Lexusfreak

Just saw this 'Breaking News' on CNN....I actually feel pretty bad for the General & their employee's.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/07/news...ex.htm?cnn=yes

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

It's sad to see any company close down. That's alot of employees losing their jobs

LexFather

1. Its all the **** poor managements fault the past 30 years that did this to them. Its like social security, just pass the problem on and on and on until one day, BLAM, it HAS to get fixed.
2. Blame the **** poor current management. They are very shortsighted, still seeing SUVs Trucks as the way, cars are improving marginally but not BETTER than the competition.

GM has FAILED to realize they cannot be on par with the competition but BETTER. They can do it with a couple cars, the Corvette, and Cadillac is doing well but they REFUSE to do it for each and every car.

They have to improve STYLING. The new COBALT was a chance to hit a home-run, the coupe looks almost like the last version, but with bigger headlights and corvette tailamps.

There problem is they are satisfied with being GOOD and not concerned with being GREAT.

Its amazing to see Nissan turn it around right in their face in 5 damn years but its taking 30 years for them to figure out things. Pathetic. Even Chrysler turned it around.

The other issue is the American people won't give them another chance. So many people got crapped on by GM in the past and between the media always bashing GM and its cars, well who wants it? It gives the IMAGE of being undesirable.

This will not stop all the problems sadly.

They need to apply the good strategy they did with Caddy to all their brands.

XeroK00L

Came across an interesting blog feedback at AutoSpies this week that explains a good part of the picture. Worth a read.

http://www.autospies.com/article/ind...0&categoryId=7

CA Joe - 6/3/2005 12:36:54 AM

Comment: You asked a complex question, the short answer is no, designing vehicles noone wants to buy is not the workers fault. I worked in management at MIC Insurance many years ago. It was amazing to see top executives get new cars every three months.
They were the top of the line and serviced like the President was going to drive them. These guys thought all GM cars were delivered they why their cars were.
Management has got to get out of their ivory tower offices and dinning rooms. Take off those Brooks Brothers siuts, roll up their sleeves and spend two weeks a year on the assembly line, two weeks selling at a dealership and two weeks driving cars like the new Chrysler 300 and new Mustang. It would not hurt if the folks at the top were people who love cars. If you want to keep going down the tubes, keep promoting bean counters instead of people with gasoline in their blood to top positions.
Because sales are lousy, of course labor will get blamed. GM says, $1,600.00 of every car built goes to pay pensions and health benefits for its retirees. If they had been updating their factories since the end of WWII the production levels would be where they should be. Guess what, if you sell more vechiles the retirees cost go down per unit. While the Germans and Japense were building new factories GM stood still. I remember it like it was yesterday; going to Buick's Flint plant in 1969. GM had men matching ring & pinion gears for the least amount of play. GM's engine casting was still being made manually in sand castings. The failures were melting and used again and again. And yes labor is a problem, put yourself in their shoes. Do they see management taking cuts in pay? do they see management cutting their penion & health benefits? Do they see management moving their jobs overseas? Tell me, when GM is goning overseas, how come the Germans and Japense are building cars her? Yes we know most of those factories are non union and do not have large numbers of retired employees. Get used to it, its your responsibility to build the kind oc cars Americans want. In the past 40 years I have bought, for my family & busines 46 GM & Ford products. Fot the first time in my life I'm considering a Japense or Chrysler product.

Richie

I feel bad for the people that will lose their job.
I am with Sick on why this happened.

Lexusfreak

I have a feeling from what I have been reading in the last couple days that it's going to be much more than 25,000 jobs cut.

fireballs gs400

too much product and not nearly enough demand...

NoS

Yea I feel reall sorry for the people working at GM but not for GM as a company. There cars suck and what do you really expect? If they suck then of cource sales will go down.

mmarshall

[QUOTE=XeroK00L] I remember it like it was yesterday; going to Buick's Flint plant in 1969. GM had men matching ring & pinion gears for the least amount of play. GM's engine casting was still being made manually in sand castings. The failures were melting and used again and again. And yes labor is a problem, put yourself in their shoes. Do they see management taking cuts in pay? do they see management cutting their penion & health benefits? Do they see management moving their jobs overseas? QUOTE]






I grew up with the cars of the late 1960's. GM back then had the best bodywork and detailing in the buisness...their cars were known for it. Ford, AMC, and Chrysler products were crude and cheesy by comparison....although Chrysler had some durable drivetrains. GM's only real problem back then was the soft acrylic lacquer paint it was using the time. Without mild-abrasive polish and wax it would start oxidizing within a year sometimes.

As far as management being willing to cut their own benefits when the situation warrants it, in some companies that DOES happen.

Lexusfreak

GM's product has improved large in the last several years......I don't think 'suck' is fair......I think it's more the public hasen't noticed, cared or because of previous bad luck won't go back to them on principal.

Vegassc400

And why should the public give them another chance? After so many years of getting screwed, they're going to have to give people more than a couple of baby steps in improved quality. The cars are still uninspired. Boring even (corvette not included). A FWD, 200hp car sporting an SS badge. Who's the rocket scientist that came up with this idea? This reminds me of a couple years ago when people were slapping "Type R" stickers on everything built by Honda. Just cause the badge is there, doesn't make it true.

I'd take almost any car in the Hyundai line up over a GM product. Better looks and better build.

After working for GM for almost 30 years, my grandfather would roll over in his grave if he saw the crap they were putting out.

xknowonex

iTrader: (2)

I do feel bad for all the blue collar workers getting laid off. They just do whatever they are assigned to do. On the other hand, the executives and most of the designers are some of the most retarded group of people ever. The are the ones to be blamed. Unfortunately, even if the company goes under, those guys would sadly still walk away with money while the blue collared workers lose their cars n homes.

Other than than Corvette, Caddy CTS-V, the Cobalt SS, most of the vehicles on GM's line-up are half-assed designed products i.e. the Impala, the Malibu. Their best bet is follow Chrysler's footstep and build something RWD like the 300M. For entry-level cars, they should make it as nice as a Saab.

mmarshall

My opinion of you has jumped several notches upward simply by you making that statement. From a quality-vs-cost standpoint, Hyundai and Kia today are hard to beat. Perhaps the Scion xA and Toyota Echo come closest, but both IMO are quirkily styled and Scions sell for full list, with no incentives or bargaining.