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GM News, New Models and Market Share

8271 messages,  Last post on Nov 23, 2009 at 9:49 PM

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What is this discussion about? Automotive News


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#1911 of 8271
Re: my take [vanman1] by dtownfb
Nov 09, 2008 (8:33 pm)
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Replying to: vanman1 (Nov 09, 2008 7:56 pm)

Just my opinion, I am Canadian and so I am not being "patriotic", it's my outside view from north of the 49th.
 
Nice opinion considering it is not your tax dollars that will bail them out.
 
Yes, the malibu is a nice car but it's a little too late. This is the car that should have been built back in 1997. 25-30 market share? It used to be much higher. So declining sales is a symbol of strength in your mind?
 
Gm was heading down this road before this so called "perfect storm". GM has have not reported a profit since 2004. Why do you think they squeezed the UAW so much on the last negotiations? Ask GM what happened to their electric car? GM made a gamble that Americans would buy more SUVs and pickups. They sent their better cars overseas to better penetrate those markets. We were stuck with the Grand AM, Grand Prix, L-Series, Ion, malibu Classic, Impala, Cavalier, G6, etc. And you have to ask why people think GM doesn't make car that people want? These cars are prime rental cars.
 
I oppose the federal government bailing out the big 3. The main reason is they have made bad decisions over the years that have led them to this point. GM in particular has too many brands to support. Badge engineering has cost them Buick, Pontiac and Saturn. You can probably add Saab as well. Again, their better cars are over in Europe and not here in NA. Why? They knew they could count on enough Americans buying their products based on blind loyalty. If they made products like the current Malibu over the past decade, they would not be in this situation and the foreign carmakers would never have had a chance in this country.
#1912 of 8271
Re: my take [dtownfb] by steve_ HOST
Nov 09, 2008 (8:44 pm)
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Replying to: dtownfb (Nov 09, 2008 8:33 pm)

That's actually not such a bad idea. A GM failure is going to hurt Canada too - maybe they could be talked into contributing some to the bailout.
#1913 of 8271
Re: my take [steve_] by gagrice
Nov 10, 2008 (5:13 am)
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 09, 2008 8:44 pm)

Good Point. How many workers in Canada will be out of a job if GM files for bankruptcy. Canada should have a ton of money, with all the oil revenue. They over tax their people and have no large military to maintain. We protect them from outside invasion. Canada should bail out the Big 3.
#1914 of 8271
Re: In retrospect... [circlew] by lemko
Nov 10, 2008 (5:40 am)
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Replying to: circlew (Nov 08, 2008 8:15 am)

Yeah, those foreign cars were cute and had personality back in the day. Now they're grotesque mostrosities that make me want to violently vomit and gouge my eyes out!
#1915 of 8271
Re: The Death of GM... [210delray] by lemko
Nov 10, 2008 (5:49 am)
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Replying to: 210delray (Nov 09, 2008 11:06 am)

The Infiniti G35 is a nice car......if my name was "E.T." or "Mork from Ork." Then I might dig the alien-looking styling. Not my bag!
 
I intend to keep my 1989 Cadillac Brougham forever. My idea of the perfect car would be all of today's performance, reliability, quality, and technology in a car that looks like my '89 Brougham.
#1916 of 8271
Re: my take [vanman1] by lemko
Nov 10, 2008 (5:54 am)
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Replying to: vanman1 (Nov 09, 2008 7:56 pm)

We've lost too many industries already. I'd hate to see the auto industry follow the consumer electronics, steel, and textile industries. I was disassembling an old fluorescent light fixture. The ballast was made in Paterson, NJ. Must be an old fixture. The only things currently manufactured in Paterson are crack rocks and blunts. The way things are going, the only industry that's going to expand in the U.S. is prisons.
#1917 of 8271
Re: my take [lemko] by gagrice
Nov 10, 2008 (6:29 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Nov 10, 2008 5:54 am)

We've lost too many industries already. I'd hate to see the auto industry follow the consumer electronics, steel, and textile industries.
 
The American consumer is to blame as much as the corporations. 50 years ago I got a portable radio for Christmas. It was made in Japan. It was smaller than anything made in the USA. This loss of market share did not happen over night. We have all watched it evolve and went along with it. The bottom line for the Big 3 is they have themselves so tied up with contracts that they cannot be competitive. The only chance I see for survival is bankruptcy. Reorganization from the top to the bottom. The Dealers and the UAW will not like it anymore than the dead weight at the top of the management ladder. GM does not have the money to throw at the dealers like they did with Oldsmobile. I don't want my tax dollars going to pay off some fat cat car dealership for loss of GMC or Buick or Pontiac.
 
Did anyone really think that wages and benefits would just keep getting better for the UAW, while the competition was paying less? The competition is expanding in this country and taking the market share from the Big 3. One American's loss could be another one's gain. Take early retirement from GM and go build VWs in TN. Just don't mention you were a UAW member.
#1918 of 8271
Other countries should pitch in by xrunner2
Nov 10, 2008 (7:41 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (Nov 10, 2008 6:29 am)

GM does not have the money to throw at the dealers like they did with Oldsmobile. I don't want my tax dollars going to pay off some fat cat car dealership for loss of GMC or Buick or Pontiac.
 
Strongly agree.
 
A few posts back someone mentioned asking Canada to chip in on any bailout/help. Add Mexico and any other country that builds American branded vehicles and ships to U.S. Obama/Pelosi could buy into that. Add to that any country that has substantial suppliers of car parts used in American branded vehicles sold in the U.S.
#1919 of 8271
Percent toward health care premium by xrunner2
Nov 10, 2008 (7:52 am)
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Replying to: rockylee (Nov 09, 2008 6:32 pm)

So the workers got to take another slice in their paychecks because management at GM, refuses to build automobiles that people want to own ???
 
To what extent or percent do hourly and management GM personnel pay toward their health care? What about retirees - what percent do they pay?
 
Probably hundreds or thousands of U.S. companies have been cutting back on their contribution to health care premiums for workers and retirees. Is GM still paying more percent of premium than most companies? Understand when active hourly have iron-clad contract on health care premiums, but what about retirees? Has GM been cutting back on percent they pay for retirees? Most other companies are doing this.
#1920 of 8271
Re: Other countries should pitch in [xrunner2] by fezo
Nov 10, 2008 (7:54 am)
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Replying to: xrunner2 (Nov 10, 2008 7:41 am)

It's amazing how long we have been watching the industrial base die. We never thought we'd lose electronics and just stood by as company after company ceased to exist. A whole lot of that was the same pattern that you see in the auto industry - selling more reliable units for less money.
 
I've watched as the clothing industry has slowly moved away from the Carolinas, the original American industrial city, Paterson (where I was born) deteriorate to the point where if it weren't the county seat maybe no in would make any money at all. When i was a kid a trip to Paterson was special. Now you avoid it at all costs.
 
I just don't know if it's too late. A stock analyst this morning valued a share of GM at $0.

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