Dull at Any Speed
GM Never Learned to Shift Gears
By Maryann N. Keller

Did a quick search, didn't find it...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...100180_pf.html

 

"What is almost all of the vehicles that GM builds Alex?"

 

Good article. Thanks for the link.
As for the comments about GM following instead of leading, do you think we'd be hearing about a future Camaro if Ford had dropped the Mustang?
I don't think so.

 

Ford wasn't stupid enough to drop the Mustang.

 

Ouch.

 

I can see she's read nader's book! The SUV boom has saturated the market! Now there are alot of them out there used for those who don't mind buying used. Many ppl actually prefer used, due to depreciation. Those ppl who actually do Need a big *** truck, and don't buy used, will still buy them new. Those who want one can get them slightly used pretty cheap. High gas prices IMO are only partly to blame. They will still sell big (gas guzzling ) SUV's, though not in as high of #'s. Much the same way the thunderbird saved the Corvette! I don't think anyone here was calling for Ford to kill the Mustang,or were they?

 

GM's primary problem is restoring their reputation. And that takes time AND money. Not money discounting cars (thus ruining their perceived value), but rather pumping that money into making cars that truely compete with the best of the best out there. And I don't mean just doing 0-60 faster than the competition. That may be important to a niche market... but to really win things over they need to build a product that people don't have to worry repair bills for as long as they own their vehicle. And a car that feels so well made that they never feel like they're being punished for owning a "old rundown american pos".

Somebody else said that GM has been a follower, and not a leader. Well you guys who talk non-stop about GM's quality improving are definitely right in regards to most of their models, but you've got to understand that GM seems to only be doing this because they're following other's lead.

It's like say, 100 years back, two independent candy stores right across the street from each other. One of them has been the dominant store for ages... the other guy just opened up a much smaller shop across the street at this new location and not many people have much of a reason to go see him. Well if the big candy shop guy gets overconfident and starts getting lazy with his candy production, making a poor quality product, treating people poorly when they complain, etc, etc... eventually people are going to check out the small guy across the streeet. And if he makes a better product and treats them better, well, they're not too likely to bother giving the big candy store another chance. Sooner or later the business the new candy shop is getting allows him to buy a facility and equipment that are just as good as the original candy shop. Next thing you know the original candy shop owner realizes he's losing business because he was screwing his customers with a poor quality product and not heeding their complaints when they came up. He was focusing too much on the bottom dollar, and not customer satisfaction. Next thing you know he launches a campaign across town saying "I'm sorry I screwed all of you people... my product and quality of service is much better now, please give me another try... I've even lowered the prices on my candy to the same thing as my employees pay for it!".

While that's a valiant effort, you can expect those customers to do an immediate about-face and start visiting the old store again just like old times. They might visit it from time to time and word might slowly start spreading that the old candy store owner was telling the truth and they are finally better. Some may choose to forgive and forget, and others may stick by the philosophy of "I stick by what works" and not leave the newer shop unless the newer shop starts going down hill.

 

There wasn't one "candy" store though, there was 3. Three candy store's, and none of them had good candy? I know there was a short period where the American candy, was maybe a little sour! And certainly it will take some time to win ppl back. However, if said candy store/stores were greatly responsible for the industrialization of the free world, thus the very economy that keeps many of us in jobs! Not to mention creating the very market that lets the small candy store, even do business in the first place, IMHO its not so much to ask for ppl to give the pioneers of the industry, the builders of our Country... another chance, before giving up on them! Which some are sadly so willing to do. Just the title of her article proves, to me atleast, that the climate towards "my favorite candy store", that he created so many years ago, is still lingering, and at least some ppl still beleive those things he said, are true of their "candy" today. I however do not. Furthermore I know alot of ppl, some who also like the same "Candy" as me, and some who don't. I can't recall anyone with the big repair bills on their GM cars (oops I mean candy), as mentioned, actually quite the opposite is true. I do know some individuals who don't own anything, they don't have problems with. They should be in a bubble so they don't hurt themselves! The candy being put out today in no way resembles the sour candy from the past IMHO!

 

Not really. As I said in another thread on the subject of China, China's oil consumption is not the insatiable monster that everyone makes it out to be. First off, what matters is global consumption, and that grew at about a 3% rate last year. That's a bit higher than it has been recently, but hardly alarming. Secondly, China's oil consumption is growing at a rate of about 7% per year and that rate is not expected to increase much since their economy cannot grow fast enough to increase oil demand that much.

So any pressure put on the world's oil supply by China is not excessive and easily is forecasted. The only reason oil is expensive now is because of speculators.

 

While GM may deserve a "second chance" in your perspective... you have to understand that the perspective of the average joe who got veritably bitch slapped and screwed financially by GM many times over in his younger years... it may not be in his human nature to forgive and forget. Hell... it's not in human nature at all to forgive and forget unless it benefits the other person in some way.

True GM may have been one of the pioneers in the last century of our economy, but in a simlar light, your very own parents are the reason for your existance, but I imagine if they treated you poorly enough as a child, you might be reluctant to ever become close with them again even if they promised they had changed for the better. Especially if they had made said promise in the past and failed to deliver on it (and yes GM has claimed to "come around" in the past only to have proven to go right back to their same old tricks. Chrysler was especially bad at this IMO).

 

Like Seinfeld says, "Who Are These People", who were bitch slapped, and screwed over by GM many times over? I don't know any of them! I do know alot of ppl, with newer GM vehicles who are diehard GM ppl. I just don't see it, or know any of them! No candy maker is perfect, they ALL have the potential to make a bad peice of candy now and then. This is something that seems to elude the american press. These ppl seem to forget how the big 3 were blind sided by the price of Sugar( gas), ins. industry, etc. with nothing but big powerful gas guzzling engines, which many of us remember fondly. And the small candy maker as you put it, just came in and took advantage of that, with cheap *** pos cars that sipped the fuel, nothing more! Lets not forget that! Maybe you weren't around then and mist it, I don't know your age, so I don't know. You say Chrysler is especially bad, but yet they are not being attacked with the same ferocity as GM. Why is that? Maybe its because its now no longer in American hands! They allready brought Mopar to its knees, GM is next on their list! And Ford will be next after that, don't be fooled! And for those of you who have saved your hard earned $$$ to put your kids through college, you might just check them out first. You know make sure they aren't filling your kids heads, with this Anti-Americanism crap that seems to be so fashionable lately, no-doubt its led to our very own jihad johnnies! Especially at so many of the institutions here in the US, particularly those on the wacky coasts! I don't think I will ever understand that garbage! And for those in college, ask yourself this, how many of your "professers" also agree with some of this crap. No its there alright, this bias sometimes its so blatant, and in others its very subtle, but its there just the same. And no one will convince me otherwise!

 

SCNGENNFTHGEN,
If you don't believe that GM "bitch slapped" its customers in the past, then you really have to have been confused by the "Road to Redemption" campaign they launched, eh?

Even they knew they pissed a lot of people off and finally realized that while short term gains in your bottom dollar figure CAN be seen by doing that... it hurts you much worse over the long term.

Furthermore... what do you always hear people saying around here in terms of quality and long-term reliability? They always say "Well we're almost as good if not just as good as the Japanese today". Why do they specify today? Because it's well known that there used to be a considerable gap, and most people also realize that the only reason the domestic manufacturers made the effort to shape up is because they started to lose money (customers) to the more reliable product.

I mean, did you ever see the movie "Tucker"? That was a true story from start to finish. Including the part about the big 3's corruption and ties with the government. Trying to stamp out Tucker automobiles because he felt customers deserved a safe car; one with seatbelts, pop-out windshields, and impact protection. The big 3 knew this would help save lots of people's lives, but didn't want to spend the extra 10 bucks a car or whatever it would have cost. One again looking out for the bottom dollar, and even going so far as to have the government try to shut down Tucker automobiles because they didn't want somebody to force their hand!

That's what I mean when I said "bitch slap". The act of treating somebody more poorly than they deserve only to turn around 20 years later and put on a happy face when you realize they're leaving you as a result of it.

 

Tucker what's that! Why is it that we can forgive and forget, "You Americans are the enemy, you will always be the enemy"? But we can hold a grudge against GM for things in the past, with no problems? Why doesn't the same hold true, forgive and forget! Again as you pointed out, there USED TO BE cosiderable difference. I'm not denying wether or not they put out some poor product, just that I didn't know any of them. The fact is many, if not all of the ppl working at the Big 3 during the Tucker yrs. are probably long dead, and have nothing to do with product today, AFAIK. Why the long held grudge? Kinda reminds me of many in my own broken family! Oh, and by the way I'm not pissed at the Japanese/ honda/yota, etc. Actually I'm pissed at the press for twisting the truth every chance they get, so long as it fits in with their agenda! And just to clarify, I have voted both sides of the fence, and was equally pissed, when they were so worried about the white house don's sexual escapades! I'm not a fan of either of the Far sides/fringes of the political spectrum! Maybe if they weren't up his *** so much, he might have taken one of the 3 opportunities the cia gave him to actually assassinate Bin Laden, which would have no doubt saved lives! Instead of the half assed attemp that was mad not without tipping off pakistan so bin laden could get out 1st! I guess he was afraid the press might call him a cowboy, if they found out just like they did Reagan! At this time however it seems the press is in the pocket of some rich elite( lefties), bent on making America=france, and perpetuating this America is the bad guys ! That is my real problem with them! So its not the Japanese, who may have used these words I quoted, but rather that mindset, which the current trend seems to be, especially with more than a few in the press! Its just that I see alot of similarities between GM and our gov't, both big *** ships that seem to have a hard time getting things done! Does this make them the bad guys? Any company or country has certainly had some bad apples in their history! And we can argue, till we're blue in the face who they are, this usually doesn't get much done as we've seen! Do we abandon them because of it? Not Me I'm not a fair weather Fan, not of my country, the good old US of A, or my favorite car maker GM/Chevy. We need to remember, the right thing is not always the easy thing! Rome wasn't built in a day! Give us Break! In the end without the sacrifices this country has made, none of us would be here right now argueing about anything! Therefore, I don't beleive as MANY in the press have implied, we are the bad guys here! There are those that think, there won't be any distinctions between countryies! I say stop drinking the koolade! Again these are solely MY views!

 

I believe this thread can be summed up by asking people why they bought the car they have. Eliminating any brand-loyalists (i.e. those who only buy Chevy or Caddy), and what do the say:

1. Looks (the oooh factor)
2. Performance (I shouldn't have to explain on this board)
3. Quality / Resale value (even percieved)
4. Utility (can I haul my gear, bike, 3 kids in this thing)

In these areas, unfortunately GM and Ford have lagged, and yes it takes much longer to turn a bad image up than a good image down. Because of bad experiences with mid 80's cars my wife STILL doesn't want to look at Chryslers but with the introduction of the Charger I am thinking (wow, performance, and the ability to put the three kids in the back seat) I might buy it when my Honda dies.

When GM and Ford put out product people want with a consistent quality their image will return. I think Ford did a great job with the new Mustang and needs to do the same with their cars. My father in law just got a new Freestyle and WOW -- great mid-size SUV. When I think of most of the GM line-up I think either kiddie cars (Cobalt) or rental cars (Malibu) or mid-life crists cars (Corvette).

I think GM and Ford will pul through but it may take serious restructuring at all levels.