Sure it has four wheels and runs on gasoline while also featuring some fancy amenities like cup-holders and power steering, but fact is the new Craftsman CTX lawn tractor series ain’t the type of motorized vehicle you expect to see at an event like the 2012 North American International Auto Show [NAIAS] in Detroit.
Nevertheless, Sears Holdings Corp’s Craftsman division has somehow convinced the organizers of the Detroit motor show to give them their own booth to debut the new CTX, which is the brand’s premium line of lawn tractors with prices ranging from US$3,000 to US$6,500 (~€2,300 to €4,980).
“A lot of people, when they think about mowing, they think about using the tractor as a chore,” Craftsman General Manager Kris Malkoski told reporters. “This is a premium tractor — more of a luxury.”
NAIAS spokesperson Joe Rohatynski told Reuters news that the deal with Craftsman is “purely a marketing partnership” and that its presence won’t be rivaling the automakers on show with the brand’s booth to be located in a concourse with other vendor such as History Channel and Hot Wheels.
However, former General Motors product czar Bob Lutz didn’t like the idea of Craftsman gaining access to the show and wasn’t afraid to voice his objections:
“It’s an automobile show, stupid, not motorcycles or garden implements. What’s next? Plumbing and bathroom fixtures? A Toto-toilet stand? An Art Van furniture stand?” Ouch…
Story References: Reuters
