ON THE TABLE

July 13, 2011

Ford. From the "One Minute You're The Bug, The Next Minute You're The Windshield" File, Ford, after taking a direct hit in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey for problems with its advanced MyTouch system in some of its vehicles last week, is basking in the glow of yet another survey that ranks it as the No. 2 U.S. automaker in terms of quality. In the Strategic Vision survey Ford owners were very pleased with the Flex, Mustang coupe and convertible, and the F-150 and 250/350 pickup trucks. The Strategic Vision survey is based on the overall perception of quality, even though some owners reported more problems with their vehicles than the industry average. How else could you explain why VW was ranked No. 1?

 VW. The UAW and VW are said to be in talks to unionize VW's new plant in Chattanooga, at least that's the word on the street. Since VW is heavily unionized in Europe, the thinking by VW executives goes that unionizing their new American plant won't be that big of a deal. Oh, but they have no idea what it's like dealing with the UAW once the contract is signed. Fools.

 Audi. The VW Group is contemplating building a dedicated plant in the U.S. for Audi too. Uh-oh.

Editor's Note: The internet has turned us into a world of impatient, gotta-have-it-now people. Our short attention spans are only fueled by online services like Twitter, where everything has to be condensed into 140-character nuggets, lest it become actual complete sentences. Watch The Autoextremist break the state of today’s auto business down into smaller, more manageable bites on John McElroy's Autoline Daily here. - WG

(Photos courtesy of BMW)
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the BMW Group’s international cultural commitment, the legendary BMW Art Car Collection can now be seen for the first time in a virtual video tour on the Internet. In addition to extensive photos, a film has been devoted to every single one of the 17 “works of art on wheels,” each of which was designed by an internationally well-known artist, including Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Jenny Holzer, to name a few. Historic racing footage and artists’ statements can be seen at www.bmw-artcartour.com. A YouTube video about the BMW Art Car Collection can be watched here.