According to most of the folks on this site, there's nothing wrong with GM vehicles. The only problem is unamerican car buyers and corrupt executives They'll often claim that you shouldn't base your opinion of GM vehicles on their long history but rather their last 2 years .

 

Why wouldnt you look at GM's long history? Are you glad you're not cranking your car by hand to start it? Or that the V8 exists? How about the fact that you can buy a new starter from six thousand autostores because Cadillac created interchangeable parts?

Or are you talking about selective long term history?

 

Are you kidding? If GM was a Japanese company, someone would be gut sticking themselves with a razor sharp tanto.

 

A tonto????????

 

That road to redemption article made me laugh my ***** off. Seriously, they printed that crap, then ran and hid months later when they knew damn well there was serious issues with their product.

The GTO is a great example of GM saying one thing and doing another. Strut rub? Ignition cylinder freezing? The fuel rail covers cutting fuel lines and causing cars to burn to the ground? Rear end whine?

I would say they are a better company today. However, that article was a shame, especially for the time it was printed.

 

GM would accomplish more if they just came out and said that our cars are so great, we'll give you a 100k mile warranty. It did wonders for Hyundai...both in fixing perception, and forcing Hyundai to improve their cars or pay out the *** in warranty costs.

These types of campaigns seem like they just give the 'haters' more ammunition. "See, even GM admits it made crap..."

 

GM is just jumping through hoops. They'll say whatever it takes for them to get their bailout/loan/whatever.

 

This begging for money crap is assenine. I mean simple fact is GM collapsing will cost the goverment north of $100 Billion dollars. With the money that we have been throwing around to poorly run financial services companies...and like...GM needing a $10 Billion loan should not bring this much drama.

 

um.................... what?

 

a bank that did shady business is more important to the gov then a biz the employees many 1,000s of americans.

the choice is clear! bank bailout!

america fail!

 

I think we've been down this road in quite a few threads here. Not only were most (around 80%) people against the financial industry bailout, the bailouts haven't worked and have set a really bad precedent. All of the sudden we're supposed to think that the bailout of another entity is supposed to work?

Insanity: Doing the same things the same way and expecting different results.

No matter how many hoops the auto industry is jumping through right now, they'll get their bailout/loan/whatever. The questions now are: will those bailouts/loans/whatever do any good? Also, what "entity" will ask for a bailout/loan/whatever next?.....I mean, since we're bailing out everyone now.....

 

Nevermind that many of those banks were forced to merge or are being dissolved by the government. And the remaining ones are under the government's thumb facing massively increased regulatory oversight.

I mean, if GM really wanted the bank treatment, they could ask for it. In five years the company wouldn't exist, with all the pieces sold off to competitors. At least they could keep the lights on until then though.

Of course, GM didn't want that. They just wanted the money no-questions-asked so they could keep on 'doing same things the same way and expecting different results'.

Even the plan they got around to submitting isn't any change -- cut a couple models, "de-emphasize" a few brands (they will change their mind in 2 years, they always do), "cost-cutting". Nothing any different.

 

Even assuming your $100M figure is correct; your comparison only makes sense if the $10M is all they ask for and receive...whatever they get this time around; it's unlikely it will be all they ask for.

I keep waiting for someone to explain to me how loaning money to GM is going to make people start buying cars again??? Until that happens, there is no amount of money and no plan of action Detroit can take that will save the industry.

 

The line is going to be almost endless...mayors of major cities, governors of states, the airline industry, travel/tourism industry, and on and on and on.

 

EXACTLY.

Amazing how short-term that long-term history really is.