<VV> How GM learned of RN

[aeroned at aol.com]

Good thing I didn't bet real money....Thanks Bill for your real research.
I thought that GM's "spy network" would have known everything, especially negative stuff, being publish about them.

Ned










-----Original Message-----
From: wrsssatty at aol.com
To: virtualvairs at corvair.org
Sent: Wed, Mar 30, 2011 9:40 am
Subject: <VV> How GM learned of RN



I'd be willing to bet that the folks at GM knew about Ralphie's book before it 
as published.>
No, they didn't.  Some of you with a long memory may recall that as a lawyer, 
everal years ago, I began researching and writing on the Corvair lawsuits (See, 
eb. 2002 communique page 10; June 2001 communique page 10; Dec. 2000 communique 
age 15).  In my research, I uncovered testimony from GM executives (don't 
ecall off the top of my head who) saying that they first learned of Ralph 
ader's writings on the Corvair by the publication of the Corvair chapter as an 
xcerpt in a magazine called "The Nation" and, in, of all places, The Charleston 
West Virginia) Gazette.  This was after the book had been published.  As a 
ative of the Charleston, WV area, I recall the Gazette's publication of that 
xcerpt.  I remember my father in his La-Z-Boy reading his paper and the shock 
n the room as my mother and father discussed the article.  We couldn't figure 
ut why, after having a Corvair in the family at that time for about 3 years, we 
ad never experienced any of the problems the 
article spelled out.  Several years later, on a visit home, I went to the 
harleston library and looked up the article on microfilm.  It took up all of 
wo whole pages of the paper.  I tried to contact the then editor but he was 
eceased.  His successor responded to my letter that, at that time, the Gazette 
as excerpting large sections of certain books that were being published.  The 
azette has the reputation of being the more liberal of the two papers that to 
his day are still published in Charleston, WV.  The editor put me in touch with 
he widow of the man who was editor in the '60s and she told me they had owned a 
orvair and thought it was the worst car they had ever owned.  She cited quality 
nd reliability problems and not handling problems.  I'm not sure how the little 
le Charleston Gazette came to the attention of GM executives in Detroit but 
harleston was home to a Chevrolet zone office.  It happens that an executive 
here in the '60s was a friend of my family
 so I tracked him down to Tennessee where he had moved to take over a 
ealership in the '70s.  He said he had no recollection of his office being 
ware of the Gazette's excerpt or of bringing it to the attention of higher-ups 
n GM in Detroit.  
"Unsafe" was published by Grossman Press in NYC which was a very small operation 
nd virtually unheard of.  A couple of years ago, now living across the river 
rom Manhattan, I went into the city for the premiere of a very biased 
ocumentary about Ralph Nader.  As I stood in line at the ticket window, an old 
an in front of me, saying his name was Grossman, argued with the clerk that 
here should be comp tickets set aside for him.  I didn't put two and two 
ogether at the time but later, in the movie, there he was on the screen being 
nterviewed as the publisher of the book.  Sounds like it was a very small 
peration out of his home in Manhattan.  Ralph was at the premiere of this film 
or a question and answer session afterward.  "Unsafe" would have remained 
bscure, and with it, Ralph Nader, if GM hadn't been caught hiring private 
nvestigators to dig up dirt on RN.  
BTW, the '66 Corvairs weren't just on the assembly line at the time that 
Unsafe" hit the bookstores, they were already in the showrooms and, even, some 
riveways.
~Bill Stanley
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