside skinny on the annual industry circle jerk that is the Center for Automotive Research's (CAR) annual Management Briefing Seminars (MBS), here's what we know:
• We already knew GM CEO Rick Wagoner announced the return of the Chevy Camaro up in Grand Traverse. But did you also know he paid for his own 1973 Camaro by cutting lawns at $2 a pop? [Freep]
• The federal government, who can't yet figure out how to make "smart government" are now interested in creating "smart highways." [Auto Channel]
• We've been told this was the powerpoint slide was to have been included in the David Cole powerpoint by DaimlerChrysler's Eric Ridenour. Apparently, David Cole's been known to spend a bit of time doing both at the MBS. [Detroit News]
• And speaking of Ridenour, he was all over the funny, announcing a new Chrysler package for next year's attendees to the MBS, the "Traverse Shizzle" package, featuring a "free round of golf and a trip to the casino with rapper and occasional Chrysler spokesman Snoop Dogg." Gee, we thought that would have been the Iacocca package. [Detroit News]
• Big news out of Traverse City — "No one will go bankrupt!" Did someone tell Farago yet? [Auto Channel]
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