DR. Z STRIKES BACK

Old Detroiters, such as retired ad-man Peter DeLorenzo at www.autoextremist.com have repeatedly ripped DCX's light-hearted "Dr. Z" campaign.

DeLorenzo's "bare knuckled" bunch argues "the now universally-panned ad campaign featuring DaimlerChrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche . . . turned the much-respected Zetsche into a clown. . . The bad thing about having $225 million to spend on an ad campaign is that if it sucks, the damage can linger for years. And we expect that it will take years, not months, but years to resurrect Dieter Zetsche's reputation after this unmitigated disaster."

Who would expect "Dr. Z" to take such moss-backed pontificating lying down (even if lying supine on a "creeper" with a Chrysler 300 "five link" on his chest). [See "Dismantle" at www.askdrz.com]

So it's no surprise that Laura Clark Geist at Automotive News is reporting on "Dr. Z's traffic jams:" "The Chrysler group says traffic to its Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brand Web sites is up 10 percent since the "Ask Dr. Z" campaign . . . launched July 1. At the same time, the number of visitors to the Web sites who seek more information about Chrysler group vehicles has risen by 30 percent.

www.askdrz.com claims it has answered over 3,990,000 questions from over 630,000 visitors to the the website since July 1.

One speculates that's a far sight more questions than Peter DeLorenzo or other guardians of Detroit gravitas have ever answered.

www.askdrz.com seems to generate significantly more public interaction with the company than www.fordboldmoves.com. The "Bold Moves" website uses delayed and highly-moderated comments instead of product-driven questions.

The different approaches are a microcosm of the differences between William Clay Ford Jr. and Dr. Dieter Zetsche, and between their respective companies.

Zetsche and Chrysler are mavericks. They both address problem areas with dramatic action. Zetsche and DCX take "big, bold swings of the bat:" Caliber, "Hemi," SRT, the new Sebring, the return to NASCAR . . . Zetsche goes for the long ball in underserved, traditionally American niches. Zetsche seems to know who he is and is comfortable in his own skin. And DCX's Chrysler Division may be fourth or fifth among the "Big 6" in the U.S. market, but they have been to the abyss a time or two yet still have a swagger unmatched in the industry.

The Fords--the Chairman and his company-- seem aloof, unfocused and somewhat timid by comparison. While certainly FoMoCo has thrown the occasional "bone" to enthusiasts (Ford GT, the retro Mustang, Mustang GT . . . and now the weak-sister Shelby GT), Ford's "other" decisions are often marked by flip-flops, group-think, indecision and mediocrity.

For example, take FoMoCo's current sedan line-up: Unless you're satisfied with mini-shares of the market, the tepid, underpowered, Modular V8-incompatible Five Hundred is a bust!

Moreover, Ford and FoMoCo continue to neglect the Panther platform ((a)where's the restyling (the Japanese do it every four years like clockwork)? (b)Where are Panther's 3V, 4V and supercharged V8s? (c) Where's the crash-proofed fuel tank? (d) Where are the true sports sedan models--not just buckets & a console in an ordinary sedan?)

Where are the Japanese-fighting hybrid-electric "halo" sedans? (even if they do have to offer ZERO percent financing to get rid of them)

And now with the discontinued Taurus, the flailing Freestyle, a day-old version of the Focus, the starvation and slaughter of the underdeveloped Lincoln LS, the refusal to import the Aussie Falcon, the horrible IIHS numbers on the Fusion, the slow death watch on Lincoln Town Car and the flip-flopping de-emphasis of SVT, Ford's conservatism, cost cutting, directionlessness and risk aversion (in the wake of the twin flops of 1996 Taurus "Fishmobile" and its diminutive sister, the U.S version of the Mondeo (Contour)), have apparently caused FoMoCo to forget how to build a segment-leading sedan for the U.S. market.

Ford and Mr. Ford both seem satisfied with singles, not home runs. Both seem content to talk "boldly" and act "slowly."

Bill Ford's "fish out of water" appearance at the 2001 Ford Racing Centennial (personally witnessed by Speedzzter) best illustrates how he just doesn't seem like a real "car guy."

In the wake of the Jac "the Knife" Nasser fiasco, Bill showed up with a phalanx of beefy body guards, wearing an absolutely fabulous, custom-tailored business suit--while his cousin Edsel B. Ford II and everyone else of importance was dressed in casual sportswear appropriate to the outdoor nature of the event.

Bill looked aloof, ill-at-ease, and perhaps even a little miffed that nobody seemed to pay any attention to him (the commercials staring Mr. Ford began shortly thereafter--coincidence?) Bill didn't even look very stoked when he was directly IN THE PRESENCE of the COLLECTED LEGENDS OF "TOTAL PERFORMANCE!" Bill, of course, did not assert himself before the public in a leadership role at the Racing Centennial. He just quietly and briefly "showed the flag" at this once-in-a-lifetime event and then moved on.

If Bill Ford is one of us--a car guy. . . if he's so committed-- then let him show it in his actions and public appearances!

For example, let him show up in his GT at just one National FFW or Shelby or SVT meet! (Bill's "personal" GT has been relegated to auto show duty, instead--sans Bill, of course) . Speedzzter sees Barry Meguire all over TV and at virtually every major auto event in the country--Pebble Beach, the Ford Centennials, the 40th Anniversary Mustang Celebration . . . Although Barry isn't running a Fortune 5 corporation, at least the public has some comfort that he understands "passion about cars" and cares about the his customers who share that passion.

The public doesn't sense the same kind of passion from the cloistered, aloof Bill Ford. Dr. Zetsche at least shows up at appropriate times to reenforce DCXs commitment to Chrysler's take-no-prisoners agenda. But even when FoMoCo sponsors the whole NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND, all we ever see is Edsel II or other paid surrogates on behalf of Mr. Ford. When SVT was virtually killed, it's some no-name who fielded the few questions allowed about it. When FoMoCo spends millions on "Bold Moves" and www.fordboldmoves.com, Bill is AWOL (apparently preferring the security of appearing in a few, unrelated and boring "safety" commercials).

Sure, Speedzzter is tough on Bill. But it's because automobile enthusiasts fundamentally don't trust him. We know that November 1970 can occur again anytime Bill feels the heat from his Sierra Club buddies or the Feds is getting too intense. Bill's regime keeps FoMoCo's best stuff out of America. Bill's regime tends to cancel or cut back all sorts of programs of vital interest to the FoMoCo faithful.

Of course, enthusiasts are tickled FoMoCo built the GT. They're stoked over the GT500 and the new Mustang (hypereutectic pistons and weak rods/crank notwithstanding). Speedzzter even loves FRPP (despite the failure to offer "power adder ready" crate engines). But these occasional victories are attributable to committed, embedded mavericks like John Colletti, Jay O'Connell and Hau Thai-Tang, along with the institutional memory and pride of FoMoCo. At least, Bill did not stand in the way.

But the sum total of his actions give enthusiasts no confidence that he truly understands the performance market or loves great, milestone cars like, say GM's Bob Lutz, or even "Dr. Z."

Speedzzter suspects Bill would be as happy if he were CEO of WalMart or ExxonMobil or Haliburton as he is at Ford . . . maybe even happier.

Speedzzter doesn't sense Bill identifies in any way with the kids saving up for their first Mustang, greybeards reliving the 1960s muscle car era on Woodward Avenue, or grassroots racers scraping together extra money for enough parts and tires to get to the track and provide more free publicity for Ford.

In short, Dr. Z seems to "get it." But does Bill Ford?