Models—Human and Auto— Take Bailout Flak at Car Show

Crowds hostile about the state of America’s auto industry have made presenting at auto shows a much trickier job than it used to be, the New York Times reports. The eye-candy models at scaled-back exhibits from General Motors and Chrysler are fielding questions during the ongoing New York event about the bailout, bankruptcy, corporate governance, and even the role of gas-guzzlers in causing the Iraq war.

Presenters tend to come from marketing or talent agencies rather than the upper echelons of the auto business, but many in the crowd relish the opportunity to vent, if not admire new models. “We get a lot of, ‘You’re going out of business,’ ‘You guys are going bankrupt,’” said a member of Chrysler’s team. “We just smile.” (More hecklers stories.)