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It took six and a half years and 103 Chevrolet dealerships for John Thompson to get into this column. And we've just caught him in the nick of time! For the man's being promoted, which means he's leaving Thailand, as of September 1, to oversee network-distribution operations at parent company General Motors' Asia-Pacific headquarters in China. But he leaves behind a legacy that will pave the way for Chevrolet to grow in the future.

Thompson, vice-president for sales, marketing and aftersales at Chevrolet Sales Thailand, was responsible for introducing compressed natural gas (CNG) products _ the Optra CNG and Colorado CNG pick-up _ to the domestic market long before high oil prices made it sensible to consider switching from conventional fuel to natural gas.

Chevrolet, then a newcomer, needed to be different from the competition given that some rivals already had a head start (Isuzu and Toyota, for instance, had already been doing business here for 50 years at that stage).

How different? Well, Chevrolet pioneered G80 lock-differential technology for pick-ups, sold flat-deck pick-ups in upcountry areas, and offered estate models in the C-segment _ all firsts for the market.

Shifting gears to energy policies, he conceded that fluctuating government positions on CNG and hybrid technology have make it difficult for auto manufacturers, given the high investment costs they have to shoulder.

The cost of developing a particular E85 vehicle, he said, has a lot to do with how alcohol (E85 contains 85% ethanol) attacks rubber components and little moving parts at the end of the fuel injectors. There's a slight reduction of energy per litre, he noted, which increases fuel consumption to a certain extent.

To back up his case he cited the example of Brazil, noting that the increase in the price of a barrel of crude oil to US$147 did not have a major effect there after the government decided to go for E100 (ethanol with up to 4% water; also widely used in Argentina). The man definitely has a point, wouldn't you say?

Thompson has been described as the ''father of CNG'' by Steve Carlisle, president of GM Southeast Asia Operations Ltd, GM Thailand and Chevrolet Sales Thailand. But nearest and dearest to Thompson's heart are his wholesale team, the dealerships and Chevrolet's sales performance.

''My biggest accomplishment is the wholesale team at Rasa Tower. It was 20 [strong] when I came and now we have 107 of the finest people I've [ever] worked with.

''Next is the dealer body which was about 20 when I came but has grown into 103 showrooms, all 3S [sales, service and spare parts]. Most of them are outside Bangkok since it's hard to find green land here [in the metropolitan area].

He hinted that Chevrolet still had room for expansion in its distribution network based on the through-put _ the number of vehicles each dealership sells in a month.

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