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Automotive News & Views What if you were in charge of GM?
874 messages, Last post on Oct 28, 2009 at 10:20 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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"General Motors execs obviously won't admit it, but clearly politics played a part in their decision to build future small cars in Michigan instead of Tennessee. " Maybe Corker Should Have Corked It GM To Announce Michigan Gets Its Small Car Plant In other GM news, "General Motors North America President Troy Clarke said the automaker has yet to find a model that is suitable to build at the GM-Toyota joint venture plant in California, New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. " Nada For NUMMI, So Far Finally, the HUMMER sale is in doubt and GM To Close Louisiana Truck Plant. (AutoObserver for all links)
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Replying to: steve_ (Jun 26, 2009 12:51 pm) Keep in mind that 15 years of Cavaliers never made them a dime, its sole reason for exisitance was CAFE, if were a purely business decision that model would have either been built offshore or not at all. Same goes with the Ford Escort. If GM is forced down this path, history will repeat itself.
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Replying to: bumpy (Jun 26, 2009 11:29 am) Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me. BMW and MB don't have trouble charging a lot of $$ for luxurious cars. Buick name is just too tarnished in this country to pay that kind of money. Sort of like VW trying the Phateon. Why don't they bring those Chinese Buicks here and call them Caddys? |
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Replying to: TIMGT5 (Jun 26, 2009 11:31 am) The result is that companies like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, et al, can focus much more intensley on their vehicle's driving dynamics. Where as the D3 had to concentrate on islolation and a absorbatant ride. The American versions of the German iron are actually "dumbed down" for our roads. On the super smooth autobahn surfaces everything rides well, even normally stiff cars here feel like lincoln town cars there. So any car with uncertainty in its motion, lack of body control, and float are rejected by European buyers. I don't really buy that, as there are also a LOT more cobblestone streets in Europe and the MBs, BMWs, Audis, do just fine there, too.
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Replying to: TIMGT5 (Jun 26, 2009 1:43 pm) Now, how is this possible when Toyota builds their Corrolla on a Union assembly line in a state with some of the highest taxes in the country (California)? Do they not make money on these cars???
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Replying to: tlong (Jun 26, 2009 2:02 pm) And yes the Autobahn is far superior in construction to any public road we have in the US.
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Replying to: TIMGT5 (Jun 26, 2009 2:15 pm) 
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Replying to: cooterbfd (Jun 26, 2009 2:12 pm) The Corolla, Matix and Vibe are not classified as "B" cars. Toyota's B car is the Yaris, which is built overseas, GM's B car is the Chevy Aveo which is a rebadged Daweoo from South Korea, other cars in the B class are the Fit, The Versa, The Smart, and the upcoming Festiva from Ford, these cars slot below traditional compacts such as the Corolla, Civic, Sentra and Cobalt. If anyone has information otherwise please correct me, but I have read that GM needs at least 17K-18K at retail on any car made in Michigan to break even.
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 26, 2009 2:51 pm) Considering that fellow in the white house wants to run the domestic car industry I am afraid your scenario could happen. I guess the majority of my fellow voters decided that freedom was worth less than the pie in the sky promise of a secure nanny state, sorry to get political on you guys. |
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Replying to: TIMGT5 (Jun 26, 2009 1:29 am) Continental Red Seal Engines were the number one industrial gas engine in the US for almost a century. They were produced in Musgegon MI. They had the market share in welding machines, forklifts, etc. They were even in Checker Cabs and Divco milk trucks for a while. They were so good that as late as in 1980 they had about 100% of the market share in forklifts. Their management and staff were all deer-hunting, good old boys from Muskegon. Everybody got along well and no one rocked the boat or had travelled more than 10 miles outside of Muskgegon. Problem was that even in 1980 they were still making a FLATHEAD engine!! Along came the Japanese with their far superior overhead valve, full flow lubication system industrial gas engines. The rest is history. End of story. Same thing with Detroit Diesel. At one time they owned the industrial engine diesel business. Almost 100% of all log skidders, big forklifts, irrigation pump sets, etc.were powered by Jimmy diesels. Their nickname was "Ol Reliable". Some would say that the Detroit (or Deeee-troit if you want the correct pronunciation) 671 did more to win WWII for us than anything else. Problem is they were making a two cycle engine well after everyone saw the benefits to the contemporary four stroke engine. Along came the Brits with the four cycle Perkins (as well as Cummins, and CAT) and the rest is history. Detroit Diesel is no more. Not to personalize this, but Rick Wagoner is the son of an upper middle clase southern family who played basketball at Duke. Duke even now is not exactly a school for hungry poor boys. Rick never was a PFC in a rifle company. He never even went to OCS. I doubt he ever had a paper route. No one should have expected someone from his background to have changed anything. Gentlemen, it all begins with leadership. Without that what do you have? |
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