Among the no-shows at Sunday's Hollywood bash: Cadillac and Fisker Automotive.
"Nothing going on there to speak of," responded Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell in response to an Inside Line query.
But like its showy appearance during the 2009 Super Bowl, Audi plans to flex its muscle during the Academy Awards. "We are launching our Q5 advertisements during the Oscars with two ads — a 30-second and a 60-second ad," said Audi of America spokesman Andrew Lipman. "On the ground, we don't have a presence like we did during the Super Bowl — but we're present at several events leveraging our new fleet of [Audi] Q7 TDIs here in L.A."
The buzz throughout Hollywood is that such megastars as Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt may be driving their Teslas to the Oscar ceremony. Pitt has been nominated for an award in the actor in a leading role category for his performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But Tesla Motors is skittish about confirming who will show up at the red carpet in a $109,000 Tesla Roadster.
"Your question about the Oscars actually is not a simple one to answer," responded Rachel Konrad, Tesla Motors senior communications manager, in an e-mailed response to an Inside Line query. "Tesla doesn't disclose its customer list; many Roadster owners are celebrities and high-net-worth individuals who don't necessarily want the world to know what kind of car they or their family members drive. We need to respect their privacy and security.
"That said, many of our high-profile customers have been very outspoken advocates for Tesla — and, as you can imagine, we certainly would never stop them from raving about their cars! So although we don't actually disclose who our customers are, I can say that all of the people you mention here have been huge advocates."
Inside Line says: Some people will be craning their necks to see the fashions and the celebrities. We'll be watching the wheels at Sunday's Academy Awards celebration. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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