Adam Carolla Fired as Buick Verano Stars in Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice +VIDEO

NEW YORK - March 12, 2012: “You’re fired!” Donald Trump's famous salutation signaled the end of the line for The Celebrity Apprentice cast members Adam Carolla and automotive racing icon Michael Andretti - however the star of the hit series’ latest episode was the Buick Verano.

Buick GMC Director Craig Bierley, Leo Burnett Executive Creative Director Steve Chavez, and The Donald assigned two celebrity teams divided by gender to create a Buick Verano marketing presentation.

The two teams, led by comedian and car buff Adam Carolla (team Unanimous) and former teen pop-star Debbie Gibson (team Forte) respectively, melded comedy and marketing savvy to present the Buick Verano to an audience of potential consumers as Bierley, Chavez, and ultimately Donald Trump, gauged each team’s performance.

Watch the show promo video

Among the highlights of the marketing presentations included jokes by Lisa Lampanelli and a towering Penn Jillette comfortably sitting behind the steering wheel of the Buick - then outrageously locking himself in the truck of the Verano, clearly demonstrating the modern luxury vehicle’s roominess!

In addition to Gibson and Lampanelli, Team Forte’s members included actress Tia Carrere, Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Dayana Mendoza (Miss Universe 2008), pop star Aubrey O’Day, and actress/model Patricia Valasquez. Among the Team Unanimous members in addition to Carolla, Jillette, and Andretti included pop star Clay Aiken, rock singer Dee Snider, actor Lou Ferrigno, former talk show host Arsenio Hall and Paul Tuetul Sr. (American Chopper). Team Forte emerged victorious.

During the show, Buick debuted two new 30-second TV spots showcasing Verano’s advanced features: “Tour Bus” which focuses on the IntelliLink infotainment system, and “Quiet World” which highlighted QuietTuning technology. Verano sales in February were 1,688 units compared to 265 in December, its first full month on sale.