Big wisdom from the car people who have descended on Detroit in droves for the annual international car show.

Knowing your brand -- and staying on message with that -- is key, says David Reuter, the public relations executive for super-luxury success story Bentley, whose luxe, handmade wheels run anywhere from $170,000 to $500,000.

Despite a downturn in the economy, Bentley is up four percent over 2006 in North America and seven percent globally, he said proudly, noting that "capacity is lagging demand." By focusing on their product and staying true to its unique value, sales went from 995 vehicles in 2003 to 10,014 in 2007.

"Why go against the grain?" he says of marketing his product. "It really has to do with a strong, successful product plan. We have extremely good relationships and a lock on who our customers are."

There is a lesson there of sorts for aspiring presidential candidates, who he adds, should pay attention to the auto world and its economic history.

"I think the next president needs to recognize the amount of gross domestic product that is produced by the auto industry," Mr. Reuter said. "Any loss of that is going to significantly impact the rest of the economy."

PS: We've driven a new Bentley. It was an incredible ride and we felt just like J-Lo (minus all the publicity and bad marriages).

-- Andrea Billups, The Washington Times