Ten Hard Questions Facing the 'Car Czar'

• SEE ALSO: Who Should Be Car Czar?
• SEE ALSO: Neutron Jack For Car Czar

Washington DC January 24, 2009; The AIADA newsletter reported that after one of the worst years in its history, the auto industry in America is bracing for an equally difficult 2009. For Detroit's Big Three survival could hinge on President Barack Obama's willingness to extend a government bailout and their ability to reinvent themselves.

According to the Wall Street Journal, much will depend on an expected federal "car czar" who would oversee the bailout. The Journal has compiled ten fundamental questions facing the car czar and the industry, the first of which is: What would happen if one or more of the Detroit auto makers went bankrupt?

GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner thinks a bankruptcy filing would lead to the end of the auto maker. The devastation would "ripple across this economy like the tsunami that we haven't seen," said Wagoner. Another question: Are international cars better made and safer than U.S. cars?

The problem for GM and Ford is what industry insiders refer to as a perception gap. Their quality has improved, but it hasn't yet sunk in with consumers.

Click Here for all ten of the questions facing America's Car Czar.