Comments on: Bush saves GM, Chrysler with US$13.4bn

By: HAL

HAL — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:01:10 +0000

Wang, what the hell are you on about? Bush is gone dude.

Your type of post really worries me – it’s the type of thing they find during the investigation after someone goes on a rampage in a US school.

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:34:15 +0000

That’s one of the problems wihtin GM and Ford US.. they have a range of similar sized cars with differences that only a trainspotter would be able to pick. That competing not only against the Europeans and Japanese cars but against other cars within the GM Family.

If GM are going to continue this porcess [which I doubt they will as a result of restructuring] Instead of each company having individual factories [both operating at less than 80%] making the same car with subtle changes..

They should close down one of the plants and make them at the one factory ans simply change the badges bonnet or grille etc – Like Holden does with Pontiacs and Chevrolets which are based on the Commodore..

The other thing that GM should get rid of is dedicated plants where one factory just makes coupes another just makes sedans and another just makes pck ups – and become more “flexible”
Like Holden which makes Sedans Utes Wagons [Coupes] and Limos in both RHD and LHD on the same line

Holdens Flexibility and Ingenuity etc is one of the reasons GM has said that they will be Holden onto Holden.

By: Mark Greenburg

Mark Greenburg — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:45:27 +0000

All Oldsmobile models were simply cars from other GM divisions with subtle styling differences. The only unique car that the division had was the Aurora, an attempt at competing against high-end entry luxury European & Japanese rivals. The cost of keeping the division going was therefore small. Sales were obviously strong enough throughout the 90s to keep it going. I don’t think the problem therefore was the cost, but the brand’s image, which it could never shake.

By: Wheelnut

Wheelnut — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:22:56 +0000

Quote [Mark Greenbug]: “Oldsmobile was shut in 2004, not 1990.”

Yeah; but it should have been shut down in 1990.. shouldn’t it?

By: Mark Greenburg

Mark Greenburg — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:26:55 +0000

Dlr1 – Oldsmobile was shut in 2004, not 1990.

By: schah7

schah7 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:04:08 +0000

George W should ‘ave done the automotive world a BIG favour and let G.M go Broke.
I use to like Bush until now.

By: LSD

LSD — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:19:04 +0000

All this money given to GM and chrysler will get them through to March……..GM is 60 billion in debt……..how will getting to March save them? what happens after march?

By: Elitist

Elitist — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:19:56 +0000

Fiat also broke up with GM a few years ago of what was it, $2Billion to get out of the deal and in return GM got diesel technology from them… Gotta Love the italians.

Jason:
I think Germans also have the same rule for their beer industry as well…I agree with every bit of it.

By: max

max — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 04:06:21 +0000

“They’ll restructure, & they’ll be baaack……..! ”

YES, but not as we know it Jason :}

By: JasonP

JasonP — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:39:08 +0000

The UAW reminds me of a Billy Joel song, “Allentown”.

It’s about a steel producing town that eventually had massive unemployment after the Unions refused any concessions for their workers.

The line “and the Union People drove away” sticks in my mind.
Captain Mainwaring is correct; 70% of something is better tha 100% of nothing.

But what about the Health Care Policy in the US?
Why do companies have to foot the bill for the health care of their employees?
Surely that’s the Gov’ts job?

Australians may have their health care issues, but at least we don’t burden every company with having fund all their employees health costs from Induction Day to the grave!

The simple fact is that the Big 3 cannot compete against the Japanese (& other) carmakers, who often employ staff who aren’t a member of the United Auto Workers Union.

If you have to pay your line workers more, and fund their health care, how do you compete on Labour costs against those who don’t have those burdens?

And if you think that other Gov’ts don’t assist or bailout their car companies, you’re living in a fools paradise.

The Japanese Gov’t has long manipulated the Yen against the US Dollar, to help their exports be cheaper.

Mazda was bailed out by Ford many years ago.
Nissan was bailed by Renault. Renault itself is largely State controlled, & gets major concessions from the French Gov’t.
Mitsubishi was bailed out by Daimler Benz.
There is a law in Germany that prevents VW from falling into foreign hands.
And now Everybody’s Darling, Toyota, have announced a nearly $2 Billion dollar loss for the next half year.

Never, ever count out The Seppos………….

They’ll restructure, & they’ll be baaack……..!