Working in the auto industry for the past 20 years, most of the recommendations are based on engineering groups which have performed reliability and compatibility testing as well as making engineering design decisions based on working with a particular part. Typically, decisions on which brand gets put in a vehicle are not a one sided business decision at the corporate level. It's usually a multiple group decision based on inputs from engineering, warranty, manufacturing and purchasing group recommendations. The execs get to make the final signature decision after receiving inputs from all the different groups. Working in sales to OEMs, I actually wished it was as simple as you described. If I had to just go out on golfing outings and grease the palm of a couple execs in suits like many on the outside seem to think, that would make my job so much easier.