Bless you, Jerry....

My favorite regular automotive columnist, Jerry Flint of Forbes, has again shown why he's a maverick among the pseudo-wonk analyst/hatchet job crowd. His take on Dan Neil's screed on the G6, which was really the latest in a series of warranted and unwarranted potshots taken at GM. So, Dan Neil's big claim to fame is his Pulitzer, the first for anyone who's written about automobiles on a regular basis. His columns are filled with colourful metaphors and other gimmicks, some of which are occasionally amusing, but his actual insights on the cars themselves are nothing special. It's like someone decided to get a movie reviewer or art critic to take on a second assignment because the paper is too cheap to hire another staffer. Which is probably the case with the Times. As you know, most newspaper reviews of cars are designed to supplement the large swath of new- and used- car ads that generate a considerable portion of paper revenue. Usually, these 'reviews' are highly deferential pieces, written not to offend the carmaker that provided the 'test' vehicle. These writers never make it to the more prestigiuous levels of the enthusiast rags (Car and Driver, Motor Trend, etc). So, Neil's efforts at the L.A. Times are somewhat unique in this realm. It's good he has some recognition, if not for himself, at least the profession. But...getting back to Jerry: He has the 'nads to call Dan for what he really is--a cheap neophyte opportunist who didn't bother to do his research. Jerry's forgotten more about the auto industry that Dan and his ilk will ever know.