Honda, Kia fume as Obama saves auto-show love for U.S. makers

On about two days’ notice, they flew in executives from as far away as California. They trucked in their most fuel- efficient vehicles, as requested by White House staff.

Obama walked in, strolled past cars made in the U.S. by foreign companies and spent much of his half-hour tour being photographed with a Dodge Dart, a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, a Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid and a Chevrolet Malibu.

Representatives of Honda, Kia Motors Corp., Mercedes-Benz and other automakers waited in a “bullpen” to be called upon to answer Obama’s questions about their vehicles. None were, said Michael Stanton, CEO of the Association of Global Automakers.