Some of the most outrageous exchanges between automotive hacks and company execs during press launches of cars and bikes:
Don Juan: “How much stake do you (Ford) own in Suzuki?”
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Jac Nasser: “Left Detroit three days back. None at that time. Lemme check the latest situation for you now.”
Don Juan (red faced, sweating and explaining his complicated question to fellow journos): “I was asking about the indirect holding in Suzuki through Mazda.”
Angry Young Man: “Why don't you offer airbags in your small cars? I mean how unsafe are they?”
Angrier Young man (Jagdish Khattar): (Takes off his specs; ready for the fight) “Do you have any idea about how cars are priced? Do you know how much the customers are willing to pay?” This is followed by a three minute non-stop sermon on car pricing delivered in a tone saved for the mortal enemy, at the end of which the Angry Young Man is suitably deflated.
Meanwhile Jagdish Khattar seems to be in an unforgiving mood and is not about to stop till his GM Marketing walks over and hands him a note. The note probably read, “No worries boss, we will order a hit once he is alone.”
And why was the normally jovial and composed Mr Khattar so infuriated. It seems someone had fried the clutch of a Suzuki Grand Vitara rendering it motionless. That was the Vitara that was scheduled to be at the launch party the next day. And was one of the two specimens in the country at that time. Loads of pain for the Maruti PR machinery.
Angry Young Man: “I remember Kinetic was working on a small car. What is happening to that?”
Most Photographed CEO (Sulajja Firodia Motwani): “Ummm…..haven't we spoken about that already….about five years back? Can we stop talking about it now?” (To herself) “Great! At the launch of my most important scooter, all this man asks me is about that stupid car!”.
Deepesh Rathore
Research Editor
deepesh.rathore@supplierbusiness.com
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