March 31, 2004 could be a ‘red letter day’ for our Lincoln Hills LSV Group because we have made local TV coverage!
GEM opened their national 2005 kickoff road show in Sunny California at the Sacramento Capitol area, with six of their bright 2005 GEM models for the public to view and test drive.
Board members Harry Maker, Roger Oldenkamp and wife Linda, Bob and Lillian Nawman were present and had some excellent conversations with Larry Oswald, CEO of Daimler Chrysler and Rick Kasper, President and COO of GEM.
They asked about our concerns as a GEM owner. Items mentioned were our insurance coverage, battery maintenance and general care and maintenance of our vehicles. We gave them a background of our beginnings as a group, and our successes in gaining access to driving into downtown Lincoln. Kent Nakata, of the Lincoln City Council was present and gave us fine support for our activities and the concept of LSV’s within the city. 10,000 GEM’s are in California and it is the largest sales and growth market in the country.
We are at the forefront as pioneers in Northern California in showing its value through economy, practicality, environmentally safe and the pure enjoyment of driving,
Later in the afternoon, the Nawmans received an unexpected telephone call from Tom Dulahane of Channel 3 TV to ask if they could come over to their home for interviews and to see them use their GEM. Upon Channel 3’s arrival, they filmed them leaving their garage, and driving down the neighborhood street, with showing the easy handling of turning. The TV cameraman sat in the back seat so he could film the speed we were using, and it was a unique way of showing how fast we could go. Our interviews were short, but newsworthy to be shown at the 6:30 PM news broadcast that evening. We received a few phone calls from Lincoln Hill residents who watched the newscast right after its showing.
Tom Dulahane also went to the Lincoln Town Center to show actual locations where GEM’s could be spotted.
The 2005 GEM’s now feature 6 Deka Gel batteries, LCD driver information display panel, 3 inches more in track width and an all new suspension system, all GEM models are front wheel drive. You can also, as options, have windshield washers added, chrome wheel covers, an Alpine stereo system and other choices. So you can jazz it up to your liking….. If you would like to go into the GEM website, use this address: www.gemcar.com It was a trip worth taking to see how this concept of safe and economical driving is developing, and we are pleased to be a part of its progress.
This is your LSV reporter signing off for today…… Lillian Nawman, LSV Group