[Flynbyu]

Hello everyone.

I read this story on AutoBlog and I was quite shocked. First off, I work for a seven line auto dealer in Eastern Oklahoma and I'm a die hard GM man. The store I work for has had two of the worst months in our company's 12 year history. For the big three to succeed, we need the credit markets to open up again and to restore consumer confidence. When those markets open, we will be able to sell autos again, and be able to place orders with the factory. We have cut all of our orders on most cars and trucks, except for orders on the Dodge Challenger, and the Camaro (Side note: We have been granted five Camaros for 2009, and they are all sold).

A bailout package for the big three is needed, but the big three need some drastic cuts in labor and benefits to become profitable again, which leads me to my thought on this rumor. By taking these necessary steps, this would eliminate the thought of selling the Corvette brand. I couldn't possibly buy a Corvette if it were built by anyone other than a US company (i.e. -GM). I personally don't think GM would dump the Corvette. There has only been one other line that has been made longer, and that's the Suburban (since 1935). I do see a cut in production, which would help values quite a bit, and boost sales due to supply and demand. Harley Davidson did this in the early 90's and they have emerged very profitable. I do feel there will be a few GM models that go away, mainly cars that are brand duplicates.

I wouldn't be as worried for Corvette as I would be for Viper fans. There has been talk for quite sometime from our Dodge rep that Chrysler has been seeking a buyer for Viper for quite sometime. Viper is profitable for Dodge, mainly due to it's low production numbers (1000 coupes, 500 'verts per year).

~Brian