One of the pleasures of Detroit, where I am for the annual auto show, is that, despite the intense upheaval and distress in the industry over the past year, some things remain resolutely the same.
It is snowing outside the Cobo Centre, where the North American International Auto Show (its unwieldy title) is held, the people are still friendly, the best place to get a coffee remains the Mercedes-Benz stand (where I am writing this) and Bob Lutz of GM is as outspoken as ever.
As 78-year-old Mr Lutz, the Detroit veteran whose role at GM appears to have been somewhat curtailed in the new dispensation of Ed Whitacre, told the Society of Automotive Analysts on Sunday night, when asked about his future:
“I have never actually been dismissed so that would be a new experience . . . If the GM board will tolerate my occasional outrageousness I plan to be around for some time.”
