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GM Plant Closings...St Catherine?

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  • Donald M.
    Expired
    • December 1, 1984
    • 498

    #46
    Re: Styling Styling Syling Styling SELLS

    The Asian brands outsell the domestic carlines due to the public being fed and falling for the BIG LIE, namely that their cars are better quality and more reliable. That was true 20 years ago, but now domestic cars and trucks are at a par with and even in some cases, better than the Asian product. The domestics have done a lousy job of marketing that advantage to the buying public. I'm convinced that people who care about styling uniqueness don't buy Asian, they're more interested in the car starting every morning and not breaking once a month, not how it looks or what passion it inspires. Hence, why I call those cars "appliances". Even so, if Toyota, Honda,et al are so great, why do they have service departments at those dealerships, it isn't all there to do scheduled maintenance or work on 15 year old cars either!Conversely, European car buyers care more about style than if the car starts every morning. Just ask a Mercedes owner where his car is today and he'd rather cut off his right arm than admit that it's "in the shop". Where the domestics fall down on styling is trying to emulate the Asian styling which in turn is bland and lifeless.If the domestics can outdo the Asians in styling, then we've got a an unbeatable combination-quality and great looks! Let's get uniquely American cars on the streets.

    Comment

    • Donald M.
      Expired
      • December 1, 1984
      • 498

      #47
      Re: GM spends too much time in the wind tunnel

      Amen to that Clem! GM can start on the road to styling recovery by doing three things. 1. Close all the wind tunnels, the wind blows the same in Detroit as it does in Tokyo so no advantage there, 2. Get some intersting colors, not the bland earth tones of brown and green, and 3. Go back to real car names, like Chevelle,Nova, Bonneville, Firebird,Stingray etc., not Vue or G6 (what's that other than a US Government pay grade?)or other clinical names.
      Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

      Comment

      • John H.
        Beyond Control Poster
        • December 1, 1997
        • 16513

        #48
        Re: It Works Both Ways...

        Rick -

        I can't speak for other companies, but those are the option rules within DaimlerChrysler; option grants are made out in the open, and will withstand any public scrutiny for "fairness". I think the rules are pretty much the same (or very similar) at GM and Ford.

        Comment

        • John H.
          Beyond Control Poster
          • December 1, 1997
          • 16513

          #49
          Re: Follow the money

          GM is still structured and staffed the same way they were 25 years ago when they had 50% market share, and their fixed costs and overhead are killing their margins (in addition to the pension and health care costs of maintaining 400,000 retirees). They have to downsize, reduce fixed costs, and increase manufacturing facility utilization in order to survive in their 27% market share environment, and this week's announcement is a drop in the bucket compared to where they have to go. Tough business, especially when you have to overcome decades of product mediocrity and a tarnished image.

          Comment

          • Curtis L.
            Expired
            • August 31, 2003
            • 120

            #50
            Re:will try to lose 400,000 retirees

            If they file chapter 7 they may be able to lose alot of weight from retirement pensions. That is another anchor around their corporate neck.

            Comment

            • Mark #28455

              #51
              What's in a name? "SS" for example!

              Wanna sell cars? Make an SS a real Super Sport! I only buy American cars, mostly GM, but now there's nothing to buy! Why do they even bother to build an Impala SS with a P.O.S. 300 HP engine when the GTO has 400 HP? If you're gonna pony up the $ for an "SS" don't you think you'ld rather have the 400 HP engine? How much more does it really COST to build the 6.0 400 HP engine over the 5.7 300HP engine? Not much!

              How about the 7.0 505HP engine? Why not do like Dodge did in the Ram truck and offer it in the GTO and the Impala as a "COPO" type package! Can you imagine the faces on the BMW sports racers when a GTO screams past them on the track?

              If you're marketing the GTO to the BMW types, it's gotta be FAST, handle well, and have a NICE (non-plastic) interior.

              You have to study your market before you design the product.

              Mark

              Comment

              • Steve Pettit

                #52
                Re: Having been there,

                Maybe, I do have some qualifications, and wtf the ones that are there are driving it to bankruptcy anyhow. A couple of generations of my family have worked there in fairly high mid management, I've known some of the guys on their way up. In all seriousness, I've got a fairly serious job myself and make pretty good money but top management in the corporate world has decided that they need vast fortunes. And this is not a result of their wonderful decision making.

                Steve

                Comment

                • Steve Pettit

                  #53
                  Re: What's in a name? "SS" for example!

                  I think that is exactly right. I remember when they brought back the Le Mans badge to that atrocious pos some years back. I had a 68 Le Mans that was one of the best cars I've ever had for just being a good steady car. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

                  Steve

                  Comment

                  • Mike Terry

                    #54
                    Re:Imports

                    Embarassed to say wife drives a toyata. Three vehicles driven to a 100,000 with a battery replaced in one. twice the resale of a domestic. drive gm and fords for my business repairs seem to start when the 36,000 mile warranty runs out. May be embarassed but I have money in the pocket

                    Comment

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