Charles Gray knew what was at stake. Never before, he thought, had the highest office in the land and the largest manufacturing industry in the country come so close to an agreement that could save so much fuel.

Unwilling to see the opportunity slip away, Gray decided on his own to do something that he thought might force the industry's hand: He began making threats.

He started calling industry officials who understood his crucial regulatory power and warned them that if they did not agree to the Supercar plan, he would vigorously push for stricter fuel economy rules.

"I said, 'I will dedicate myself and my staff will, too, to guaranteeing the most aggressive set of CAFE standards you could imagine,'" Gray recalls. He told them he would move from Michigan to Washington and "dedicate the next at least four years of my career to delivering on that promise."

Other government negotiators made similar calls. "There was a virtual hammer in the air, waving around," recalls Gibbons, the White House science adviser.

Shortly after these calls, the Big Three automakers notified the White House that they were willing to compromise but wanted to meet again with Gore.

A meeting was set for the following week. Aides, according to briefing papers, advised Gore not to waive the government's right to regulate the automakers. But he could assure them that if they agreed to Supercar, "it would not be in our interest to, and we will not, impose short-term fuel economy requirements that would be inconsistent with achievement of the long-term goal."

The Clinton administration position was clear: If it got Supercar, it would lay aside the "virtual hammer" of forced fuel economy.

At the meeting, the CEOs sat in Gore's office on a long couch facing a fireplace at the far end of the room. Gore sat in a chair nearby, with his usual Diet Coke on a small table. Over the CEOs' shoulders he could see a poster-size photograph of the planet Earth hanging on the wall.

The CEOs told Gore they would agree to build an 80-mile-per-gallon car, but they wanted some wiggle room. They wanted the agreement to read "up to" 80 miles per gallon, according to Gibbons' notes of the meeting.

Gore said that was fine, provided that engineers set their sights on 80.

Next, the industry wanted some reassurances on fuel economy rules.

Chrysler CEO Eaton said the automakers would make some incremental improvements in fuel efficiency, but that they didn't want to be forced by law.

"We are prepared to be flexible on the interim stuff," Gore said.

The vice president then mentioned how he and Clinton indicated during the campaign that they wanted cars to average 40 miles per gallon by 2000.

"How do we back off?" he asked, according to notes of the meeting. Perhaps, he went on, "a shift away from such a number would be much aided by other actions, such as the partnership's progress."

In the end, Gore said the administration would back off its campaign promise as well as veto any legislation that tried to turn the 80-mile-per-gallon Supercar goal into law. In an interview with the Tribune, Gore said he believes he did not give up much in this trade-off. Congress, he felt, was not going to approve such a large increase anyway.

"It was a weak bargaining chip," he says.

The deal was sealed with a handshake, and Gore led the CEOs down to the Oval Office to inform the president.

"There were high-fives," Kelly says, "and everybody was happy."

The story continues... Shooting for the moon