Tiger Woods? crash car a loaner

When Tiger Woods sidelined his 2009 Cadillac Escalade after hitting a fire hydrant and tree it became one of the most photographed cars in the world. It has now been revealed the black Escalade is part of General Motor's promotional fleet and not even owned by Woods. After the golfer's multi-million dollar promotion deal GM brand Buick ended last year, he made a deal with the carmaker to borrow several cars, including the Caddy, for his personal use.

A Cadillac spokesman in the US, David Caldwell, has confirmed the Escalade is a loaner. "This loan derives from the fact that Mr Woods was a close partner/spokesperson of Buick, another brand within our corporate structure," he says. "That relationship ended earlier this year, at least in terms of the official contractual relationship. "But of course strong bonds were formed between Mr Woods and several folks inside the company, hence the loan of this vehicle."

If the Escalade was repairable, including the back window allegedly smashed by his wife, it could be fixed and put back on the GM fleet, or replaced.  Caldwell says the damage is now being assessed. "After that it could be retained by us, could go back into some sort of service at our behest, or it could be auctioned someday," he says. "Some of the other press reports have made it sound like it is certainly headed for auction... and that's a bit over-stated. "That's one possibility. Nothing imminent. The car's in our possession and that will likely remain the case for quite some time to come."

Like many carmakers, GM regular on-sells its low-mileage promotion vehicles at auction. If it does go under the hammer, the car's now infamous reputation could be worth much more than its $US63,000 sticker price.