Behind the scenes

Nasser’s outgoing style makes him target of rumors

Internet chock full of sites that bash ‘polarizing’ leader

The Detroit News William Clay Ford Jr. introduces Jacques Nasser at the North American International Auto Show. Reports surface occasionally about friction between the two.

By Mark Truby / The Detroit News

    DEARBORN — Since Jacques Nasser swaggered onto the auto scene in 1994, Detroit has found it impossible to ignore the charismatic Aussie.

    In marked contrast to the nondescript crop of Motown executives, Nasser is a swashbuckling, larger-than-life character who has captured the attention of not only the motoring world but the car-crazy public in his adopted home.

    When Nasser’s wife, Jennifer, filed for divorce in March it made front-page news. The two later said they were reconciling. Not since Lee Iacocca was bouncing in and out of divorce court has a marital rift sparked so much interest in Detroit.

    The rumor mill frequently has Nasser feuding with Ford Chairman William Clay Ford Jr. In the most persistent story — which they both say is untrue — Nasser and Ford supposedly almost came to blows and had to be separated during a heated argument at world headquarters.

    Given Nasser’s bare-knuckle business style, such tales may be wishful thinking by disgruntled Ford employees. Message boards on the Internet are devoted to bashing — and occasionally praising — “Jac the Knife.”

    “He is a very polarizing figure,” said David E. Cole, director of the University of Michigan’s Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation. “People have strong emotions about him one way or the other. He’s a compelling guy.”