10 Classic GM cars.

10 GM classics as seen by Richard Truett of Automotive News

The chances are slim to none that General Motors enthusiasts ever will agree on the company's 10 greatest classics.

If you judged by sales, the 1965 Chevrolet Impala — which rang up more than a million deliveries that year — would be here. But it's not.
If you looked at neck-snapping performance, you'd have to include the mighty Corvette ZR-1 of the early 1990s. But it's not here, either.

Our list of GM classics features cars that combined five traits: They were influential in their day, had head-turning styling, sported advanced technology, sold well and are highly collectible today.

1908 Cadillac: To demonstrate Cadillac's precision manufacturing, which meant interchangeable parts, three cars were shipped to Great Britain and taken apart under the supervision of the Royal Automobile Club. The parts were mixed, and the three cars were reassembled. Each one ran perfectly. Cadillac won the Dewar Trophy and adopted its tag line: "Standard of the World."

1912 Cadillac: Charles Kettering perfected the electric starter, the forerunner of the modern automobile ignition and lighting system. It was a revolution in engineering that catapulted the automobile into the mainstream of American life.

1930 Cadillac V-16 roadster: From 1930 to 1940, Cadillac offered a variety of V-12- and V-16 coupes, convertibles and sedans. Cadillac's engineering department was arguably the best in the industry. Smooth, quiet and powerful, the 1930 V-16 roadster was just one of the Cadillacs of the 1930s that offered custom coachwork styling, world-class refinement and outstanding quality.

1938 Cadillac Sixty Special: The streamlined Sixty Special, one of Bill Mitchell's first efforts for General Motors, lowered the roof, integrated the trunk with the rear body and eliminated running boards. Cars would never look the same again.

1953 Chevrolet Corvette: GM not only built a proper two-seat sports car to take on popular imports from Jaguar, Austin-Healey, MG and others, but it also used fiberglass for the first time on one of its production cars.

1959 Cadillac: Tailfins rose to new heights as postwar excess peaked. The 1959 Cadillac is now seen as a symbol of the styling of its era.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette: Designer Bill Mitchell made the first Corvette coupe a vehicle to remember. The split rear window and tops of the doors resembled something you might see on a fighter plane. The optional 327-cubic-inch fuel-injected V-8 gave it stellar performance.

1963 Buick Riviera: Inspired by Ferrari and Bentley designs, the first Riv injected sleek, streamlined European styling and exclusivity into GM's near-luxury brand. Real wood trim could be ordered. So could a powerful 340-hp V-8. The 1963 Riv stands today as the high point of GM's 1960s design.

1966 Oldsmobile Toronado: It was an engineering and styling tour de force and featured the work of two men who would be very important to GM. Future CEO Bob Stempel designed the V-8 front-wheel- drive powertrain — the first use of that layout in a modern car. Future GM styling chief Wayne Cherry helped give the sleek fastback Toronado its signature look.

1968 Pontiac GTO: The GTO stayed ahead of the muscle-car pack with an array of powerful engines and such features as Ram Air, hidden headlights and the first use of a body-colored front bumper made of an impact-absorbing, rubberlike material GM called Endura.

GM stock punished

Shares of GM fell to their lowest point since June of 1954 on Monday when congress failed to pass a 700 billion dollar bailout plan. GM's market cap fell to $4.8 billion. GM has watch it stock price fall steadily for the last few years now. Just to give an example of how cheap 4.8 billion is --

Woman's cosmetics company Avon has a 17 billion dollar market cap, Ebay has a market cap of 25 billion, Google has a market cap of 129 billion. A company's market cap is the sum of the total shares in the float.

The GTO Judge

A classic GM Pontiac GTO Judge will star in the upcoming movie "SexDrive" hitting screens everywhere in mid October. The Judge is a highly optioned GTO, famous for its "Orbit Orange" color paint scheme, it was actually available in all GTO colors. Of the 3,797 Judges built, only 168 were ordered in the Convertible form and only 6 of those had the largest engine option, making them highly sought after collector items.

GM coming back to Flint

For those in the know, GM and Flint, MI have a long history together. This week, that story just got a little longer. GM announced the construction of a new engine plant that will produce the engine for the new Chevy Volt to be built in Flint, MI. Flint was once a booming middle class suburb until Roger Smith, the then CEO, closed the local plant. The towns following decline was documented in Michael Moore's film, Roger and Me.

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GM Lays off 798 workers

The Shreveport GM plant's entire second shift of 798 employees, will be cut today. The plant's production lineup includes the Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Hummer H3 and H3T. Things don't look so bright for workers on the first shift either, GM could be forced to close the entire plant if sales dont pick up soon.

GM to Sell Hummer Brand

GM is desperate for cash these days, and has resorted to selling off assets to raise enough capital to stay afloat. GM plans to put the Hummer brand up for sale and hopes to raise $2 billion to $4 billion dollars in its sale. The once successful Hummer was inspired by AM General's Humvee, an all-terrain vehicle produced for the military.

GM to Sell Truck Business??

In what would mark the first Japanese takeover of a business from the United States Big Three Automakers GM is in closed door talks to sell its truck business to Izuzu Motors. Gee, how times have changed.

GM passing on the Superbowl

General Motors will not air a TV ads during the 09 Super Bowl, as the automaker continues to cut expenses as part of its restructuring plan. With sales struggling and the company fighting for survival GM not be involved in the biggest display of Event Marketing in the US. Recently GM also declined to purchase ad time during the Emmey Awards although it did sponsor the event.

Car Wars!

Chrysler is going electric! The company said yesterday it will put an electric car on sale in America by 2010. This will put it in direct competition with the General Motors Chevy Volt. The company showed previews to reporters of three electric concepts - a Jeep and a Chrysler minivan and a fully electric Dodge sports car. This will allow the companies to go toe to toe in the ring of auto sales. May the best man win.

GM added to SEC's Short Selling Ban List

The number of companies temporarily protected from short selling soared from 799 to more than 900 on Monday as the two top stock exchanges added widely traded firms, including American Express, General Electric and General Motors, to a list that the SEC put out on Friday.
The Securities and Exchange Commission hopes to prevent a run on financial-services companies by temporarily limiting the ability of traders to bet that their shares will decline. Short sellers borrow and sell stock held by other people; they profit when they can repurchase the shares later at a lower price before returning them to the owner.

I think this is pure crap. If this isn't market manipulation then I don't know what it is. Its not the short sellers that have caused the crisis that the US economy is currently in, It's the CEO'S of these corporations that have made extremely bad decisions.

Who Killed the Electric Car?

With the the new Chevy Volt being all the rage in the world of autos these days and GM being praised for leading the industry into the future its important to realize that the idea of an electric car is not a new one. 12 years ago GM built a successful and wildly popular electric car. The year was 1996, the car was called the "EV1". The state of California was about to pass new fuel emissions standards enacted by the state and GM wanted to prove that if passed they would cripple the automotive industry. Well, the plan backfired. People in California loved the GM electric car so much that nearly every single person who agreed to the trial lease of the vehicle (it was not for sale but only leased to select customers as a test) wanted to purchase and keep it. GM reacted in 2003 by recalling and destroying every single EV1 in the state via THE CRUSHER! see pic above. An excellent documentary on this bit of recent history can be purchased or rented almost anywhere; it’s called Who Killed the Electric Car? The only thing GM was concerned with protecting was their profits. Now, 12 years later with their backs against the wall, GM has announced it plans to go forward with the electric powered Chevy Volt. One can only think if they went electric in 96, how much better shape the company would be in today.

A Sad Day in Doraville

GM, which turned 100 last week has helped generations of autoworkers attain comfortable middle-class lives. Come Friday, the final vehicle will roll off the line at the last American auto assembly plant in Georgia. This marks the end of an era at GM. The plant which once boasted 3,100 workers has been rapidly dwindling down over the past few years, the future of the remaining 1,000 plant workers remain unclear. With a fragile economy and sluggish auto sales it's hard to predict where the workers can find future employment. Longtime employees have the option of moving to another GM plant, taking a buyout or waiting for a job in the company's job bank. Temporary and newer workers won't be as lucky. Here are some of the more popular Doraville-produced cars:

• 1947 Buick Super Woody
• 1951 Oldsmobile 88
• 1951 Buick Super 8 Special
• 1953 Buick Skylark
• 1955-57 Buick Century
• 1956 Olds Super 88 Convertible Coupe
• 1957 Pontiac Star Chief
• 1958 Pontiac Bonneville
• 1960 Oldsmobile Super 88
• 1965 Chevy Impala
• 1976 Chevy Monte Carlo

The Chevy Volt

Nobody can accuse GM of underplaying the Volt's significance. Scheduled to go on sale in November 2010, the car relies on several new technologies to deliver 40 miles of cruising range on battery power alone and an onboard generator to keep the batteries charged on longer trips.

GM has bet its reputation -- change that to , hopes of improving its reputation!! -- on the car's success. Assuming current rates for electricity, a Volt owner could theoretically drive 15,000 miles a year for $180 to $300, chief engineer Frank Weber said Tuesday. Considering that the EPA estimates a compact car, like the Chevy Cobalt or Honda Civic, uses almost $2,000 a year in fuel, that savings would go a long way toward offsetting what's likely to be a $40,000-plus price.

Many people think that this is GM's first attempt at an electric car, however, those of us in the know, well, lets just say we know better. Stay tuned for more about GM's history with electric cars........

Marketing Gone Wrong

Chevy marketers thought having an online contest to see who can create the best TV ad for the new Tahoe was gonna be a great idea - A huge success. Last spring's campaign for the Chevy Tahoe broke every single rule of marketing. GM allowed people to post their own commercial messages about America's best-selling SUV. Some people produced some really positive messages, touting the vehicle's many selling points. Then there were the other entries. The ones that subverted the Tahoe message with references to global warming, social irresponsibility, war in Iraq, and the psycho-sexual connotations of extremely large cars. One contestant posted an offering called "Enjoy the Longer Summers!" which blamed the Tahoe for heat-trapping gasses and melting polar ice caps. An entry called "How Big Is Yours" declared, "Ours is really big! Watch us fuck America with it!" Others claimed "Make the Earth your Bitch!" and "We sold ourselves for oil" while even another made a connection between members of President Bush's inner circle and what they do in their Tahoe. What really makes me laugh is that many of these entries were posted and viewed on the GM website until management caught wind of it and had the rogue postings removed.

GM Fires Black-Owned Ad Agency

The ad agency that was responsible for popular GM ads featuring Mary J. Blige and other musicians with their favorite Chevy was let go in late 2007. The black-owned Carol H. Williams Advertising Agency brought in $367.5 million in billings that year so it will survive losing the account, however some wonder if GM will survive. Statistics show that while personal registrations in the auto market were down approximately 1% from 2003 to 2005, new vehicle sales to minority customers were up approximately 18%. That is a market GM just can't afford to ignore.

Cause Marketing

General Motors Corp. is scaling back its Concept:Cure program for funding breast cancer research. The change is casting uncertainty on the role of the agency that created the effort for GM four years ago - Harris Marketing in Ann Arbor. GM slashed Concept:Cure's budget to $4 million this year from $13 million in 1999, said an executive close to the situation.

Its a sad day when the General can no longer afford to fund an anti cancer campain. But it appears that the General himself come down with a terminal case, lets just hope someone out there can find a cure.

GM putting the brakes on the Corvette???

Before all you Vette enthusiasts jump out the window, its only a temporary halt in production. The Bowling Green factory that produces this iconic sports car will be shut down for the week of Oct. 6th. when production resumes a week later it will be scaled back to 15 cars per hour rather than the normal 18, which will result in more layoffs. This is due to the slumping economy and slagging sales.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!

100 years ago today Sept. 16th William C. Durant filed incorporation papers for General Motors.

Happy Bithday GM.

“The Last Ride”

So much for traditional 30-second or one-minute commercials to sell cars and trucks, those are from days gone by. In todays market place you need a little more effort to bring customers to the dealership. Last June, the movie 'The Last Ride" was released. This full-length movie stars Dennis Hopper ... and a fleet of Pontiac GTOs. GM is trying a new, more aggressive approach in its marketing efforts. This marketing plan is the brainchild of C.J. Fraleigh who made his bones helping GM turn around Cadillac.

GM timeline

As General Motors Corp. prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary, some key events in the giant automaker's history:

Sept. 16, 1908 - General Motors Company founded by William C. Durant.
1909 - GM sells 25,000 cars and trucks.
1910 - Durant brings the Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac, Champion ignition, AC spark plug and other companies into GM. Sales rise 60 percent, but earnings lag. Durant is ousted by bankers as company sinks into debt.
1911 - Electric self-starter first appears on a Cadillac.
1916 - GM incorporated as General Motors Corp. Durant, after founding company that builds Chevrolets, regains control.
1917-19 - GM shifts most truck production to war effort.
1920 - Durant resigns, later files personal bankruptcy and dies running bowling alleys.
1920s - GM creates product policy aiming Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and Cadillac at five different groups of buyers.
1921 - GM accounts for 12 percent of U.S. car market.
1923 - Alfred P. Sloan named president and chief executive.
1925 - GM acquires Vauxhall Motors Ltd. of Great Britain.
1929 - GM acquires Adam Opel AG of Germany.
1937 - Violent sit-down strikes by GM hourly workers in Flint, Mich., shake company, lead to United Auto Workers representation.
1941 - GM market share grows to 41 percent.
1942 - Civilian auto production halted and plants turned to war effort.
1945-46 - Workers strike for 113 days.
1948 - First automobile fins unveiled, on a Cadillac.
1949 - After purchase of National City Lines of Los Angeles, GM accused of buying streetcar companies since 1920s and replacing them with bus systems. GM is convicted just once, of conspiracy in the Los Angeles case.
1953 - Air conditioning first offered, on a Cadillac.
1954 - GM's U.S. market share reaches 54 percent. Company makes 50 millionth car.
1955 - GM introduces Chevrolet V-8 engine.
1956 - Sloan retires as chairman.
1960 - Reacting to invasion of small European cars, GM introduces Chevrolet Corvair. Car later attacked by Ralph Nader, who wrote book "Unsafe at Any Speed" that led to congressional auto safety hearings.
1979 - GM's U.S. employment peaks at 618,365, making it the largest private employer in the country. Worldwide employment is 853,000. Decade features sales decline, recession, Arab oil embargo and gains by Japanese automakers.
1980 - Roger B. Smith named chairman. GM loses more than $750 million as car and truck sales plunge 26 percent.
1981 - GM consolidates truck, bus and van operations. Auto workers bash Japanese cars with sledge hammers. Company earns $333.4 million on $62.7 billion in revenue.
1983 - GM and Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan form joint venture to build cars at a GM-owned plant in Fremont, Calif. Smith announces Saturn project to fight Japanese cars. GM makes $3.7 billion.
1984 - GM overhauls North American organization; acquires Electronic Data Systems Corp., owned by Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot, for $2.5 billion. Earnings rise to $4.5 billion on revenue of $84.9 billion.
1985 - Company forms new Saturn Corp. subsidiary. GM acquires Hughes Aircraft Co. for $5 billion. GM makes $4 billion.
1986 - GM announces plans to close 11 U.S. plants. Employment grows to 877,000 as earnings fall to $3.9 billion. After infighting, Perot resigns from board and gets $700 million in severance.
1987 - GM and UAW reach contract prohibiting closure of a plant unless its product sales fall. Earnings rise to $3.6 billion.
1988 - Earnings rise to $4.6 billion and revenue hits $123.6 billion. Employment drops to 766,000.
1989 - GM complies with federal regulations and equips about 15 percent of fleet with driver's air bags, blames devices for boosting car prices. Profits fall to $4.2 billion.
1990 - GM and Saab-Scania AB of Sweden form joint venture to make cars in Europe. Smith retires as chairman, succeeded by President Robert Stempel. GM launches Saturn, takes $2.1 billion charge for four plant closings, and profits fall to $102 million as auto sales plummet.
1991 - Company loses industry record $4.45 billion. Stempel announces GM will close 21 plants over the next few years and eliminate 9,000 salaried and 15,000 hourly jobs in 1992, in addition to layoffs at shuttered plants.
1992 - Board strips some of Stempel's authority. Stempel later resigns, saying rumors about his future compromised his ability to lead. Jack Smith gets title of chief executive officer and outside director John Smale is named chairman.
1996 - GM spins off Electronic Data Systems as a separate company.
1997 - GM sells defense electronics business of Hughes Electronics to Raytheon and merges Hughes' auto parts business with Delphi Automotive Systems (now Delphi Corp.).
1998 - Strikes at two Michigan parts plants shut down almost all North American production.
1999 - Delphi is spun off as a separate company. GM purchases rights to the Hummer brand from AM General.
2000 - President Rick Wagoner replaces Smith as CEO. GM cuts 10 percent of white-collar employment.
2002 - GM spends $251 million on 42 percent stake in South Korea's bankrupt Daewoo Motor and names it GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. Stake later increased to 51 percent.
2003 - GM sells defense unit to General Dynamics Corp. for $1.1 billion and sells 20 percent stake in Hughes Electronics to News Corp. for $3.1 billion.
2004 - Last model year for Oldsmobile.
2006 - About 47,600 GM and Delphi hourly workers take buyout or early retirement offers. GM investor Kirk Kerkorian suggests alliance with Nissan and Renault, which GM's board examines and rejects; Kerkorian sells much of his stake. GM sells 51 percent stake in GMAC Financial Services to group led by Cerberus Capital Management LP for $14 billion.
2007 - GM loses $38.7 billion, including $39 billion third-quarter charge for unused tax credits. It's the largest annual loss in auto industry history. GM reaches historic contract with United Auto Workers that shifts billions in retiree health care expenses to union-administered trust. Company agrees to pay $33.7 billion into trust. Contract also lets company to pay some new hires $14 per hour. U.S. market share is 23.7 percent. GM sells Allison Transmission to The Carlyle Group and Onex Corp. for $5.6 billion.
2008 - Gas prices hit $4 per gallon and truck sales plummet. GM announces plan to close four pickup and sport utility vehicle factories, plans to shed 8,350 jobs. GM announces new small car, plans for $15 billion in savings, with $10 billion in cost-cutting and $5 billion from asset sales and borrowing. Hummer brand put up for sale. Worldwide employment stands at about 266,000.
2010 - ???????????????????????

source --- The Associated Press

My Day at the CAR SHOW

As the summer car show season comes to a close, the place to be today was the College of Staten Island. This 500+ car show attracts customs, classics and muscle cars from all of the Big Three manufacturers with GM models being represented by automobiles ranging in years from early 1940 Chevy business coupes to the ultra modern Ls7 Corvette. Luckily for me, the majority of cars were from my favorite era --The muscle car era. This era ran from 1964-1974 with hardcore enthusiasts arguing that is started in 67-68 and that the last real muscle car rolled off the line in 1970. Some of the more stunning examples of American iron that were on display at today's event were the GM's first muscle car the Pontiac GTO, nick named the 'goat' this beauty made its debut in 64 and became an instant classic. A later and more scarce version of the GTO, the GTO Judge also made it presence known as it sat pretty dressed in orange hues and marked by its factory tiger stripes letting the world know it was not only a GTO but 'The Judge' itself.
The parking lot was filled with many early 70 Chevrolet Chevelles and Malibus, many of which were heavily modified. However, none stood out more than a 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS this gem of a car stood apart from the crowd b its factory given birth rights. This car was produced with the ultra rare 454 Ls6 motor w/ a 5 speed transmission on the floor option on top of that, the owner, knowing what he possessed had the foresight to leave the factory and steering wheel covers and decals on the vehicle making this a truly one of a kind car. First generation (67-69) Camaros were also out in force, with the highly coveted 69 rs/ss shining brightly. Also on display were many large coupes with impressive body lines many of these were from GM's luxury line -
Cadillac. The cornerstone GM sports car, the Corvette has a massive following and today's show didn't disappoint the vette enthusiast. There were examples of almost every body style and year of Corvettes available for the eyes viewing pleasure. From the cars inception year in 1953 to the first fuel injected 1955 model this cars classic history was well represented in today's show including the glass back models, stingrays and even a few pace cars sprinkled into the mix. Today was a great display of GM history and a walk down memory lane to a time when GM cars ruled the streets. One can only wonder if the company can ever regain some of the dominance it once held.

Fast and Furious 4

A friend just emailed me the teaser trailer for Fast and the Furious part 4 and I was delighted to see that a Buick Grand National will be one of the feature stars. This rwd turbo charged coupe was last made by GM in 87 and is one of my favorite cars. Stay tuned as soon I will be posting a blog about the king of the G Bodies -- The Buick Grand National.

Person, Event and Place marketing done by GM

A perfect example of GM using person marketing is their recent commercial featuring golfing great Tiger Woods to promote its OnStar system. In it Tiger is on his cell phone (out in the rain) talking to an OnStar rep out on a golf course standing beside a GM vehicle that is OnStar equipped. GM is using Tiger because of his popularity, he appeals to a wide demographic of people. GM hopes that these people will want to be like Tiger and drive a GM OnStar equipped vehicle too.
Possibly GM's greatest feat of event marketing came at this Julys' mid summer classic Major League Baseballs all star game. This year the folks in marketing pulled out all the stops when during the pre game all star parade up 6th Ave, all the players and coaches were driven in brand new GM vehicles over red carpets while tons of adoring fans screamed and waved at their favorite players and got a glimpse of GM's new lineup of hybrid automobiles. This event not only brought attention the the event, but to the exciting new products that can be found on a GM showroom floor.
GM was once the largest company in the world, so its only fitting that they had the coolest commercials. This classic 1960s commercial is an example of place marketing, while promoting a visit to New York, the worlds greatest city, the real star of the show is the Chevrolet Impala that appears throughout the commercial. It shows turns heads everywhere it goes, even in the hustle and bustle of a busy city like NY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sipDcdn3fY

August Car Sales Report

GM reported at 24.5% drop in August car sales with Ford reporting a 26% drop and Chrysler a 35% drop. Meanwhile the competitors of 'the big three' reported a drop as well -- sales at Honda and Toyota dropped, but less than 10%, while Nissan actually saw a 15% increase in sales. GM, Ford, and Chrysler are all looking forward to 2010 when they plan to put all kinds of brand new fuel-efficient and alternatively fueled small cars on the U.S. market. Lets just hope they are all still around, from my point of view, 2010 seems a long way off.

Chevy Cruze to be built in Ohio

GM CEO Rick Wagoner announced that the Chevy Cruze will be built at the same plant the Cobalt is currently being manufactured. GM is investing 500 million into the project that will produce a car that can achieve as much as 40 mpg on the highway. A definite step in the right direction. The all new Cruze is scheduled to make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show in October and should be released for public sale in Europe and Asia next year.

Is GM next????

Today, Ford motor company told the UAW (United auto workers union) that it currently has 4000 more hourly employees than it needs. This is certainly a sign of the times and the state of the American car industry. With today being the 7 year anniversary of 9/11 it makes it an extra sad event. One can only imagine if GM is next to try to cut a deal with the UAW to lay off more American workers.

Job Cuts at GM

During the glory years of General Motors, it wasn't uncommon for a blue collar worker to make a decent income. Hardworking men and woman would earn enough to buy a home, put the kids through college, take a vacation trip once a year. It was a good job. Well, those days are over.Managements failure to learn from the 70s fuel crisis and make changes has lead to even more drastic changes -- workers jobs and income levels. GM currently has 500k less employees than it did 30 years ago. There has been a 25% reduction in blue collar jobs, entry level plant workers who actually build the cars once started at $28 per hr. That very same job today only pays a feeble starting salary of $14 per hr. which slightly less than the 16 million dollar bonus that CEO Rick Wagoner recieved in 2007.

Buy American....or else?

Jim Fouts, the mayor of Warren, MI told his department heads, that he expects the next car they buy will be an American model. More so, he expects them to drive a General Motors or Chrysler vehicle, since both companies have manufacturing and assembly plants in their city. It goes without saying that this has outraged some folks, however with the majority of Warren's residents worried about their futures since they earn their living working for one of the towns plants I don't think its such a bad idea. Fouts was quoted as saying "I strongly suggested that the next car they buy should be an American one, and that I had an equally strong expectation that they will do so, Legally, since they are 'at-will' employees, I have the right to mandate, and an expectation that they will meet that mandate."

Bravo Mr. Mayor!

HHR Recall!

Not more than a day since I posted on the HHR fighting for market share verses Toyota's Scion brand, GM issues a recall for 314,048 HHRs. The glove compartment door didn't stay closed during government testing, GM will now send all owners a reinforcement latch and instructions on how to install it. The affected owners should expect to be contacted by GM in late November.

It's a BAILOUT! It's a BAILOUT!

Today's New York Times reports that GM has asked the US Government for a 50 billion dollar bailout. The tax payer funded bailout would be used to convert the plants to build fuel efficient cars. Well, welcome to the party guys. My question is what happened to all the cash that was made during the great SUV run of the late 90s? You mean to tell us that GM didn't reinvest any of its profits into fuel efficient cars during its great run? Because of GM's lack of foresight, now American Tax payers will carry the burden of keeping this once mammoth company afloat.

HHR vs Scion XA

When GM debuted the HHR with its retro styling and classic 'surf wagon' lines, it was an obvious step in the right direction. While I'm not a big fan of the car, I was delighted to see that they had a vehicle that's sole purpose is to go after the 'tuner' crowd and take away market share from Scion. The Scion XA is a similar box wagon and the HHR's lines are much more pleasing to the eye. And to top it off, GM is now offering its own factory made aftermarket parts. With the young tuner crowd as with car enthusiasts of every age, customization is key. Bravo to the GM bigwigs that approved this.

GM Marketing and Sport Events

One thing GM's marketing dept. deserves credit for is their ability to get exposure at major sporting events. The MVP of the Superbowl, which just do happens to be the most watched single sporting event in the world, gets to drive home in a new Cadillac and the MVP of baseballs all-star game gets a top of the line SUV manufactured by none other than the General himself. This year the folks in marketing pulled out all the stops when during the all star parade up 6th Ave, all the players and coaches were driven in brand new GM vehicles over red carpets while tons of adoring fans screamed and waved at their favorite players and got a glimpse of GM's new lineup of hybrid automobiles

Should he stay or should he go?

GM's embattled CEO Rick Wagoner has been at the helm during some tough times. With the stock down 80% from its high, many of the stockholders and in the investment community feel its time for a shake up at the top. General Motors trusted board seems to support wagoner strongly and consistently vote to keep him pulling the strings. While this year has been a disaster on most fronts, Mr. Wagoner has been able to make one very positive contribution; with disappointing auto sales in the United States and General Motors' market share in North America and Europe falling. The strongest market for General Motors right now comes from the far east. China's emerging economy and sustained growth has its citizens experiencing a boost in income and this has opened a whole new market for GM. Hard as it maybe to believe, but Buick, is the new status symbol for wealth in China. GM has ramped up its marketing efforts in the Communist led country and currently has a 12% market share of all vehicles sold there. And that's just the beginning. GM plans to continue its quest for market domination by offering a superior product and through aggressive marketing to keep its brand on the front of Chinese Citizens minds. With more of the population experiencing a greater quality of life, that adds up to more potential sales overseas for GM. Lets just hope for GM's sake that the company did its calculations right.

GM blog

Long gone is the golden era of General Motors, when American roads and drag strips were ruled day and night, with tri-five Chevy's, supped up Pontiac's and Buicks, luxurious Oldsmobiles and king of the road Cadillacs. To many people GM is just as an essential piece of Americana as baseball and apple pie. The General once held bragging rights to being the largest company in America and overall the worlds largest employer. Gm has recently fallen on hard times and is now involved in its greatest battle ever. The fight to stay alive.

GM, born 100 years ago and was fathered by the resilient entrepreneur William Durant. Betting that cars would soon replace the horse drawn carriage the ambitious Durant led the movement to
place GM at the forefront of the market. Taking advantage of the 1907 stock market panic Durant aggressively began to acquire smaller car companies. The plan was a smashing success......
until about 1910 when Durant's blind ambition caught up to him and he found himself removed from the company that he had so highly leveraged. Never one to be counted out, Mr. Durant reemerged into the spotlight in 1918 when his newly formed company Chevrolet, was taken over by his AlmaMata.

In this blog, I will examine the years gone by, the ups, the downs and the future of GM