Interesting article...good find. However, I still disagree. Bankruptcy may help short-term, but I think Wagoner and Company know the long term health of the company would be jeopardized if by nothing more than the insanely negative PR caused by a Chapter 11 filing.

Imagine, if you will, the typical Import Lover further justifying is anti-American purchase by saying "Hey, if their products are so good, why did they just file for bankruptcy?"

I still believe it just won't happen...

 

How exactly would the Camaro save them? It did not do so hot when it was around.

 

*checks calendar* That would be, ah, this year man. I don't think so.

:blah:

 

How could it when it didn't have the backing of the Powers That Be?

 

extra 100,000 sales a year and It would draw great excitement to the Chevrolet brand. Chevrolet needs and affordable halo and a Camaro / V8 RWD sedan combo would do it.

 

I can agree with that to some extent. As they said on C&D TV while testing the new LaCrosse, something like...."The LaCrosse, like all the new GM products, is substantially better than the model it replaces....but since they were so far behind the competition in the first place, they still don't quite measure up now and will be even further behind again when the onslaught of new product comes from other manufacturers."

Because GM is huge and still #1 but slipping, I think there's still the corporate tendancy to play it conservative, design vehicles that will appeal to the widest range of consumers and play to the bottom line, good quality but uninspirational. In other words, they seem like they're trying to beat Toyota at their own game but for whatever reason, it just isn't working.

 

I think that's part of the trap that GM finds itself in, when they rely so heavily on simply benchmarking.

Take a competitors CURRENT car apart...see what makes it tick, improve the next GM car, so it's almost as good as the current competitor......release the GM car just in time to battle your competitors much improved next gen product. No matter what, you're always one to one and a half generations behind your competitor using this method. Every time.

GM needs to be bold. GM needs to bust some segments. GM needs to not be afraid to leapfrog competitors.

I don't know....I'm just a guy with a keyboard.......but it just seems so clear to me.

 

as long as GMAC is around, they'll definantly be safe for a while..... (with the healthcare costs putting great pressure).

 

Yes, that does seem to be the case that GM benchmarks cars NOW for cars they will release 3-4 years from now.
Is that cause GM is slow, or dumb?...or both? Its depressing, and the bad is outflanking the good in GM.
I am glad to see that the NEW GM cars are doing well, with the G6's numbers being great. No hi-po model, and no 4cyl model, that probably double the G6's numbers presently, as well as coupe and hard top vert...I think we have not seen the full sucess of teh G6.
LaCrosse is doing well, and better then I thought.
GM's new cars are good, but not the best.
Cars like the Aura would be excelent right now, not next year.
Its ok to be late to the party.....but if GM better start bringing better gifts.

 

 

Nice dream.

 

What GM needs is for the govenment to step in and do something about it's Healthcare burden, and the insane union contract that UAW strongarmed them into.

Our business system is making it so that many of our industry giants simply can not compete with overseas competitors because costs are so high. Strap Toyota with $1,400 in health care costs a car and see what happens to their bottom line and development budget. The UAW has an all take, and no give attitude. the article say "the UAW won't give any ground because things are not that bad".....but they don't think...hey, maybe we should do something before it gets "that bad" and we are all out of jobs. Empoyees have just as much a stake in teh companies success as the managment. Make Toyota deal with the UAW and see what happens to their bottom line. The Japanese government for years has propped up their own automotive industry and made it very difficult for the US import cars into Japan to sell.

The problem is, America won't do stuff like that to prop up our essential industries. Boeing is in the same mess with European backed Airbus. Somewhere along the line, someone had to realize a Bankrupt GM is not only bad for GM, but bad for the entire countries economy.

Got to have it products are good...but not a cure all. Chrysler seems to have a "gotta have it" product every few years.....but on the flip side, seems like they are goona go bankrupt every few years.

 

[QUOTE=Z284ever]I think that's part of the trap that GM finds itself in, when they rely so heavily on simply benchmarking.

Take a competitors CURRENT car apart...see what makes it tick, improve the next GM car, so it's almost as good as the current competitor......release the GM car just in time to battle your competitors much improved next gen product. No matter what, you're always one to one and a half generations behind your competitor using this method. Every time.

GM needs to be bold. GM needs to bust some segments. GM needs to not be afraid to leapfrog competitors.

I don't know....I'm just a guy with a keyboard.......but it just seems so clear to me.[/QUO

There is a lot of truth to this. GM in recent history has typically been a follower. At one time they were a fast follower, which wasn't ideal, but at least effective. In more recent times, they have been way too late to the game. GM is (at least for now) the largest auto manufacturer in the world. There is no excuse for not leading the way. GM's accecptance of mediocracy is going to be its downfall.

 

Camaro save GM? Of course not!

However, in light of their current situation where they seem to be having trouble making anything that people really care about. It does seem a bit foolish to have killed one of the most recognizable and popular name plates in the industry.

 

I just knew somebody would throw up the Unions in America and how GM was "forced" into signing on the same dotted line the UAW did. Hey, lets not forget something here. The same people that sign the UAW contracts are the same morons that conjured up the Fiat cash settlement!