CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

[John H.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

Hope we don't go the way the ENGLISH did with their car industry in the 70's when they were on the ropes and the Gov. took over their industry.It took a long time for them to bring back some of their products, with our help. TATA with G.M.?

[Donald B.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

I put 300,000 miles on my 99 Toyota Landcruiser with no problems, but did regular maintenance... I can only imagine what would have gone wrong with a Chevrolet.......

I will buy what I know and trust.........

I had 350k+ on my Toyota pick-up - no problems. That is why I purchased another Toyota. Like you said "I will buy what I know and trust".

[Ted S.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

He took public money conditional on producing a viable business plan, if he can't do that he should be gone.

It's pretty hard to do it when the UAW has you by the short hairs. They need to "fire" the heads of the UAW that are also "getting rich" by the deal. Filing Chapter 11 sure won't help the UAW union members.

I think we need to "fire" Obama and his admistration for dereliction of duties and for exceding the authority of the executive office. By the time he gets done you won't have a corvette, gun, health care, after tax income, or private industry. Welcome to Hugo Chavez's world!

[Clem Z.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

Aside from those running the company, some of the problem may be design. I think I saw a picture recently maybe on here, of 20+ silver cars, all different manufacturers, makes, models. All in the midsize range. You couldn't tell them apart. They all looked the same. So you bought foreign because, even though it looked like an American car, it was perceived to be better. All those over the age of 40 on this site remember when there were distinct differences not just between car companies, but between models. Fins, tail lights, chrome, etc. Maybe not the way cars are built today, but someone has to step out of the mold and make something that is distinctive. When I see a Mercedes and can't tell from a distance if it's a Honda, or when a Chrysler 300 looks from the front like a Bentley, the industry has gone completely vanilla. Boring, ugly, sameness. People are bored with cars so they chose based on one that has heated seats vs one that doesn't. No more station wagons, no more chrome, no more bumpers, ornaments, trunk spears, emblems on trunks and hoods. Put a little design and flair into a car, keep the same engine and see if you can stand out. I know crash standards and safety features got rid of the bumpers, etc, but there must be some designers out there. They had enough different designs 50 years ago to satisfy the buying public, is it too much to ask for some difference among all the sameness?

using the wind tunnel for C of D to get the best MPG you will end up with same design. i bet the D/C 300 front end did not help the MPG

[Gene M.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

zale and donald
you guys are on the wrong web site this is for chevy corvettes......................

[Ken A.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

Maybe it is time for GM (and the other auto manufacturers) to get rid of the "finance" types that have been running the show for some time. Seems to me that the auto manufacturers were doing better when "engineering" types were running the business.

It is time for a change.

Guess you fellows haven't read the news. There is no "new blood", just a finance gut. The Corvette is DEAD! Long live the new Federal General Motors! Your warranty will now be handled at a motorpool facility manned by Army veterans.

[Steven B.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

THE AUTO INDUSTRY BAILOUT
GM gets 60 days, names Henderson CEO; Chrysler, Fiat to link

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- General Motors and Chrysler LLC will each be given capital and time to accelerate their attempts to restructure and survive, according to a government aid plan set for release today. GM also confirmed earlier reports that Rick Wagoner has stepped down at the request of the administration. He will be succeeded as CEO by COO Fritz Henderson. Board member Kent Kresa, chairman emeritus of Northrop Grumman Corp., will be interim non-executive chairman of the GM board.

A government official, who asked not to be identified because the plan would not be announced by President Barack Obama until today, said GM will be given 60 days to determine the best path forward. Chrysler will be given 30 days to complete a proposed alliance with Italy's Fiat SpA. If the deal ...
http://e.ccialerts.com/a/tBJ0FN4AG-rD9AqcpPBBFTs8LDa/and4

[Ted S.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

zale and donald
you guys are on the wrong web site this is for chevy corvettes......................

Part of the problem with GM is they haven't been loyal to the US either. The question is how much of that is because of the UAW.

Want to buy a new Camaro? It's assembled in Canada. How about a Tahoe or Avalanche? Assembled in Mexico. I find it hard to be loyal to GM when GM is loyal to the US. A UAW member tried to tell me but the profits still come to the US. My response was what difference does that make if they're only creating jobs outside of the US. The Japanese automakers are opening assembly plants here and the US automakers are closing them here, why? Could it have something to do with the cost of union labor verses non-union labor?

[Mike M.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

Another waste of time, money and delaying the inevitable.
If the new CEO is a car guy, it will be De ja vu all over again.
GM promotion = too many inbred paradigms.
They need an outsider who been there, done that.
HaND
PS: I hope I'm wrong, for everyone involved.

[Steven B.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

Admin. said in addition to Rick going that some Board members need to be replaced, gave GM 60 days to revise plan and 30 days for Chrysler to merge with Fiat. Admin. said neither GM or Chrysler have adequate plans.

[Mike M.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

CNN just announced that Chrysler and Fiat have struck a deal.
HaND

[Joe T.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

I put 300,000 miles on my 99 Toyota Landcruiser with no problems, but did regular maintenance... I can only imagine what would have gone wrong with a Chevrolet.......

I will buy what I know and trust.........

Well I have 250,000 on my GMC Yukon Diesel. It still hauls firewood and plows snow. Its a VERY good AMERICAN vehicle

[Chris E.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

After having read this thread and just been to the Minneapolis / St. Paul auto show, I have a few observations.

1. Very few people around Buick and Chevy, waiting line to get into the Honda CR-V
2. Malibu, the new Equinox, the Aveo, the new Fusion Hybrid and the new Lincoln MKX are all really nice cars.
3. Those that have been burned by one poor experience with domestic brands (me included) need to take another look at the big 3. They are making some nice product now that is competitive.
4. There is a HUGE, and I mean HUGE perception barrier to overcome to get people to do #3 from above. More than once at the show I heard people complaining about "nothing over at GM" or "just junk on that side of the floor" (referring to the big 3 area)

I don't envy Obama for trying to turn around the nation, and I don't envy Rick's replacement to try and turn around GM. Both jobs are wickedly hard.

The pathway to success for GM can be summed up in one easy to say and darned hard sentenance to execute on. "Build cars and trucks more profitably that people are willing to buy."

The unions aren't the sole problem, nor the majority of the problem. If GM had 60% unit share in the U.S., we wouldn't be talking about the unions. Wall Street might be complaining about slightly sub-par margins, but that's about it.

[Lynn S.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

The government should have gotten tough before they gave away our $billions$ to these failing companies.

Now we are at the cross roads again and I am afraid the inexperienced "anointed one" will use the removal of Wagoner as his definition of "change" while keeping the unions and waste more money. Bankruptcy (structured and organized) would allow the car companies to rebuild without the parisitic hold of the unions, old management, and biased politicians. I don't know how to soften the blow to auto suppliers, dealers and customers with car warranties but there has to be a way.

What concerns me more is that this group of young, liberal advisors surrounding the predident can't even balance their checkbook let alone craft a restructing deal that is good for the taxpayer. If we had T. Boone Pickens or Carl Icon advising you can bet the deal would get done!!

WOW .... now I feel better, think I will "do lunch", but first I have to check my facebook page, my space page, twitter, blog, podcast and answer my text mesages as well as review the white house's suggestions on home gardening. Lynn Schwebach

[Joe T.]

Re: CEO Rick Wagoner asked to Resign by the Anointed One

Regardless of the issues within GM: Its a very slippery slope when the goverment can dictate who can (or cannot) run public or private companies. If the gov't doesn't want to give GM or anyone else money, then DON'T, but stay out of business. Those buffoons can't run the gov't. What makes ANYONE think they can run a business that has to generate money as opposed to TAKING it from you and me?

To paraphase B. Franklin:
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. "

And I apologize profusley for my rant...Joe