Party Crashers - GM makes hay outside Toyota's gig
Thread Starter
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 30,281
Likes: 362
From: Canada
Party Crashers - GM makes hay outside Toyota's gig
You've heard of the wedding crashers. How 'bout the party crashers?
Toyota Motor Corp., riding high and living large thanks to its status as the most profitable automaker in world history, spent $800,000 to rent out Chicago's Millennium Park Thursday for a VIP-only dealer event.
Since the park opened a little more than a year ago, tourists have flocked to see its fountains, Frank Gehry architecture and Cloud Gate, a 110-ton, bean-shaped stainless-steel sculpture.
Luckily, General Motors Corp. came to the rescue of bummed-out sightseers shut out of the park. A cadre of GM reps showed up and handed out Fisher-Price slide viewers with images of the Cloud Gate and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. What's more, GM used more than 40 shiny Cadillacs, Hummers and Chevys to give tourists rides to other popular destinations in the Windy City and provided free tickets to Navy Pier attractions and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Toyota didn't appreciate the intrusion by their (slightly) larger rival. GM stopped giving the free rides at Toyota's request in the early afternoon. "Our intent was never to embarrass Toyota," said GM spokesman Todd Carstensen.
While Chicago's Millennium Park was closed to visitors Thursday for a private event for Toyota dealers, General Motors made the most of the situation by providing free rides to other tourist spots
from detnews
Toyota Motor Corp., riding high and living large thanks to its status as the most profitable automaker in world history, spent $800,000 to rent out Chicago's Millennium Park Thursday for a VIP-only dealer event.
Since the park opened a little more than a year ago, tourists have flocked to see its fountains, Frank Gehry architecture and Cloud Gate, a 110-ton, bean-shaped stainless-steel sculpture.
Luckily, General Motors Corp. came to the rescue of bummed-out sightseers shut out of the park. A cadre of GM reps showed up and handed out Fisher-Price slide viewers with images of the Cloud Gate and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. What's more, GM used more than 40 shiny Cadillacs, Hummers and Chevys to give tourists rides to other popular destinations in the Windy City and provided free tickets to Navy Pier attractions and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Toyota didn't appreciate the intrusion by their (slightly) larger rival. GM stopped giving the free rides at Toyota's request in the early afternoon. "Our intent was never to embarrass Toyota," said GM spokesman Todd Carstensen.
While Chicago's Millennium Park was closed to visitors Thursday for a private event for Toyota dealers, General Motors made the most of the situation by providing free rides to other tourist spots
from detnews
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,574
Likes: 265
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
GM has been gettins its collective **** kicked by Toyota for sometime now. Its just a matter of time TOyota is #1 in SIZE. Its CLEARLY, the #1 car company in the world already.
Speaks French in Russian
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 13,397
Likes: 100
From: What is G?
Originally Posted by mmarshall
What is even more remarkable is that Toyota, while having ties to other auto manufacturers, does not outright own other companies like GM does, except of course for its own divisions Scion and Lexus. Toyota and Toyota divisions pretty much did this on their own.
Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
GM has been gettins its collective **** kicked by Toyota for sometime now. Its just a matter of time TOyota is #1 in SIZE. Its CLEARLY, the #1 car company in the world already.
I agree 100%.
Trending Topics
ClubLexus Stories
Celebrating Lexus & Toyota from Around the Globe
Top 10 Most Confusing Things Lexus Has Ever Done!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Lexus ES Review: Lexus Re-Embraces Founding Principles
Michael S. Palmer
10 Lexus Bargains That are Cheaper Than a New Toyota RAV4
Joe Kucinski
8 Weirdest Things Lexus Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
10 Lexus Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
8 Tips for Improving Your Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid's Efficiency!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Best Lexus Models No One Remembers
Joe Kucinski
TRD Off-Road Premium: Best 2026 4Runner, Except This One Thing
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Lexus & Toyotas to Drive Before You Die!
Joe Kucinski
Lead Lap
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,724
Likes: 4
From: Illinois
Originally Posted by jimxo
No cime was committed so I guess its all fair in love and war 
But I guess I shouldn't be surprised...I mean it is GM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,702
Likes: 16
From: CA
I actually think it was very clever of GM...put yourself in the shoes of a tourist in Chicago to go see the park only to show up and be told that Toyota has taken it over and you can't see it today...as a consumer you would be more than thrilled to receive a free slide-viewer of the site and a free ride to another desitination...doesn't mean I would go out and buy a GM product, but it would lessen my sour mood of Toyota and the city for renting out a public tourist destination and ruining my vacation plans for that day...
If Toyota was smart, they would of done this themselves...then we would all be praising Toyota for their community insight...reality is that both GM and Toyota are companies out to make a profit...not make your life better (unless it makes them a profit). Kudos to GM...
If Toyota was smart, they would of done this themselves...then we would all be praising Toyota for their community insight...reality is that both GM and Toyota are companies out to make a profit...not make your life better (unless it makes them a profit). Kudos to GM...
Lexus Connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,892
Likes: 607
From: USA
Wow that's stooping pretty low for GM to do such a stupid stunt. That's why they had to offer employee discounts for all, because Toyota sales never was hurt by it one bit during that time...whereas GM had to take drastic measures to sell their products and sucker customers with freebees and giveaways just to buy their products. This stunt is a perfect example. LOL
Originally Posted by KVA
I actually think it was very clever of GM...put yourself in the shoes of a tourist in Chicago to go see the park only to show up and be told that Toyota has taken it over and you can't see it today...as a consumer you would be more than thrilled to receive a free slide-viewer of the site and a free ride to another desitination...doesn't mean I would go out and buy a GM product, but it would lessen my sour mood of Toyota and the city for renting out a public tourist destination and ruining my vacation plans for that day...
If Toyota was smart, they would of done this themselves...then we would all be praising Toyota for their community insight...reality is that both GM and Toyota are companies out to make a profit...not make your life better (unless it makes them a profit). Kudos to GM...
If Toyota was smart, they would of done this themselves...then we would all be praising Toyota for their community insight...reality is that both GM and Toyota are companies out to make a profit...not make your life better (unless it makes them a profit). Kudos to GM...
Case in point: The new C6s right out of the factory came with a special crank pulley that pops off on its own!!! Did you know that? Thats so cool
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,497
Likes: 1
From: Texas
I agree. We're talking about marketing here, not build quality or design. Maybe a bit too brazen, but quite clever. Who shows up to a public park prepared for the possibility that it is rented out? Even if you like Toyota or even drive one I don't think you would be pleased.
Originally Posted by KVA
I actually think it was very clever of GM...put yourself in the shoes of a tourist in Chicago to go see the park only to show up and be told that Toyota has taken it over and you can't see it today...as a consumer you would be more than thrilled to receive a free slide-viewer of the site and a free ride to another desitination...doesn't mean I would go out and buy a GM product, but it would lessen my sour mood of Toyota and the city for renting out a public tourist destination and ruining my vacation plans for that day...
If Toyota was smart, they would of done this themselves...then we would all be praising Toyota for their community insight...reality is that both GM and Toyota are companies out to make a profit...not make your life better (unless it makes them a profit). Kudos to GM...
If Toyota was smart, they would of done this themselves...then we would all be praising Toyota for their community insight...reality is that both GM and Toyota are companies out to make a profit...not make your life better (unless it makes them a profit). Kudos to GM...