With the Keygrab for a new Pontiac Firebird scheduled for Friday cancelled Pontiac still wanted to give away a new car. At the awards ceremony on Saturday ten pilot names were drawn from a bowl, you had to be present to participate. These ten lucky finalists would each get to chose a key to try in the ignition of a new shiny red convertible.
Like last year, if you didn’t respond to your name being called within a few seconds the crowd started a count down from 10. At zero the missing person was out and another name is called. After 15 names they had the pool of ten lucky people up on stage.
Co-announcer Tom Rutherford invited the first person called to come up and draw a key from the fish bowl. Once drawn Rutherford offered him a deal. You can try your key or take $1,000 instead. What a deal, $1,000 in cash or a one-in-ten chance at a car valued at more than $20,000. The first person took the cash. He was told to keep the key as a souvenir. One-by-one each was asked to draw a key and then choose between $1,000 or a trying their key. Five took the money and five stayed with the key.
Now was the moment of truth. The five people holding their key each made the trek off the stage, into the car, and turned their key. Five tries and the motor did not turn. Five disappointed players. Five who wondered, did they hold the magic key.
No car winner. But, Pontiac wanted to give away the car.
Hundred of pilots started shouting in unison, "Five more names! Five more names!"
But no more names. It had been decided back stage earlier that each of the ten names called would get $1,000 and a key to try. Forget the deal, that was just for show. So now all ten people had the money and the other five could now try their key.
The crowd was livid. "Five more names! Five more names!"
No more names.
At this point the crowd became very unruly. They were booing very loudly, continuing to chant. Apples, that had been in the picnic baskets given each pilot for the tailgate party, were thrown at the stage. Most of the crowd left and did not stay for the remaining awards ceremony.
A bad call by Pontiac took what should have been a very positive presentation and turned it into an ugly situation and considerable bad will.
The crowd would have been happy if they had known the original intent. The crowd
would have been happy if they had stopped at the ten names and let each participant
live with their choice. The crowd would have been very happy if they called five more
names. Instead the vast majority left with a bad taste in their mouth.
The $10,000 cash giveaway came from a money pole that was not won during Thursday’s competition.
The lucky winner? Joacihm Buron Pilatre from France.
