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Automotive News & Views United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
16701 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2009 at 3:39 AM
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Replying to: jimbres (Nov 18, 2008 8:08 am) Yeah, and I know exactly where I'd tell them all to go. Hopefully there is some kind of cosmic justice and they will all soon find themselves unemployed or underemployed and all their beloved imports are towed away to the repossessor's lot or the scrap yard.
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 8:19 am) GM has had 30+ years to respond to the challenge posed by Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, BMW and Mercedes. For the most part, it has either failed miserably or succeeded only by avoiding direct confrontation (abandoning cars to focus on trucks and SUVs). GM had the home team advantage, and it squandered it. When I read DeLorean's book, On a Clear Day, You Can See General Motors, I was shocked at how relevant it remains after 30 years. GM has been poorly managed for too long, and top management has focused on just about everything BUT making top-notch cars. It has survived on sheer size, the truck market and a dwindling customer base that refuses to consider vehicles from other manufacturers. That is not the fault of people who bought something else. |
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 7:36 am) What do you call the ongoing loss of market share of the Big 3 to the foreign brands? Every American exercises his/her free will to buy the vehicle that is best value to them and meets or exceeds their needs/expectations. Obviously, the foreign brands have been doing a better job than the Big 3 in this regard. |
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Replying to: xrunner2 (Nov 18, 2008 8:43 am) And that vehicle is either a Buick or a Cadillac for me!
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 8:19 am) So how does this make things better?
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Replying to: grbeck (Nov 18, 2008 7:46 am) Would that need a chapter 11? Have to imagine that the corporate culture of a Toyota, Honda or Nissan is very different from GM. The GM workforce, without a union, and first level supervision maybe could be trained into that culture. Top and middle management would have to be replaced similar to a new U.S. President's administration such as what Obama and Emanuel are now doing. Obama is bringing in his people, but of course retaining apolitical career government employees and grunts. Is there any way that elements of top/middle management at Toyota, Honda and Nissan could be induced to join a Phoenix GM? What a challenge. This would be like a head coach of a Super Bowl Team leaving it and taking over the worst team in the NFL with aspiration to build it into a Super Bowl contender. |
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Replying to: jimbres (Nov 18, 2008 8:58 am)
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this is simply a supply and demand production thing here. Most of us middle-aged population here in the States feel like The General has been dead and dereft of creativity for about 40 years. We don't feel the Big Guy has our best interests at heart by any stretch. Product has been tolerable but doesn't light our fire. I say no to a bailout for the States. Maybe SAIC of China(their Chinese build partner)can purchase bits and pieces of GM, including some experts who don't mind moving to China, and work to build for the burgeoning car-buying public there. Beggars can't be choosy, eh? |
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 18, 2008 8:48 am) Well, that works for you and others who choose these brands. But, you cannot escape statistics that GM market share is declining. GM has needed to stabilize or increase its share by having its brands appeal to more and more buyers, but that has not happened. GM did not have competitive models to Lexus, Acura and Infiniti when these were introduced in late 80's and never was able to catch them. If GM were great back then, perhaps Lexus, Acura and Inifiniti would have withered and died for lack of sales early on. Finally, the 2008 CTS has been acclaimed as near/equal to its foreign brand competitors. Maybe 22 years late. I presume that UAW build CTS, but it was top GM management that finally got it right and hopefully not to late for Cadillac's fate.
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Replying to: xrunner2 (Nov 18, 2008 9:17 am) Only Lexus seems to have been consistent and, to be brutally honest, the only really decent car they have is the LS460. Everything else is just a "Toyota Deluxe." Do they still make that silly and pointless LS460h? Infiniti had a recent resurgeance, but it wasn't too long ago it was an also-ran with a slow-selling Q45. Heck, if I wanted to stand apart from everybody, a Q would've been perfect. You saw maybe one for every 100 Lexus LS. Acura? Well, the RL would be nice if they put a V-8 in it and priced it at least $10K-$15K less. They made a major blunder letting the cartoonist for Pokemon design the latest TL. |
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