Christmas In February: Chrysler Hands Buff Books an Embargo Loophole

JALOPNICK AUTO NEWS - - Don't be alarmed, it's not Feburary 2007, though you might get that impression from eyeballing the covers of car magazines on the stands. No, it's still December 2006, though some buff books have already published their February issues, satisfying a rule apparently concocted to give print publishers competitive parity with web-based competitors. In a forwarded e-mail message, Chrysler Group's product and design PR guy, Rick Deneau, explains the company's dual-rule strategy, as it pertains to the company's new vehicles to be revealed at the Detroit auto show in January. An embargo on publishing press releases and photos, he says, was in effect "for February books and Jan. 8 otherwise," a policy whose relativism favors those without "books." So far, Car and Driver, Road and Track and Motor Trend have all released their February issues this week, with Automobile expected to follow. Hey Rick, considering we and our readers are "otherwise" and that every single February buff book issue will hit the stands well before 2007 even begins, we've got to paraphrase a certain College Dropout and ask you -- does Chrysler even care about web people? Full text of the e-mail between Reilly Brennan, editor of Winding Road and Chrysler folks below the jump. – Ray Wert

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: Dec 27, 2006 11:14 PM Subject: FW: Re: Viper embargo To: ray@jalopnik.com

This is how they define their embargoes.

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Deneau
Sent: Wed Dec 27 21:44:01 2006
To: Reilly Brennan; Jason Vines
Cc: Mike Ellis; Christopher Paukert; Sam Locricchio
Subject: Re: Viper embargo

It was for February books and Jan. 8 otherwise. Thanks.

________________________________

----- Original Message -----
From: "Reilly Brennan"
Sent: 12/27/2006 06:42 PM
To: Richard Deneau; Jason Vines
Cc: Mike Ellis; "Christopher Paukert"

With the new issue of Road and Track on the streets (and on the net: http://www.zinio.com/offer?issn=0035-7189&of=ZH1), is it safe to say that the Dodge Viper embargo is officially broken?

One would think that the information being made available on December 27th sufficiently predates the January 9 embargo.

Please let me know where you stand on this,

Reilly Brennan
Editor
Winding Road Magazine