Monday, June 01, 2009

  1. cool mad Can you imagine how screwed up the remaining GM dealers will be once they have to go through all the gov’t beauracracy to sell a car or truck???  What about those dealers who are being phased out?  Lot of folks will be out of a job real soon.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1206 hrs


  2. I think they may be surprised at how much of a stigma being Goverment Motors is.  I think the buy american crowd like me that has supported them all these years, is the same crowd that doesn’t want to deal with the Government.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1253 hrs


  3. I believe Curt is exactly correct.    They have alienated what were their most loyal customers and are unlikely to make that up from elsewhere.    I’ll be interested to see what happens to GM and Ford truck sales over the next couple of years.  Ford may get a windfall of former GM customers.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1317 hrs


  4. Ford has already seen increases in their market share 7 of the last 8 months ... which dates back to the first round of bail-outs that Ford passed on.  Most people want nothing to do with buying a car from a government owned manufacturer.  I think Ford is already emerging from this as the biggest winner ...

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1358 hrs


  5. I have been wanting to buy the newly redisigned Chevy Malibu since I first saw one in 2008.  I just can’t see myself buying one now.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1640 hrs


  6. So much for “America First.”  You are nothing but fickle chumps.  Don’t forget that a chunk of your 401k depends on your participation in the marketplace.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1735 hrs


  7. I certainly don’t have any of my retirement funds tied up in GM thank you.  I participate in the marketplace as much as anyone.  Participating in the marketplace means picking winners and losers.  And to me anyone going into business with our corrupt and bumbling government, is not someone I want to bet any of my money on.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 1810 hrs


  8. This question makes no sense.

    I have to assume, if you’re halfway rational, you’ve previously purchased GM vehicles because you felt they offered good value for your needs and wants, not because of who owns and operates the company.

    Now, apparently, many of you are saying that if all things were to remain equal except for the fact that the feds are financing the company and calling some shots (no matter how few they actually are), you’ll stop buying the product.

    So, you’re going to turn down the same product simply because the government owns it? That’s not rational.

    I can see if they stop making the model you liked, or the quality goes to hell; and those things may happen. But to stop buying just for this reason?

    So much for the rational actor model.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 2013 hrs


  9. What’s not rational about it?    A person can buy a vehicle from any number of manufacturers.    Why buy a vehicle that finances behavior they may consider to be counterproductive, illegal, crooked or simply wrong?   

    For my own part I continue to not buy gas from a station that jacked prices up on 9/11.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 2041 hrs


  10. We’ve owned a few GM vehicles.  I won’t buy one from the government.  They are already getting my tax money, I don’t need to enable the illegality of what Obama and his car czar did to the bond holders further with what is left of my dwindling disposable income.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 2219 hrs


  11. ATV:

    Value is only one reason to buy a product.  There are lots of reasons one might choose one car over another.  I don’t trust the government to honor their word, which is all a warranty really is.  I do like supporting American made products, but for me, after the Government socialized GM, Honda and Toyota are now more American than GM.  Still produced in America, but they are capitalist companies, versus the socialist GM.  I don’t buy Citgo gas either.  If all consumers just worried only about value, there would be absolutely no market for any “green” product. 

    Maybe some Prius owning liberals should start buying GM, but this three car GM family is going either Ford or inport. 
    I sure wish Ford made something other than the Mustang I wanted to drive.  My wife is leaning VW.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 2351 hrs


  12. I have driven Hondas all my life, but I’ve also had GM and Ford products. Anyone who’s wrenched on cars can tell you that foreign cars are simply better designed, i.e. more precision, less components, more efficient engineering. I believe this comes from a “team” approach to design and manufacturing where everyone critiques the product and feels they have a stake in improving the process.

    In companies like GM, since the boom years of the ‘50s and ‘60s, there has been growing conflict between white and blue collar workers, there are prevalent attitudes among workers of “not my fault” and “not my problem”, and the end product was largely ignored for years. If anyone thinks those congenital problems will go away - with the company now controlled by the unions and the government - I’ll find some worthless GM stock to sell you!

    I will be happy to buy another American-made Honda car and won’t lose one minute of sleep over the failure of GM. My only lament is that billions of taxpayer dollars were stuffed directly into the pockets of the UAW before the inevitable failure happened.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 01, 2009 at 2351 hrs


  13. What do you mean ‘So much for America First?’ ... Ford is certainly an American Auto Manufacturer.  And the last time I checked a number of ‘Foriegn’ auto makers have plants in the US that employ Americans.  If I buy a Honda or Toyota that is manufactured in the US, I’m buying an American Made product.  We all know what you really mean though when you say ‘America First’ ... you really mean ‘UAW First’.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 02, 2009 at 0754 hrs


  14. Interactive map: Detroit News: GM’s sphere of influence
    http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090531/SPECIAL01/90529004

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 02, 2009 at 2114 hrs


  15. I especially liked the button on the interactive map for “Retirees by State” - that’s kinda one of the big problems here, and they’re touting it as something we should respect. How’s that situation working out for the GM bottom line? I know it’s nice for those 55-year old UAW retirees…but not so good for the current workers, each trying to support 3 of their predecessors in a highly competitive marketplace.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 02, 2009 at 2306 hrs


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