Autoline After Hours

This we took the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a "Racing in America" event. We had a lot of great discussion about racing, which you can catch in Part One of this week's show, but here is Part Two, and it's all about the news of the week. We discussed the outcry over the "Chevrolet not Chevy" memo, as well as GM's quiet management shake up. We also talked about Ford's new restoration parts business and why you won't get to drive the Panoz Abruzzi in America. On hand is John McElroy as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and, of course, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo.

It's a very special After Hours this week as we take the show on the road to The Henry Ford for a "Racing in America" event being held to raise funds for a new permanent exhibit in the museum. We're bringing you a two-parter this week, and Part One is all about racing as we sit down with some of the most influential movers and shakers in the business including Jack Roush, Leonard Wood and John Force. On tap as usual is John McElroy as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek and, of course, the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo.

This week we get green as we welcome John DeCicco, Ph. D, an environmentalist who is a senior lecturer at the University of Michigan. We'll be asking Mr. DeCicco how the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico will affect our consumption of petroleum--if at all. And, what does he think of alternative fuels like ethanol and electricity? You might just be surprised at the answer. Of course, we'll also get into the news of the week including the wind down of the Mercury brand. Plus, May sales numbers are in and there are some interesting results including the fact that Chrysler seems to be gaining on Honda. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week we welcome Sheila Ronis, a defense and automotive expert who will discuss the role the car companies play in military matters. In particular we'll ask why the Pentagon was staunchly against letting GM and Chrysler fold, and why it believes that would have placed the United States at a strategic disadvantage. And, we'll definitely be getting into the news of the week as Ford finally looks like it will kill off the Mercury brand. Plus, has the BP oil disaster brought us to a petroleum tipping point in which we say goodbye to fossil fuels? Conversely, many are saying Carlos Ghosn is overly optimistic in his prediction that Nissan will sell 500,000 EVs by the end of 2014. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week it's the man, the myth, the legend: Jason Vines, our old AAH friend and colleague. Mr. Vines joins the panel to discuss the news of the week including GM's big marketing switcheroo back to the formally-ousted Campbell-Ewald. Also, Bob Lutz gets his send-off from GM as he finally retires and gets ready to become a CNBC correspondent. Plus, Porsche raced it's flywheel hybrid at the Nurburgring to extraordinary results -- could this be a technological alternative to oust battery-powered EVs? John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week we welcome the author of the book Car Wreck, Mark Ragsdale, a former dealership owner and operator that says the U.S. auto industry took the American public for a ride. By the way, he wonders, why has there never been a dealer on an auto company’s board of directors? And, according to Ragsdale, you should never buy a new car again–only lease, and he’ll tell us why. Of course, we’ll get into the news of the week: Chrysler posts a profit, the UAW wants more compensation, and sales slow down in China. John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, and David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week we welcome Chantel Lenard, Ford's Group Marketing Manager for Global Small and Midsize Cars. We'll be asking her about the challenges ahead as the Ford Fiesta launches this summer. For instance, what will the company be doing to train its dealers, and how can it prevent the Focus from cannibalizing Fiesta sales? Of course we'll also get into the news of the week including the ousting of Susan Docherty as GM's head of marketing. Plus, we'll find out what Mr. De Lorenzo thinks about Chevy's new tagline. And, our analysis of April sales indicates Chrysler could be on the way back up, but not everyone agrees. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, as well as David Welch from BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News.

This week we welcome Nina Beckhardt, President of The Naming Group, a company that specializes in branding. She’ll be joining us to offer her expertise in how car names are created–what works and what is a total disaster? Of course we’ll also get into the news of the week including Chevy’s decision to dump Campbell-Ewald, its advertising agency since 1919. Plus, we’ll talk money: do recent earnings mean the industry has turned the corner? Is GM’s deception that it has paid off all government loans going to backfire? Why has Ford stock plummeted despite the fact that the company beat analysts’ expectations? John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, as well as David Welch from Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

This week we welcome Doug Fehan, the man who’s the “heart and soul” of Corvette racing as the GM Racing Program Manager for the American Le Mans Series. He’ll be joining us to discuss what effect the GM Racing team had on the design of the latest Corvette and whether racing on cellulosic ethanol gives the team an advantage. Of course we’ll also get into the news of the week including a study that suggests the negative perception of domestic automakers is starting to change. John McElroy’s in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, as well as David Welch from BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News.

This week we welcome Walter McManus, an economist at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and Director of the Automotive Analysis Group. He'll be joining us to discuss the news as well as talk about CAFE standards and some recent studies his organization has been performing. John McElroy's in studio with David Welch from BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News as well as Scott Burgess from the Detroit News who's filling in while Peter De Lorenzo is on the road.

This week we hit a milestone: 50 episodes of "unscripted, unapproved, unusually frank discussion" from Autoline After Hours. We, and the auto industry, have come a long way in the last year, and tonight we'll spend just a little time looking back--at the good and the bad. But, we'll also be looking forward as we welcome our guest, Larry Erickson, the Chair of Transportation Design for the College of Creative Studies in Detroit. We'll be asking Larry where the future of automotive design is going and also ask him what he and Billy Gibbons have in common. John McElroy's in studio with Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, as well as David Welch from BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News.

Tonight we're together again as Spring has finally sprung in the Motor City, and one of the cars that is putting a "spring" in our step is the just-launched 2011 Mustang. By all accounts, this is a car that can do no wrong: great power, great fuel efficiency and great fun. So, how did Ford do it? To answer that question we've asked Dave Pericak, the Chief Engineer of the Mustang to take a seat on the AAH sofa and spill the beans. Of course, we'll also be getting into the news of the week including the announcements coming out of the NY Auto Show. John McElroy's in studio with David Welch from BusinessWeek and Bloomberg News and they welcome an AAH newcomer, Reilly Brennan from AOL Autos.

This week it's a good old fashioned journalists' roundtable as we discuss the news of the week. Trial attorneys are ramping up their campaign against Toyota. Honda says joint ventures don't work out, but clearly Renault and Daimler don't agree as they get ready to collaborate. GM's EN-V promises to be the future of city transportation, but can it possibly be more than another Segway? John McElroy's in studio with the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, and they welcome two other esteemed automotive colleagues on the program: Frank Markus of Motor Trend and Tom Walsh of the Detroit Free Press.

This week we talk with the man who's running the little car company that want's you to "Think About It." John Krafcik, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, sits down with the AAH crew to discuss the Korean company's philosophy, and how that thinking has brought it recent success. Mr. Krafcik will also answer your questions about the future of the company and how it will keep from becoming the next Toyota. All that and we discuss the news of the week and take your pressing Rapid Fire questions. John McElroy's in studio with the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, and they welcome After Hours newcomer Stephanie Brinley from AutoPacific.

Tonight the old crew is back together to do a deep dive into the news of the week, and Jason Vines, that outspoken PR veteran that we love, is back to give his two cents. Toyota Priuses are seemingly going haywire left and right, and we wonder: isn’t this a little too convenient? Plus, as General Motors continues to make changes, Cadillac moves to distance itself from the corporation. And, is the goverment actually going to profit from the GM bailout? All that and much more. John McElroy’s in studio as usual as well as David Welch of BusinessWeek and Bloomberg and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

This week we talk about all the latest, tumultuous news to come out of the automotive world as we welcome Sharon Silke Carty, auto industry reporter for USA TODAY. This week Big Ed shakes up the entire GM management structure after dismal February sales, and Bob Lutz announces he will retire in May. Toyota’s woes continue as they issue new recalls, but has human error been addressed sufficiently or at all? John McElroy’s in studio as usual as well as David Welch of BusinessWeek and Bloomberg and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

This week we talk the future of car design with Bob Boniface, Director of Crossover Exterior Design and Global Electric Vehicle Design. Bob was the design director on the Chevy Camaro concept, but most recently his work can be found on the forthcoming Volt. We'll be getting into a discussion about how and why design decisions are made, plus a discussion of this week's news including the Toyota hearings and Fritz Henderson's reappointment at GM. John McElroy's in studio as usual as well as David Welch of BusinessWeek and Bloomberg and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

Tonight we talk hot rods as we invite a special guest on the show, Bob Larivee, Jr., the owner of the traveling AutoRama exhibition. Are baby boomers going to lose their shirts over the investments they've made into classic cars? What are the newest trends in customization? Which of today's cars will be the future collectibles? We'll be getting into those issues, plus a discussion of this week's news. John McElroy's in studio as usual as well as David Welch of BusinessWeek and Bloomberg and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

It seems like the bad news just doesn't stop for Toyota these days. Millions of vehicles have been recalled, with perhaps, more to come, tarnishing the auto giant's record of high-quality workmanship. Now, members of Congress are calling for Akio Toyoda to testify stateside. To discuss the delicate art of Crisis Management on this week's show, and what Toyota could have done better, we're summoning an old friend for a deposition before our panel. Jason Vines was at the helm of Ford Public Relations when the Explorer rollover crisis occurred in the 1990s. We'll ask how a company can effectively diffuse a PR bomb and keep the situation from spiraling out of control. John McElroy's onboard as usual as well as David Welch of BusinessWeek and Bloomberg and Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.

As the racing season gets ready to begin, the After Hours crew thought it would be appropriate to welcome the new director of Ford North America Motorsports on the show. Jamie Allison has worked for the Ford Motor Co. for 22 years in engineering, marketing, as well as Ford racing, but last month he was named to the top spot. We've got a lot of racing questions Jamie can answer, but we can't ignore all of the Toyota issues that have been in the news, so we'll definitely be talking about that too! John McElroy leads the discussion and is joined by David Welch of BusinessWeek and Bloomberg as well as Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist.