PETE RODRIGUEZ, A "SHINING STAR", EXCEEDS OUR CUSTOMERS' EXPECTATIONS!

February 14, 2006
Dear Mr. Perez,
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to you about your Service Manager-Mr. Pete Rodriguez. We bought a 2005 GMC Envoy SLT before relocating from North Broward to Miami-Dade. Since being down here-we have taken in our Envoy twice to your dealership for service and Mr. Rodriguez was a true professional; he was kind, courteous, and very nice to speak with. He took the time to listen to my concerns and made every effort to resolve them.

Lately, we have been experiencing a concern with the driver’s seat - it has become somehow uncomfortable to sit in and also appears to have a “give”-it slides and pops when you brake; altogether this is an unacceptable condition. We contacted Pete about this and he expressed this condition is not normal and urged me to bring it in. He took the time to further listen to my concerns and also test drive the Envoy with me to better understand/recognize what is going on. He had a wonderful attitude about this and assured me he would make sure it is resolved.

I am very thankful for people and professionals like Pete. His approach clearly exhibits a regard for the well being of a customer while managing to instill confidence that the dealership will do right by t;he product and by me, the customer. We commend you and Pete for the wonderful service experiences provided thus far and appreciate the opportunities given to have our concerns dealt with seriously and appropriately.

Pete is a shining star at your Company, that should be acknowledged.
Kind Regards,
Hugo Rosales

RICHARD BENITEZ IS THE LUCKY WINNER OF THE PONTIAC SOLSTICE!

Richard Benitez was the lucky winner of the brand new 2006 Pontiac Solstice that we gave away in conjunction with Channel 41. The contest lasted 14 weeks, we drew 14 finalists and we chose the winner on Valentine's Day, February 14th. During that time we received an extraordinary amount of advertising exposure throughout all the programs of Channel 41. The promotion was so successful that we plan to do it again

Is It Unpatriotic to Not Buy American Cars?

As I sat in an Orlando studio on January 24th waiting to be interviewed on Fox News’ Hannity and Colmes for the first time, that seemed to be the question I was going to be asked to answer if the introductory comments were any indication. In the studio in New York was Malcolm Bricklin, founder and CEO of Visionary Vehicles, who plans on importing cars from China by 2007. Ford had just announced plans to lay off 30,000 workers, and since even Mr. Bricklin (to his credit) says he doesn’t want to see so many Americans join the ranks of the unemployed, it was a good question to ask.

But the show started with asking Mr. Bricklin a different question and by the time the cameras pointed to me, I was given a different question as well, so I never really got to answer it.

But as I continue to think about it since that interview, the answer I would have given to Sean Hannity is the same as my answer today: If it’s unpatriotic to destroy the American middle class, then it’s unpatriotic to not buy American cars. As a country, we’re drowning in a sea of red ink, and as consumers (those who really should know better, anyway) we’re drowning is a sea of "what’s in it for me."

Since President Bush has all but ruled out any government help for either Ford or GM saying they have to make a product that is "relevant" (did you know Mr. Bush himself owns a Ford pickup truck?) it’s up to the American consumer to realize that a bankruptcy for Ford or GM or both is definitely not in the national interest. Not only would hundreds of thousands of workers lose their jobs, but about 450,000 retirees would be de-funded.
These retirees on fixed incomes would see smaller pensions and reduced medical benefits. The workers that remained would see massive cuts in benefits as well.

Big deal, you say? At least American companies still offer their workers pensions. According to a recent article in The Tennessean, Nissan North America new hires won’t be able to count on a company pension when they retire. And if you work for Nissan and didn’t happen to reach the age of 65
by the end of last year, you won’t be participating in the
company-sponsored medical plan either.

If American companies can’t remain successful and shoulder the burden of health care for their workers, the rest of us will likely pick up the tab in the form of higher taxes through expanded entitlement programs, which are already growing at a rate of 8% a year.

84% of all federal spending of our tax dollars already goes towards the "big three" untouchables: interest on the national debt, national defense (including homeland security) and entitlements such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. So much for conservatives who wish for smaller government. Generally speaking, few of us want to invite more government intrusion into our lives. But a significantly smaller government these days would result in benefit cuts that would ultimately affect all of us. The days of those who want tax cuts because it means more money in their pockets and means benefit cuts only for someone else are over.

So what’s your reason for not buying American cars and trucks? I’ve heard (and disproved) them all but I’ll list a few of the more popular ones here.

1. Quality. According to the latest J.D. Power & Associates Long-term Dependability Survey, Lincoln, Buick and Cadillac all made the top five for 2005. Lexus was number one and number two was mysteriously not reported by the CNN story highlighting the survey. What’s even better (if you are a fan of American automakers) is that the average dependability of all GM and Ford models combined was greater than the average dependability for all the Japanese models combined.

2. Too much emphasis on "gas guzzlers." The hypocrisy in this statement is rampant since most people who make it are ardent supporters of the "free market." The trouble for these hypocrites is that a major free market principle is the law of supply and demand. According to Seattle Times columnist Shaunti Feldhahn, consumer demand for big, bad SUVs has doubled in the last 15 years. So much for the argument that American car companies aren’t building what consumers want to buy. Just like American companies have been scrambling to satisfy the one percent of car buyers who want hybrids, Japanese car makers have been scrambling to catch up to Ford and GM by offering bigger and badder behemoths (at even worse gas mileage ratings than American SUVs). GM has more models with over 30 mpg. highway
(2006 EPA estimates) than any other auto maker. Last month I revealed that my 1996 Lincoln Town Car now has over 160,000 miles with no signs of letting up. What I didn’t mention is that my car has averaged 24 mpg since September 2001, which is a result of combined mostly highway driving during the week and mostly city driving on weekends. Not bad for a big luxury car.

3. Foreign car companies will pick up the slack. This argument implies that the hiring of American workers by foreign companies would never take place if there weren’t layoffs by American companies first. Even if you view foreign investment as a good thing – which it isn’t - foreign companies will still invest in America even if we support American companies so they can actually retain our own workers. This argument is almost as bad as the one that implies we need to destroy American manufacturing jobs in general so we can move American workers into high-tech jobs. Why not let the college graduates strapped with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans and other debts take these jobs, and protect American workers in the jobs they choose to have now?

4. American companies can do better. Better at what? What will it take for more American people to root for the home team again? Do you only root for your hometown sports team when they are winning, or do you root for them even when they are down – no matter what? Let’s see. American companies GM and Ford have won numerous quality awards, they have more domestic plants, employ more American workers, support more retirees along with their dependants and families, pay better wages than the non-union foreign-owned plants, have a higher percentage of domestic parts in their automobiles, pay more taxes to the U.S. Treasury, give more to charities for the benefit of this country, and donate more in the wake of disasters like 9-11. Need I go on?

5. GM and Ford need to make cars Americans want to buy. I saved this one for last since it the most ridiculous statement of all. General Motors has the highest market share of any automobile company. To say the company that currently sells more cars and trucks to more people than any other company in the industry – even if that market share is falling – is truly ridiculous. Yes, I know Toyota is gaining on GM and may overtake them this year (in worldwide market share - not U.S. market share - where GM has roughly twice the market share of Toyota) and GM used to command around 50% of the domestic market. But let’s be reasonable, shall we? What company in any industry in today’s super-competitive economy can command 50% of their market? Not even Coke or Pepsi can do that. Which reminds me – Pepsi recently passed Coke to take the top spot in the beverage wars. Is Coke number two now because they aren’t making beverages Americans want to drink? I haven’t heard that one yet. Only in America and only in the automobile industry could number two be declared a loser brand. And only if it’s GM, not Toyota.

The struggle for GM and Ford to regain much needed and much deserved traction has increasingly become a media war. And it’s not just a media war as I reported in my September 2005 article titled Media Bias Against American Automakers. The bias towards foreign automakers has extended from journalists and other newsmakers to everyday Americans with vendettas against their home-team companies in the form of letters to the editor and blogs on the Internet. The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story titled "Are Rumours Hurting Sales" reporting on a Los Angeles resident who started a Web log called "GM Can Do Better." It’s not that this individual has not heard the reports of numerous quality awards bestowed upon American automakers. It’s that he’s skeptical the reports are true.

So there you have it. Foreign car lovers will believe it if Toyota wins an award. But if General Motors’ Chevy Impala is documented to have fewer customer complaints than the Toyota Camry, foreign car lovers will grasp at different false reasons to justify their foreign purchases. But the facts are in and their arguments no longer hold water. I’d almost be willing to bet these American car bashers haven’t test-driven an American car in years. Right now it doesn’t matter that GM has 82 major plants in America and Ford has 35. What matters is that Toyota, Honda and Nissan have eight plants each. It doesn’t matter that Toyota and Honda average 65% to 75% domestic parts in their U.S. built cars while GM and Ford average 80% to 85%. If these percentages ever reverse, then it will matter to foreign car lovers. Facts simply don’t matter to them when they don’t happen to be in their favor. To them, as Business Week reported December 12, 2005, "the economy is unstoppable as the…Indianapolis Colts" and foreign purchases have no national negative effect. If you watched the Super Bowl last Sunday you probably noticed that the Indianapolis Colts weren’t playing.

I’m sure that this article will not sit well with those who automatically receive it as part of their free "Buy American Mention of the Week"
subscription and advocate the demise of GM and Ford. And I’m also sure I’ll receive many "unsubscribe" requests as a result. But I don’t really care. I don’t like writing for people I don’t like any more than I like giving speeches to groups I don’t like. These articles are not designed to make anyone feel less of an American for their past foreign purchases, but rather they aim at

Those who do agree with the facts and the opinions I have presented, I urge you to forward or distribute my auto industry articles to fellow Americans that need to see them. Simply visit www.overthehillcarpeople.com to see the auto industry articles I’ve written since May 2005. I’m not sure how much time GM and Ford have left to turn things around given the obstacles they must overcome that have been put there for bogus and unpatriotic reasons.
And remember, the next time someone accuses you of questioning their patriotism because of their foreign car, tell them that if it’s not unpatriotic to destroy the American middle class, then it’s not unpatriotic to buy foreign cars!

Roger Simmermaker, Author

How Americans Can Buy American

www.howtobuyamerican.com

Podcast: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation(Click here to listen)

FastLane Radio host Bill Betts, the GM Communications web services manager, interviews Chet Huber, president of OnStar, about OnStar's new Turn-by-Turn Navigation service. It works like this: when a subscriber asks an OnStar advisor for directions, the advisor sends directions to the vehicle. The automated service verbally directs the motorist to the destination turn by turn. Huber also discusses how OnStar creates new services for each generation of hardware. OnStar's Turn-by-Turn Navigation will debut on the 2006 Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS in March and the Cadillac STS in the second quarter.

MILKA EN "LA REVISTA"!

La mujer más rápida del mundo
La corredora de autos Milka Duno se ha impuesto en un deporte tradicionalmente masculino. Es la primera representante de su sexo que se ha destacado más en el mundo de los bólidos sobre ruedas.

Milka es la primera mujer que ha ganado la Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami en dos competencias automovilísticas de carácter internacional; una en marzo de 2004 y otra en septiembre del mismo año, ambas en Homestead.

En la temporada del 2004, quedó en quinto lugar en toda la competencia donde participaron 130 conductores, todos hombres excepto ella (los competidores van acumulando puntos en el evento que se realiza durante todo el año). Luego en la temporada del 2005, quedó en octavo lugar. Recientemente, en el mes de enero, obtuvo también un octavo lugar en la justa final de 24 horas en el 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Sus compañeros de equipo, los pilotos Kevin McGarrity y los hermanos Marino y Darío Franchitti, le cedieron el honor de conducir a la meta final. Roturas en el motor le impidieron ganar la fatigosa vuelta. De todas maneras ese octavo lugar la coloca en el puesto más alto alcanzado por una mujer en esta competencia.

La número uno siempre
A Milka siempre le ha gustado sentar pautas, ser la primera en todo. Así fue la única mujer que estudiaba ingeniería naval en la Universidad de Caracas. Y antes, por su rendimiento escolar, había ocupado el primer puesto en su escuela en la primaria, la secundaria y el instituto.
"Lo que hago lo tomo muy en serio". Luego obtuvo cuatro maestrías: desarrollo organizacional, arquitectura naval, biología marina y negocios marítimos, estas tres últimas en España.
Su formación en las universidades, hoy en día le facilita su profesión de corredora, pues puede discutir con los ingenieros y percatarse rápidamente de cualquier falla del auto que conduce.

Pasión por las carreras
Fueron unos amigos los que la invitaron a un evento informal en una pista de Maracay. La carrera tenía lugar con carros de calle, no con profesionales. Y ella se entusiasmó y participó; había aprendido a conducir a los doce años. Y se dio cuenta que sabía cuando en una travesura de niña, le robó el auto a su madre. "Soy muy observadora. Nunca nadie me enseñó. Pero yo no me di cuenta hasta ahora que sentía tanta atracción hacia los carros", dice. Además jamás se le hubiera ocurrido hablar de semejante asunto. Conocía a su padre; cuando le sugería algo tan normal como jugar tenis o practicar karate, la miraba fijo a los ojos y le respondía: "Eso es de hombres".

Pero la vida da tantas vueltas como las pistas de carrera. "¡Y fíjate -agrega-termino corriendo carros!". Ahora Julio, su padre, no dice nada. Sólo se asombra. Su hija es una mujer extremadamente femenina que, sin embargo, corre autos de carrera.

Resuelta, decidida, persistente, enrumbó su vida a una velocidad inaudita. "Lo que yo quiero es lo que hago. Cuando estaba pequeña naturalmente no podía".

Comenzó precisamente compitiendo con carros de aficionados y como resultaba siempre ganadora, decidió hacerlo con autos profesionales. "Hice dos carreras con Porches, en Venezuela, y me dije quiero ir a una escuela para convertirme en corredora". Y así vino a los Estados Unidos. "Mi idea era regresar, pero a las dos semanas de haber terminado la escuela, me llamaron para formarme como piloto".

Eso fue en junio de 1998 y ya en 1999, corría como profesional.
"Ellos, los de la escuela, de alguna manera me ayudaron a descubrir que yo podía potenciar una habilidad que ya tenía".

Los corredores deben analizar a los competidores, apreciar las pistas y estudiar los circuitos. Un piloto no conduce todo el tiempo. El equipo de tres o cuatro integrantes se turna al volante, y los pilotos duermen alternativamente por espacio de una hora y media a dos horas. Con igual frecuencia, toman alimentos, incluyendo carbohidratos y vegetales, pero en pocas cantidades.
En su primer campeonato, realizado en Atlanta, quedó en tercer lugar. Luego resultó tercera en Australia... "Y así vinieron equipos que me fueron dando oportunidad, pero no es hasta el 2001 que comienzo a competir alternativamente en Europa".

Corrió en circuitos de Francia, Alemania, Austria, Portugal, Italia, España... En todas, en la categoría de Fórmula Nissan, monoplazas y carros de ruedas al aire. E hizo carreras con los prototipos 900 y el 675. La velocidad máxima la alcanzó en Francia en la carrera de 24 horas: 200 millas sostenidas.

En Estados Unidos, en el 2000, se convirtió en la primera mujer en ganar la carrera Ferrari Challenge; en 2001, repitió la hazaña en la prestigiosa competencia Petit Le Mans; en 2002, se convierte también en la primera mujer en tripular un auto de carrera en la justa American Le Mans Series.

En las carreras de autos son muy importantes los patrocinadores y como Milka los consiguió en los Estados Unidos, decidió regresar acá. Ella representa varias marcas entre otras a Citgo. (Todavía no se ha hecho oficial, pero muy pronto Milka se convertirá en la imagen de Sony para América Latina).

Las carreras de autos son un deporte muy complejo. Compiten tipos de vehículos, marcas, motores, los mecánicos y equipos de personas, y requiere mucho entrenamiento para alcanzar condiciones físicas y mentales óptimas. Se considera que un corredor baja dos kilos de peso como promedio por evento, debido a las altas temperaturas dentro del auto: mayores de 100 grados FA.

Milka: la imagen del Pontiac
Sus movimientos de modelo, la delicadeza en sus maneras, su físico estilizado y rostro hermoso, en contradicción aparente con su dura tarea, encendieron las luces en la mente de Lomberto Pérez. Fue al "presidente de los precios bajos" a quien se le ocurrió la idea de que la estelar corredora de autos Milka Duno representara como imagen a la marca de autos Pontiac, que él viene vendiendo desde hace décadas con gran éxito. De eso hace ya dos años.

"Mi oportunidad vino a través de Lomberto. El fue el ángel en mi camino", dice Milka.
Hace apenas unos días, en su agencia Autocity en Pinecrest (13401 South Dixie Hwy), el propio Lomberto le entregó las llaves a Milka del deportivo, confortable y flamante modelo 2006 Pontiac Solstice, un descapotable negro, de dos asientos, transmisión manual, cuatro cilindros, suspensión independiente en las cuatro ruedas, con 177 hp, y que alcanza hasta las 240 millas de velocidad.

"Aparte de ser una gran corredora, Milka posee una personalidad carismática, es bonita, inteligente y culta", dice Lomberto.

Quizás sea por eso que durante el tiempo que lleva representado la marca, las ventas de Pontiac han aumentado sensiblemente en el mercado hispano. Y se espera que de ahora en adelante "corran" los consumidores a comprar el Pontiac Solstice 2006.

COMERCIAL EN ESPAÑOL(HAGA CLIC AQUI PARA VERLO)

ONE LOCATION SALES EVENT TV COMMERCIAL(CLICK HERE TO WATCH)

MARY KAY LADIES GET THEIR VIBES AT AUTOCITY OF PINECREST!

Autocity of Pinecrest is an official Mary Kay delivering dealership. Thus, last Friday, February 10th, we had the honor of delivering four shiny red Vibes to some very succesful entrepenurs who reached their selling goals and became "Star Recruiters".

Once they reach this level of the "ladder", they can move on to become "Team Leaders". This will entitle them to receive a G6! We are looking forward to delivering their G6s as well!

The recipients of their brand new Pontiacs were:
Ms. Tamara Mair of Miami
Ms. Jazmin Blel of Miami
Mrs. Olga Reyes of Hialeah
Ms. Evelyn Sanchez of Miami

PONTIAC WILL GET ENTRY LEVEL CAR!

Automotive News / February 13, 2006 - 6:00 am

DETROIT -- General Motors will give Pontiac an entry-level coupe as a stopgap measure until the division gets more brand-focused products, sources close to Pontiac say. In the process, Pontiac dealers will lose the Montana SV6 minivan.The coupe will be a high-performance relative of the Chevrolet Cobalt coupe with some Pontiac influences. The vehicle will give the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel a shot at the small-car market, a source close to GM says. GM is still considering names for it. One option might be the G5, sources say.Pontiac intends to launch the coupe as a 2007 model and likely will start production this fall in Lordstown, Ohio. The car will be priced similarly to the Chevrolet Cobalt SS supercharged coupe, which starts at $20,490, including shipping.Pontiac eventually will lose the Montana SV6 minivan, which has seen sluggish sales and does not fit Pontiac's performance-brand image, sources say. U.S. sales of the SV6 for January fell to 1,450 units, an 11.5 percent drop from 1,638 in the year-ago period.Pontiac has lacked an entry-level car since the Sunfire died last year. In Canada, GM sells a Cobalt sibling called the Pontiac Pursuit.

MILKA'S TEAM MAKES INCREDIBLE COMEBACK AT 24 HRS OF DAYTONA!(AND SHE WEARS OUR LOGO!)

When Milka Duno took the chequered flag yesterday afternoon at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in Florida it marked an incredible comeback for Marino Franchitti and the CITGO/SAMAX team following a broken driveshaft which happened on Saturday evening just over eight hours into the 24 hour marathon.
Dario Franchitti had put the No. 7 CITGO Riley Pontiac in 16th place on the 66 car grid after turning a qualifying lap of 1:45.673 on Friday - a very good effort considering the car had encountered a few problems during the very short 15 minute session. Whilst the No. 7 car was quick on the infield section of the Daytona Speedway course, it was considerably down on power for the long straights. .
Dario began the race on Saturday at noon, and for the first 7 hours it was a trouble-free run with the drivers each taking their turn at the wheel, Milka Duno followed Dario into the seat, then Marino took the wheel and finally Kevin McGarrity made up the fourth stint.
The car was running very strongly, each driver putting in steady, fast laps. At 7.25pm local time the CITGO car overtook the No. 58 Porsche and moved up into 2nd place overall.
As Milka began her second stint just one lap later the driveshaft problem occurred. The CITGO Riley Pontiac was taken behind the wall for repairs, but by the time Marino got back behind the wheel following the repairs the team were already over 30 laps down on the lead car.
The drivers dug in deep for the long haul, "It's very disappointing we had the driveshaft failure", said Marino at the half-way stage. "It's the only non-routine piece of maintenance we've carried out; everything else has been running like clockwork; the engine hasn't missed a beat".
From then on the No. 7 CITGO Riley Pontiac kept up it's reliability and lap after lap the four drivers gradually made up place after place. When the chequered flag finally fell at 12.10pm with Milka Duno at the wheel, the No. 7 car was in 8th place overall having covered 695 laps of the 3.6mile track.
The race was won by the Target Chip Ganassi Lexus Riley.
"I'm really happy to finish" said a tired but very cheeful Marino. "Without the half-shaft problem we would have been in the top three so that's disappointing. But this is my third Daytona 24 Hours and my first finish, and to be in the top ten given the problems we had is testament not only to the CITGO/SAMAX team, but to my teammates Dario, Milka and Kevin".