You know your job is going well when the President of the United States takes the time to mention your success. That's what happened to Ed Welburn, vice president of global design for General Motors, who was tasked with giving President Obama a tour of GM's latest offerings last month during the Washington Auto Show.

As they sat together in the front seats of a 2013 Chevy Malibu, Obama, among other matters, delivered a short assessment of all that transpired in the auto industry since the federal government bailed it out three years ago. And as they ended their tour, Obama mentioned that "the design of GM cars has gotten so much better in the past few years."

More than any person, Welburn is responsible for that improvement. Today, our sister site AOL Autos profiles the 40-year General Motors employee for a feature celebrating Black History Month. The profile focuses on his early fascination with the automotive industry, his role in helping it withstand its recent tumult and his status as the highest-ranking African American in the domestic auto market.

As for Obama's other thoughts on the rest of GM's offerings? Among the seven company models in D.C., Welburn reports the president was captivated by one in particular.

"He immediately wanted to get in the Corvette," he said.

A California woman beat Honda in small-claims court last week, receiving nearly $10,000 in damages after getting lower-than-advertised fuel economy in her Civic Hybrid. Early next week, we may have a better idea of how many people intend to follow her lead.

A key deadline arrives Saturday that affects all U.S. residents who bought a Civic Hybrid between 2003 and 2009. Those owners are considered part of a class-action lawsuit regarding the fuel-economy issue - unless they opt out of the case by Saturday.

Owners who opt out will not be entitled to the expected settlement of up to $200 and a coupon off their next Honda purchase. But opting out preserves their right to go it alone in court, as Heather Peters did, and seek a more substantial payout.

In order to opt out, owners must send a certified letter to the settlement administrator postmarked no later than tomorrow. More information can be found at hchsettlement.com.

Automakers, legal experts and consumer-rights advocates are all keeping an eye on what happens in the class-action suit, both in terms of how the case is settled and how many people forgo a smaller settlement with the intent of filing individual cases.