Sometimes, you want to know what someone in automotive PR really thinks about a person or a product. And sometimes, you really get to know what he or she thinks about a person or a product.
In Car and Driver’s Q&A, Jason Vines, formerly of various PR teams within Chrysler, Ford and Nissan and author of What Did Jesus Drive?, gave his take on his work at the various companies and working with various CEOs. It ranges from flattering for some of these execs, to pretty blunt. And then there’s a sharply worded opinion of New York Times business reporter Keith Bradsher:
I’m very proud that most of the journalists and I became close friends. The only ones I didn’t become friends with were assholes—like Keith Bradsher of the New York Times. Just an absolute prick. Did I just say that? Yeah. He’s a piece of shit.
Vines is a bit less blunt in his words towards former Chrysler executives Bob Nardelli and Bob Lutz, but only just. It’s a … lively interview, to say the least.
Bradsher responded Friday to Vines’ statements:
Jason Vines is a hard-edged pr guy. We’ve been polite to each other over the years, even as we’ve had some differences of opinion. I remember when I had a scoop on a second huge batch of unsafe Firestone tires on Ford vehicles, which were about to be subject to another big recall. Jason, as head of Ford pr, was involved with a massive Ford review of all company phone records in an unsuccessful effort to figure out who might have been talking to me about the tires.
Jason and I have had many cheerful conversations over the years, so I was sorry to see his remark calling me a prick. The truth is that I’ve always been quietly grateful to him for one thing over the years, and sort of owe him one.
And you can read the entire interview here, on Car and Driver.
Photos: Chrysler Group, Wikimedia Commons