AutoCar: A positive future, a memorable past at GM

[nadepalma]

GM: a positive future, a memorable past
Steve Cropley

The twin demises of GM, last year as the world’s biggest car company and a now as a viable financial entity, is encouraging plenty of people to attempt to discredit the US giant as a car-builder. We’ve already heard many ‘industry experts’ (as well as predictable platoons of news media know-nothings) criticising the giant company for not building cars the public wanted.

This is a gross oversimplification of the situation. One disastrous factor, above all, brought GM low. It was a series of decisions, made 50 years ago for the most benevolent reasons, to provide existing and retired employees with benefits the company has not been able to afford for at least a decade. As departed chairman Rick Wagoner memorably put it, GM is a company with 300,000 employees, which is responsible for the pensions and medical bills of 1.1 million people.

The truth about GM’s car-makers, both the pared-down American concern and the newly-devolved bits on this side of the Atlantic - is that they have already designed and are well advanced with producing many of the cars that will be needed for tomorrow’s market. The US company’s new financial freedom, afforded by this Chapter 11 bankruptcy, will allow the company to build cars on a similar cost basis to the US-based Japanese for the first time in decades.

Meanwhile, great GM cars from the pre-bankruptcy era must never be forgotten. Just because market conditions have changed is no reason to forget some of its glorious muscle cars, leader of which (for me) was the Pontiac GTO of the late ’60s. Follow that, if you like, with the original mid-’50s Chevy Corvette, a car so brilliant in concept (leave alone the fabulous styling) that survives today as part of ‘America’s Sports Car’ and will undoubtedly endure. Rivalling those, in my mind, is the new Chevy Volt (first production versions next year) that will excite with its great styling, versatility and the radical answer to tomorrow’s transportation problems.

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[Dr. Show-Me]

If GM can return to strong designs with pure brand DNA, quality fit and finish and best-in-class cars and trucks, with minimal bean-counter interference, GM can once again be a leader, if not THE leader of US car companies. Their post bk competitiveness should be the best since the 1950s-1960s, without legacy costs to weigh them down.

[G8TR]

Great styling of the Volt???? Is he looking at the concept version?? I certainly would not call the production model great styling.

[autozcape@gmail]

General Motors is already there product wise.They need to get some kahoonies and counter what the talking heads are vomiting on TV.They need to go all Katie Couric and do like a really ballsy debate that stands up to the talking heads.

[bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Show-Me

If GM can return to strong designs with pure brand DNA, quality fit and finish and best-in-class cars and trucks, with minimal bean-counter interference, GM can once again be a leader, if not THE leader of US car companies. Their post bk competitiveness should be the best since the 1950s-1960s, without legacy costs to weigh them down.

GM already has class leading trucks. The Siverado and Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Suburban and Lamdas are as good or better than any of the competition. Malibu and CTS are right up there too. Future introductions should just make their lineup that much stronger. I believe the future looks bright for GM. Let's put this bankruptcy behind them and get down to making some world class vehicles.

[Xtreme08]

Originally Posted by G8TR

Great styling of the Volt???? Is he looking at the concept version?? I certainly would not call the production model great styling.

Take it for what it is. It isn't designed to be a fast or sporty looking vehicle. For its purpose the styling is great. Have you seen the Prius or Insight?

[red_rider]

Originally Posted by autozcape@gmail

General Motors is already there product wise.They need to get some kahoonies and counter what the talking heads are vomiting on TV.They need to go all Katie Couric and do like a really ballsy debate that stands up to the talking heads.

Absolutely agree. Watching the people on CNN kills me.

[New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66]

Originally Posted by red_rider

Absolutely agree. Watching the people on CNN kills me.

And the writers at the 'Daily Show' will have a field day with this. I'm not saying the 'Daily Show' is outright un-American, yet the audience reaction to certain jokes reveals an un-Americanism to me. It isn't overt, more covert. I feel it.

'Colbert' is far more satire than cynicism. With Colbert you understand that he is making a joke. With Stewart, there is an additional element that is disturbing to me.

[emh]

Reading the comments on AutoCar blogs is a refreshing departure from the drivel on US auto blogs. Most comments are thoughtful and devoid of the fanboy drivel that infests pretty much any auto blog discussion (especially GM related ones) on this side of the pond. Even the posters who have had bad experiences with the company/product in question simply state their experience without absurd over-generalizations.

[2Lambdas]

To those who wonder if the government funded restructuring of GM and Chrysler should have been undertaken or if the taxpayer (us) will ever get back those government loans, I submit the following comment from Brian Fredline, president of UAW's Local 602 chapter in Lansing, Michigan:

"We gave Citgroup hundreds of billions of dollars and AIG hundreds of billions of dollars with no accountability," said Brian Fredline, president of the UAW's Local 602 chapter in Lansing, Mich.

"With GM, We know where that money's going. It's going to support American industry and American jobs, and that's how it will be spent. And if you want to get that taxpayer money back, buy a GM product. You'll like it."

I have bought TWO new GM products in the last 2 years that were built at Local 602's plant in Lansing, and I can attest to Brian's promise that "You'll like it". These two vehicles are hands down, by far the best built automobiles I have ever owned and rival the quality from ANY of the foreign automakers. It is high time the AMERICAN PEOPLE support our American industry while we still have a CHOICE! If we do so, GM and Chrysler (and Ford as well) will once again be highly profitable and they will pay back those loans. If you are "happy" with the fact that we have little to no choice in just about everything else that we buy coming from Japan or China or Korea or Taiwan etc., then just keep on supporting the import automobile manufacturers with your purchases and soon we will have no choice in that area either and all of American industry will be dead due to lack of consumer support. It is OUR choice as Americans and we have the power.......what will we do with it?

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66

And the writers at the 'Daily Show' will have a field day with this. I'm not saying the 'Daily Show' is outright un-American, yet the audience reaction to certain jokes reveals an un-Americanism to me. It isn't overt, more covert. I feel it.

'Colbert' is far more satire than cynicism. With Colbert you understand that he is making a joke. With Stewart, there is an additional element that is disturbing to me.

The audience may be un-American, but I do remember one show where Jon Stewart supported GM receiving federal loans.

[mike's 01ws6]

Originally Posted by 2Lambdas

I have bought TWO new GM products in the last 2 years that were built at Local 602's plant in Lansing, and I can attest to Brian's promise that "You'll like it". These two vehicles are hands down, by far the best built automobiles I have ever owned and rival the quality from ANY of the foreign automakers.

Thats awesome, I heard a lot of nice things about the Enclave early on but not as much lately about them, they still seem a little on the expensive side, but they must be worth it if your family bought two of them.

[G8TR]

Originally Posted by Xtreme08

Take it for what it is. It isn't designed to be a fast or sporty looking vehicle. For its purpose the styling is great. Have you seen the Prius or Insight?

Yes, I've seen them both and I wouldn't buy either one. I guess a lot of us were hoping it would look a whole lot more like the concept then it does.

[87silver]

I love the terminology, "predictable platoons of news media know-nothings"

[Ed Arcuri]

If I were engaging the "talking heads" I would not refer to the taxpayer money involved as a loan but rather as a down payment on the costs imposed on our automakers by government decisions, which decisions were often malicious and sometimes merely stupid.
The role of our government in bringing the industry to this sorry pass has largely been overlooked.