The auto show was in town this weekend and given the sorry state of the industry, I was morbidly curious about whether anyone from GM or Chrysler would bother to show up. I half expected to see the Fem-bot models that the car companies trot out to be flying cardboard signs and passing the tip jar. As a sign of the seriousness of the times, none of them were wearing mermaid costumes – it was all basic black business suits. It is difficult to not feel a little sadness in the knowledge that some of the brands that were on display may not make future auto shows. Pontiac and Buick will probably join their deceased cousin Oldsmobile and the “I’m not dead yet” Saturn on the scrapheap of discarded GM nameplates. Chrysler will need to close the Fiat deal soon to stay on life support – judging from the thin crowd mulling over why anyone in their right mind would buy one of these uninspired offerings – there doesn’t seem to be much light at the end of tunnel for America’s third car company. There seemed to be more signs of life in the Ford display – but the activity at Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Honda, Scion, BMW, Mercedes, even VW, all seemed more energetic. It may have been my imagination, but the lights seemed brighter there.

Sirens of Chrome by Margery Krevsky