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Jan. 2009: GM Reorganization: Mapping the Future

Rob

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GM Reorganization: Mapping the Future

by Rob Loszewski
©2008 Rob Loszewski, Corvette Action Center
No use without permission

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Now that the Bush Administration has approved a lifeline to General Motors and Chrysler, I think it's important to take our own look at how General Motors should reorganize in order to provide a more stable and profitable future.

I've mentioned in previous Wheelspin editorials that the majority of GM's product styling is deplorable, their marketing in most cases, is God-awful and they need to ditch the pathetic practice of re-badging.

Styling

In my opinion and the opinion of the majority of people I've talked to, the only products that GM is building that has excellent styling and excitement is the Corvette, the Cadillac the Saturn Sky, the Hummer and the 2010 Camaro. Other than that, everything else has the same bland, boring styling.

The majority of the cars they build not only have poor styling, but they are usually larger than I care to drive. For example: the Cadillac CTS.

I went and bought a used 2004 BMW 330xi last year. I looked long and hard at other makes and models, especially the Cadillac CTS. Given that I own and operate two Corvette sites and one Cadillac site, I wanted to continue to support General Motors by also owning their products. While the CTS is a great car and I love the styling, the car is just too big for me. It's dimensions are larger than the E46 BMW and the ergonomics inside just didn't meet my expectations. After seeing the BMW, and taking it for a ride, I was instantly sold. The car is not perfect, but I'll say this, the Germans have engineering, styling and quality down to a science. Controls and buttons inside are logically placed and well positioned and their functionability is intuitive. After owning the car for a year now, I still once and while find myself saying "very cool, this is an awesome feature."

When the 2009 CTS came out, I went to look at them. Again the styling was improved over the previous generation and the quality of the interior was excellent, but it looked even bigger to me.

In my opinion, bigger = worse fuel mileage. In a time where fuel prices spiked to nearly $5.00 per gallon in some locations, and the threat still looms on the horizon that they will start creeping back up from their current $1.65 avg., GM needs to start building cars that are slightly smaller which in turn will help increase fuel consumption. This is why cars like the Honda Civic have been so largely successful - especially in times like this.

As for the styling, I've said it before...GM needs to take a few lessons from Chrysler in this department. While I have never been a big Chrysler fan because I've always felt that the quality of their products is horrible, their styling has been phenomenal. In my opinion, the only thing that has allowed Chrysler to survive up to this point is the styling of their products. It certainly hasn't been from the quality. In the past, they've been successful because their styling was innovative and many folks while looking at Chrysler products would often say, "wow, this is kind of cool."

GM needs more products that do that. I think Corvette, Cadillac, Hummer and Saturn are more successful at this than any of their other platforms.

Marketing

Their Marketing arm needs to go back to school because in most cases, it sucks. How can you develop a product to take on European cars like BMW and Mercedes, run an ad or two on TV or a magazine, and then drop the marketing of that product like a hot potato? Need an example? C4 Corvette ZR-1 and the Cadillac XLR.

These two cars were designed and developed with specific goals and targets in mind, and yet, I can't remember when the last time I've seen an advertisement for the XLR and this is a car that has a base MSRP of $85,000+! If you're trying to go after European car owners, do you really think you're going to be successful by bringing a product to market and not marketing it - especially when, historically GM's cars have had a bad reputation due to the products they built in the seventies and eighties, and they are now asking folks to cough-up $85,000+ for one of their products?

The XLR is a halo car for Cadillac. It should be seen in the background of all Cadillac advertisements both in print, and on air media.

The C4 ZR-1 was built to take on European competition. In 1989, GM started running some pretty cool ads in magazines showing a red blur on a race track. After that, the car was seen in an occasional ad for about a year or two after that, but then that was it. Sales dropped like a hot potato, for several reasons, and in my opinion, one of those reasons was that the car was left to die by the Marketing department. It was supposed to be a Halo vehicle, but the Marketing department failed once again.

Attention General Motors: If you have any hopes of being successful and profitable in the future, STOP building products with the "build it and they will come" mentality and start investing in successful and OPPORTUNISTIC marketing campaigns that SUPPORT the products you are trying to build to convince the public that they are superior to the competition. Regardless of how many J.D. Power awards your products are currently winning, you developed a negative reputation due to the crap that you built in the seventies and eighties. It isn't easy to erase a bad reputation, and the "build it and they will come" mentality isn't the way to do it.

Re-Badging and Brand Recognition

The other thing that GM needs to start doing is building products that look more unique. When I see the same oval door handles that were used on the C5 and the Pontiac line, I think "cheap." Stop using the same damn parts that are visible to the customer on multiple assembly lines. Regardless of how small or how insignificant the part may seem, I noticed the C5 door handles used on cheaper vehicles. If I buy a Corvette, I want the car to look unique and totally different from any of GM's other products and I don't want to see door handles and / or other styling components on it that are used on cars that cost 1/2 the price. If I'm going to pay top dollar for a Corvette, I don't want to see Pontiac door handles on it.

Can anyone explain to me what the hell they were thinking with the previous generations of Camaro / Firebird (F-Body platform) and the Saturn Sky and the Pontiac Solstice? These cars look almost identical. One word: why?

Give each and every one of your products a unique identity and a soul. Don't water them down so that they all start to look the same. As soon as you start doing that, you're going to start driving customers away who are looking for something different and more unique.

Product Lines

Let's take a look at individual product lines:

Buick: This brand needs a unique identity and needs to figure out which market it's going to target. Right now it's wallowing in its search and the respirator is starting to fail. In summary, I'm not sure I see that Buick has a place in GM's portfolio.

Cadillac: I think that in recent years, Cadillac has been moving in a positive direction. The styling is unique and exciting and their quality has drastically improved. They need to continue focusing their products to be more competitive with Lexus, Mercedes and BMW.

Chevrolet: I view Chevrolet as the largest brand with the most platforms in GM's inventory. The Corvette is a success, and I think what they've done with the Y-body platform has been pheonmenal. There is still room for improvement though. The ZR1 is a phenomenal sportscar and I'd give my right arm to own one, however, in my opinion, just a little bit more should have been done to make the car a little more unique from the base model. The C6 seats need to be more supportive. I realize they are probably built to support a wide array of posteriors, but a light weight, performance seat (not leather) needs to be offered in an interior performance package option for those who want to use their Corvettes on the track.

GMC: GMC needs to stop making SUVs and concentrate on making heavy use, large utility trucks for the industrial market.

Hummer: In my opinion, GM should keep Hummer, but it should start moving the platform to become more competitive to the Jeep brand. It has the potential, the design and the engineering, but they continue to be huge gas guzzlers in a dwindling market. I came close to buying a Jeep once, but had there been a Hummer that was proportional in size to the Jeep, I probably would have bought it.

Pontiac: I think Pontiac still has a place in GM's portfolio, but it should remain a performance division and should focus more on targeting the 18+ crowd with small, high performance competitors to Honda and Toyota.

Saab: I don't know enough about this marque other than it's owners are quite loyal. If you're not going to sell it off, then make sure you work to meet owners' expectations and keep that loyalty.

Saturn: An interesting brand, that I think has seen some successes, however, they need to work hard to erase the horrible quality and the problems associated with that quality in the past.

Dealership Experience

This is one area where GM needs to spend more time and money. In the past, some of the experiences I've had at GM dealerships has been poor. When I get my Corvette back from the service department with grease on the steering wheel and on the center console - I have a problem.

That's not how I left the car in their posession, and that is not how I expect to get it back. When I bring my Corvette or my Cadillac in for service, I don't want to see it treated like a Chevy Cobalt. I want to see it treated the same as the next guy who brings their Lexus into the Lexus dealer for service.

In my opinion, GM needs to have more control over the dealerships that sell their products.

Dealership sales staff also needs to get a clue about what it is they're selling. I've been in showrooms before and listend to salesmen explain various features or options on a Corvette. The majority of those times, they were completely clueless about what it is they were trying to explain, and they failed miserably at answering the customer's questions. If you're trying to increase sales and profit, start requiring that the sales force that sells your products, KNOWS what it is they're trying to sell.

Union of Automotive Workers

I think that recently there has been a lot of negative statements and inaccurate facts in the media about union workers' salaries, however the benefits they receive needs to be examined.

GM needs to stop allowing the UAW to strangle it by demanding some of the benefits they receive. As far as I'm concerned, if you're out of work for a month because the plant you work at has been shut down, then you don't get paid. Simple as that. Don't like it? Then go find another trade or job to work at it, OR plan for those times when things get tough and demand for the products you help build begins to wane.

I don't get paid NOT to work and not many people in this country do. If you want to remain working in the automotive industry and you want to get a pay check, then stop stangling the industry that pays your bills by requiring them to give you money when you're not giving anything back in return.

In summary, General Motors has such great potential and yet such poor foresight and implementation. In order for GM to be successful and make it more capable of conforming to the times at a quicker pace, reorganization needs to take place starting right at the top and go all the way down to where and how their products are sold to customers.

If GM approaches this opportunity at reorganization half-witted, it will surely fail.
 
Yes, don't bite the hand that feeds you....!

Union of Automotive Workers

I think that recently there has been a lot of negative statements and inaccurate facts in the media about union workers' salaries, however the benefits they receive needs to be examined.

GM needs to stop allowing the UAW to strangle it by demaning some of the benefits they receive. As far as I'm concerned, if you're out of work for a month because the plant you work at has been shut down, then you don't get paid. Simple as that. Don't like it? Then go find another trade or job to work at it, OR plan for those times when things get tough and demand for the products you help build begins to wane.

I don't get paid NOT to work and not many people in this country do. If you want to remain working in the automotive industry and you want to get a pay check, then stop stangling the industry that pays your bills by requiring them to give you money when you're not giving anything back in return.

I agree Rob, good point.
I am a union man here in Australia, but our unions dont strangle our livelyhood like what the UAW does to the auto industry in the U.S.
Yeah sure they fight for better wages and conditions and provide a constructive argument in wages negotiations, but nothing like sponging off the company.

Unions have their place, but not at the expense of ruining the company and forcing millions of people in the U.S into unemployment. That is only at your end, what about the global impact of killing the U.S auto industry?
Our industry here in Australia for GM relies on your industry and includes all the Chevy drivetrains and parts for our Holdens, also the Korean stuff and Euro trash Holden brings in and rebadges, Daewoo and Vauxall, so kill your local industry and kill off other country's as well. I was getting worried that they were going to sell off GM Holden....:eek:hnoes

Globalisation - I hope I spelt it right :L

What GM needs to do is get more of the quality product mentioned in Rob's post into the global market.
Get the Corvette, Camaro and more Caddy's on the big boats and send them to the GM dealers accross the pond.
We have the Caddy coming here, the H3 is already here (needs to be 7 seats), the Saab's are 'ere too.
We got the basic stuff, but no good stuff.
I had to buy a Captiva - yes a Daewoo Winstorm rebadged as a Holden Captiva ($54000 AUD), commonly known as a Chevrolet Captiva in the UK as the Hummer was a let down and didn't have enough seats for my tribe.;shrug
You can't bling the un-blingable :L

Holden has plans for the Volt as it is on their website - www.holden.com.au
So that is a good thing as as long as there are people to save petrol and the environment, there will be petrol left for me to run the Vette;LOL

Get the good stuff global GM is my message!

Cheers

Tony
 
GM Turn-Around Measures

GM Reorganization: Mapping the Future

by Rob Loszewski

I don't get paid NOT to work and not many people in this country do. If you want to remain working in the automotive industry and you want to get a pay check, then stop stangling the industry that pays your bills by requiring them to give you money when you're not giving anything back in return.

If GM approaches this opportunity at reorganization half-witted, it will surely fail.

I am a CPA and I work on my own. As such if I don't work I do not get paid. Everytime I take a vacation I earn absolutely nothing. With that said I work very hard when I do work (I also try to work as smart as possible using current technology advances) and I am well compensated for my services.

As a proud American taxpayer, it infuriates me that we are using our hard earned tax dollars to bail out theives that allowed good people to borrow too much and now cannot pay their bills. I am most angry at the financial markets and the mortgage lending industry situation. These industries need significant regulation and oversight going forward to prevent future abuses and overlending. But the big three bail-out to me takes on a different focus and I am not so frustrated with this situation, as long as the feds do not allow the big 3 to make the same stupid mistakes they have made for the last 20 years. We need to support the country's largest manufacturing segment, it just needs to become more pro-active and efficiently run.

What the Union leaders need to realize is that they are in partnership with the management of the company. They need to realize the totality of what is going on here and stop any silly games that pretend to "protect" their work force. Perhaps this is the best reason why after the initial bail-out fails in March 09 (and it will), that a pre-packaged Chapter 11 reorganization is the best and perhaps only solution that allows an escape route for GM (and other Big 2) out of this mess.

I am not an attorney, but one has informed me that Chapter 11 would allow GM to ditch the excess brands and factories that need to be cut without the significant costs associated with doing this as part of ongoing operations.

He also indicated that it would allow GM to effectively renegotiate all union contracts into more effective, FAIR and appropriate levels of compensation and benefits for the current economic conditions.

My only problem with a Pre-Pack C. 11 is that it does not solve the problem of the sea change in management that is required for GM to solve both it's short-term and long-term problems. I'm sorry but if your executive director is going to a senate hearing to ask for bail out money and his head is so far up his assets that he can't understand that senators and the general public would question them arriving in a very expensive private jet, then I'm sorry YOU ARE THE WRONG GUY FOR THE JOB AND YOU'RE FIRED!

There are many capable young executives that would love to take on the challenges that GM faces and the company will not truely address the great ideas that Rob just outlined if the board of directors and shareholders to not demand a serious shift in executive direction.

We cannot blame the unions for everything here, but everyone involved needs to realize the necessity to give more of themselves in order to turn this around.
 
Branding - My thoughts only

Product Lines

Rob " Buick: This brand needs a unique identity and needs to figure out which market it's going to target. Right now it's wallowing in its search and the respirator is starting to fail. In summary, I'm not sure I see that Buick has a place in GM's portfolio".
SRJ - Buick should be canned the mid-level luxury market is dead. This is why this brand is dying on the vine. Replace with Cadillac and Chevy only. Buick Buyers will go with either an upscale Chevy or a Cadillac. Similar to the decision people make with either a Toyota Avalon or a Lexus.

Rob "Cadillac: I think that in recent years, Cadillac has been moving in a positive direction. The styling is unique and exciting and their quality has drastically improved. They need to continue focusing their products to be more competitive with Lexus, Mercedes and BMW". Ageeed! SRJ - Cadillac is the one up-market brand GM should keep and make significant inroads on the likes of BMW, Mercedes, Accura & Lexus. I agree with Rob on this one. Service delivery needs significant improvements. I could spend a day on customer service training for GM. Perhaps Cadillac dealers should be responsible for Corvette sales and service as the Corvette truly is an up-market (2nd car for most) vehicle.

Rob - "Chevrolet: I view Chevrolet as the largest brand with the most platforms in GM's inventory. The Corvette is a success, and I think what they've done with the Y-body platform has been pheonmenal. There is still room for improvement though." SRJ - This major brand should encompass all but the luxury and sporting brands. Need to take on Honda and Toyota head-to-head from Branding Ideals (Marketing), Production Quality, Dealer Service Model. Chevy needs to sell the American Spirit! We have plenty of it.

Rob - GMC: "GMC needs to stop making SUVs and concentrate on making heavy use, large utility trucks for the industrial market". SRJ - 100% Spot on Rob! GMC should not compete with it's own brands (Chevy & Saab) at the same cost structure. This is why Honda does not make two Accords or Pilots. GM does however make great trucks and GMC should be the division that focuses solely on this market segment.

Rob "Hummer: In my opinion, GM should keep Hummer, but it should start moving the platform to become more competitive to the Jeep brand." SRJ - Hummer has no place in today's marketplace. Sporting SUVs already exist under the primary brands of Toyota/Honda and Chevy should solely take over this aspect of this dwindling market. Serious off-roaders will always make their own cake via after-market parts and custom mods, others will ride in suburbian vehicles of luxury with limited off-road capabilities. THAT'S THE MARKET...cater to it through the parts counter and option groups, not a seperate division.

Rob "Pontiac: I think Pontiac still has a place in GM's portfolio, but it should remain a performance division and should focus more on targeting the 18+ crowd with small, high performance competitors to Honda and Toyota." SRJ - Interesting! I'm not sure on this one. But if Honda and Toyota can effectively cater to the econo-box industry and the tuner industry with a few cars...why can't Chevy? Do we really need a tuner division? Let's down-size/homoginize and become a more efficient and effectibe company and Axe the Pontiac brand. Sorry GTO lovers.

Rob "Saab: I don't know enough about this marque other than it's owners are quite loyal. If you're not going to sell it off, then make sure you work to meet owners' expectations and keep that loyalty". SRJ - Saab has been lost in the Sporting oriented upscale market for years....AXE IT! The market share for this brand is too small and the new Chevy products can address this market segment.

Rob - "Saturn: An interesting brand, that I think has seen some successes, however, they need to work hard to erase the horrible quality and the problems associated with that quality in the past." SRJ Scap-it and move the econo-funk branding to Chevy products via option groups. I really like the idea of plastic fenders that don't dent from a shopping cart. How come all Chevy's can't do this? (probably something to do with the Steel industry lobyists). If retained compete head to head with Scion...but not sure this works better than just eveloping this model into Chevy options and parts strategy.

When all is said and done I see three GM divisons remaining: Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC. These three divisions could be operated much more effectively and efficiently than say 7-10. More centralized management structure could react quicker to changing market trends and the options and parts counter strategy would account for everyone's desire to modify and customize the vehicle to their liking.
 
I agree Rob, good point.
I am a union man here in Australia, but our unions dont strangle our livelyhood like what the UAW does to the auto industry in the U.S.
Yeah sure they fight for better wages and conditions and provide a constructive argument in wages negotiations, but nothing like sponging off the company.

Unions have their place, but not at the expense of ruining the company and forcing millions of people in the U.S into unemployment. That is only at your end, what about the global impact of killing the U.S auto industry?
Our industry here in Australia for GM relies on your industry and includes all the Chevy drivetrains and parts for our Holdens, also the Korean stuff and Euro trash Holden brings in and rebadges, Daewoo and Vauxall, so kill your local industry and kill off other country's as well. I was getting worried that they were going to sell off GM Holden....:eek:hnoes

Globalisation - I hope I spelt it right :L

What GM needs to do is get more of the quality product mentioned in Rob's post into the global market.
Get the Corvette, Camaro and more Caddy's on the big boats and send them to the GM dealers accross the pond.
We have the Caddy coming here, the H3 is already here (needs to be 7 seats), the Saab's are 'ere too.
We got the basic stuff, but no good stuff.
I had to buy a Captiva - yes a Daewoo Winstorm rebadged as a Holden Captiva ($54000 AUD), commonly known as a Chevrolet Captiva in the UK as the Hummer was a let down and didn't have enough seats for my tribe.;shrug
You can't bling the un-blingable :L

Holden has plans for the Volt as it is on their website - www.holden.com.au
So that is a good thing as as long as there are people to save petrol and the environment, there will be petrol left for me to run the Vette;LOL

Get the good stuff global GM is my message!

Cheers

Tony
i think gm needs to deal with the uaw in a way that limits there role to oversite ONLY as long as the company treats there workers well leave them alone when they start to stray then and only then does the uaw come in. in my opinion gm and the uaw need to change there working mind set to a pay for quality performance based scale, all the benifits need to be on a employee scale say 20% employee contribution and pay performace based bounuses from the top down no more free health care or special concessions becouse you pay your dues to the uaw each month this type of system workes for everyother company in the US and itll work for gm if they start there they should have a shot at survival.and they should be able to change there public image. the same people who will come back to buying there cars if they dont resente everything the company stands for. just my thoughts
 
GM has to stop letting the bean counters be a driving force in the design of their cars and stop having them built by workers who know they can NEVER get fired for doing poor work.
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I would like to see a core product that doesn’t scream “lowest cost vendor” as soon as you get inside. The more expensive models would have more content but general quality and resale value need to be a prime concern.

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Why cant they build a car like the Camry? Its about as exciting as sliced white bread, but it has excellent quality and resale – enough that keeps customers coming back.
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Funny you should mention BMW. One thing that BMW does that GM would never do it make their bottom of the line car their best seller.

The BMW 3 series seems to be everywhere. BMW makes these sales by totally maxing out the equipment list to make the car very desireable. Also, the car magazines always have great things to say about it.

GM would NEVER do this. What, make their bottom of the line their most desireable car??!!. No one would buy Buick or Cadillac. What the GM marketing idiots do not realize that instead of not buyng Buikd or Cadillac, buyers buy Honda or Toyota.

GM thinks in vertical marketing terms where they are the only car company in town.

Car marketing is horizontal where cars compete in market class. As long as there is a small car out there with Cadillac-like luxury (Toyota, Honda) buyers are going to buy it.

They do not say that a small Chevy is strippo and try to get the money together to buy a Buick, they just jump to Honda or Toyota.

GM Management plainly needs to be replaced. I fear their thinking is never going to change.

Vito
 
Replace Management First!

GM Management plainly needs to be replaced. I fear their thinking is never going to change.

Vito

Right on Uncle Vito! Management is the FIRST thing that needs to change at GM for sure.

I can totally understand the union's frustration when Management leads the marketing and design process into the Vertical model you mentioned and I agree...GM executive are woefully thinking this way and change starts there! The only GM products that come close in the Horizontal model is the Pontiac G series. However, even in that line you cannot get leather unless you opt for the larger engine and/or performance packages.

I know a lot of people that would die for a GM car that competes with the BMW 3 series. If they would just make it.

Another thought to help U.S. automakers out would be to have the feds offer tax credits for purchasing Big-3 autos. Sort of like they are doing for the hybids and electrics. This might get some Americans to at least look at the domestic products.
 
About Saturn.....

There are so few dealers around that volume is almost impossible. Now that the brand is entirely built from the GM family parts bin, including motors, chassis etc, fold the division into POB-GMC. Let the POB dealers sell them so they have more entry level and gas friendly offerings. The days of the brand specific motor, chassis and plastic panels are gone, and any GM service center can work on a Saturn.

The Saturns are well thought out cars, but have been a niche player for too long. GM needs volume - not a niche player. The Saturns are placed and priced where volume is possible - unlike SAAB.
 
1) Take the designs that are slated for production 5-8 years from now, put them on an existing platform and knock 'em out NOW!!
2) Promote the hell out of those new designs
3) In house financing; If someone has a decent FICO, sell 'em a car at a rediculusly low interest rate.
4) Labor; work 3- 10's a week and pay your own health insurance (I do!) or . . . don't . . . there are plenty of other quality minded people who will.

5) Have those friggin' free-loading banks give back the money and distribute it to us; Joe public. I'll buy a car with it!
 
gm, needs to break the union...

i live and work for gm in illinois, back in the 90,s i seen catapillar go through a long strike, to break its unions back, it did and now they are making profit.gm is looking at the same approach, and they are even thinking of bankruptcy as well. let me share a well known secret to you about buick, buick is the most owned/leased brand in the world. 1 out of every 5 chineese own or lease a buick. in europe buick is god...thats why gm is keeping buick in its final 4.oh here is more news for you, the yukon, and yukon xl out sells the tahoe, and surburban 3-1. and gm,s denali outsells caddys escalade 6-1. so those of you that think gmc has no right to sell suv,s, they need to do their homework. gmc,s body,s look alot better then chevy,s and the denali is the same as a escalade for 10,000.00 cheaper.saturn is like daewoo, they both are bottom feeders who make low priced cars with low quality, and resale.saturn is a entry level brand. and gm will shed them and saab. saab is a overpriced brand that has no fit in the gm lineup.there is talk that if hummer dosent sell it will be a caddy brand..pontiac has cut back into the racing division, but beefing up a colbolt and calling it a g5 isn,t working. aussieman should of said that holden is building the g8 for pontiac and its the most selling car of gm,s lineup. pontiac will not go away but it will shrink into a small racecar division..cars will be factory ordered...ok this is the info i get from my friends around detroit, but they all warn me that anything can and most likely, will change....:eek:hnoes
 
i live and work for gm in illinois, back in the 90,s i seen catapillar go through a long strike, to break its unions back, it did and now they are making profit.gm is looking at the same approach, and they are even thinking of bankruptcy as well. let me share a well known secret to you about buick, buick is the most owned/leased brand in the world. 1 out of every 5 chineese own or lease a buick. in europe buick is god...thats why gm is keeping buick in its final 4.oh here is more news for you, the yukon, and yukon xl out sells the tahoe, and surburban 3-1. and gm,s denali outsells caddys escalade 6-1. so those of you that think gmc has no right to sell suv,s, they need to do their homework. gmc,s body,s look alot better then chevy,s and the denali is the same as a escalade for 10,000.00 cheaper.saturn is like daewoo, they both are bottom feeders who make low priced cars with low quality, and resale.saturn is a entry level brand. and gm will shed them and saab. saab is a overpriced brand that has no fit in the gm lineup.there is talk that if hummer dosent sell it will be a caddy brand..pontiac has cut back into the racing division, but beefing up a colbolt and calling it a g5 isn,t working. aussieman should of said that holden is building the g8 for pontiac and its the most selling car of gm,s lineup. pontiac will not go away but it will shrink into a small racecar division..cars will be factory ordered...ok this is the info i get from my friends around detroit, but they all warn me that anything can and most likely, will change....:eek:hnoes

I wasn't aware Buick was sold in Europe - let alone God. GM isn't aware either, according to the website

1 in 5 Chinese own or lease a Buick. That means upward of 1/2 billion Buicks in China.

Saturn is a bottom feeder, and like Daewoo? Their products are all now badge engineered, and assembled alongside their other brand counterparts.

Lots of interesting "facts."
 
what website

ok catbert, i should have said 1 out of 5 chineese that drive, drive a buick. and please tell me what website said that buick dosent sell in europe.daewoo isn,t even sold in the usa anymore, and yes saturn is built on the same platforms as gm,s cars but look up saturns cars to the cars its built against in kelly blue book and see how its value stands up...:bash
 
ok catbert, i should have said 1 out of 5 chineese that drive, drive a buick. and please tell me what website said that buick dosent sell in europe.daewoo isn,t even sold in the usa anymore, and yes saturn is built on the same platforms as gm,s cars but look up saturns cars to the cars its built against in kelly blue book and see how its value stands up...:bash

Well that's clearer now.

GM bought Daewoo, and now assembles lots of different models in the plant, including Suzukis and Aveos. The last Daewoo branded car was in 2002 or there abouts.

Buick is not sold by GM in Europe - check the website: China and North America. There a couple importers in bringing them in the Continent, but no real GM effort. I don't remember seeing a Buick there on my trips. Buick only lives for the potential upside in the Peoples Republic, and that probably is OK.

I have many friends at GM too, and they don't know squat about the future, because nobody knows squat. GM is playing it one week at a time. There are no concrete future plans, everything, inluding the Volt, is on the table, with the second bailout as the jackpot.

The future of the Vette is on the line because it's a car with many pieces from the GM parts bin. It would be difficult for another firm to make the Vette because they would have to source engines and all the other little GM goodies in our cars. :ugh
 

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