Report: D.C. council’s Kwame Brown embroiled in Lincoln Navigator scandal

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Government/Legal, Lincoln, Celebrities, Luxury

Kwame R. BrownWashington D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown finds himself in hot water over his choice of a work vehicle. According to The Washington Post, Brown ordered up a fully-loaded Lincoln Navigator L on the district’s dime ahead of his January 2 inauguration, and more than a few eyebrows have been raised at the luxury SUV’s $1,900 per month lease payment. Like most localities, our nation’s capital is facing a sizeable budget shortfall this year – currently hovering at around $400 million.

But it gets worse from there. Brown reportedly demanded a black-on-black Navigator L for his personal use, and when the first vehicle showed up with a gray interior, he insisted the problem be rectified. As a result, Washington D.C. is currently paying to lease two Navigator L models at $1,900 month each, and the one with the gray cabin apparently can’t be returned until October. Additionally, a dealer had to drive the inauguration vehicle from Coldwater, Michigan to Washington, D.C. at a cost of $1,500.

Brown, meanwhile, says that he never intended for the vehicle to be a fully loaded luxury SUV, and that he merely requested a black-on-black model. But The Washington Post reports that emails acquired via Freedom of Information Act requests show that the fully-loaded vehicle was sought per Brown’s specifications. Thanks for the tip, Brady!

[Source: Washington Post | Image: Kris Connor/Getty Images]

Report: D.C. council’s Kwame Brown embroiled in Lincoln Navigator scandal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus Cars and Lotus F1 embroiled in naming rights dispute

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Lotus

Stick with us here, because this is going to get a little complicated. We have on the one hand Lotus Cars and Group Lotus. On the other we have the current Lotus F1 team. The former – producers of such sportscars as the Elise and the new Elite – is owned by Malaysian state automaker Proton. The former is also Malaysian-owned, but by businessman Tony Fernandes (pictured above, owner also of Air Asia), and uses the name Lotus under license from Proton.

Still with us? Hold on. We recently reported that the F1 team that currently runs as Lotus Racing was switching its name to Team Lotus. That name, which was used on the famous grand prix team of yore, was claimed by one David Hunt (brother of the late world champion James Hunt), who acquired many of the assets of the old team. Fernandes wanted to bridge that gap, and acquired those rights from Hunt. Thing is, Group Lotus (the automaker and engineering firm, not the F1 team) disputed Hunt’s claim on the name in the first place.

As a result, Proton has now terminated its licensing agreement with Fernandes, demanding that his outfit cease using the Lotus name – in any permutation, be it Lotus Racing, Team Lotus or any derivation thereof. Fernandes, girded by his rights acquisition, isn’t likely to back down, and we’re smelling a messy legal battle ensuing. So keep your eyes peeled on this space, and follow the jump for official statements from both outfits.

[Source: Lotus | Image: SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading Lotus Cars and Lotus F1 embroiled in naming rights dispute

Lotus Cars and Lotus F1 embroiled in naming rights dispute originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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