I was expecting a less-than-warm...

I was expecting a less-than-warm reaction to my story from GM"s world HQ in Detroit. But it didn"t come, and neither was there any response from UK division Vauxhall, which has in the recent past sold some pretty unreliable cars. But I did get a call from a concerned senior Detroit auto guy who now finds himself working out of mainland Europe for "the General". He explained that things are changing - across the globe, the world"s number one motor corporation is slowly but surely improving quality. "Indeed, GM is producing great results in quality, and will not rest until it reaches world-class levels in all areas, both measured and perceived," he assured me. To back up his claims, he supplied me with a three-page list of notable and not-so-notable achievements his employer has made in this area. It said the quality gap between GM and the market leaders has shrunk by more than 50 per cent in the past four years, although it doesn"t state exactly how far it still lags behind the likes of Toyota, Mazda and Honda.

The two-seater convertible...

The two-seater convertible will be seen whizzing around the capital"s streets, with a young woman driving and a man on the passenger side. At the end of the clip, he climbs from the car and the line "Vauxhall Tigra. Two seats. Use them wisely" appears on screen. The advert - to accompany new cinema and video releases from November - will target young female buyers.