I a wondering how the new GM (Government Motors) will change the auto biz. Was getting ready to trade in my Daily driver, an 05 caddy for a new one..think I am going to wait now to see how it all shakes out.

 

I would think this would be the time to buy. Big brother (you and me) is going to take care of them.

Just think of the special attention the dealer will give you. You may be his only customer this week.

 

In the fall of '07 I went to my local Chevy Dealer to buy a new Pickup. I got the bum's rush, I felt like I was a bother to them. I could not even get a real out the door price. The salesman copied the price off the sticker and added a few dollars and subtracted a few and said here, this is is the price. No tax or tags, it did not seem like he really cared if I stayed or left. So I left and bought a Ford.

 

Hopefully we have a leaner and meaner GM. Our domestic car companies were so busy building SUV's (which they made alot more money on) they didn't notice the market was changing until it was too late. Now they are all scrambling for small cars.

 

Who in their right mind would buy a car from the government?

 

The Gov can't do anything right, except give away money, that working class Americans earned. If the Gov. built a car it would make Johnny Cash's car look normal.

 

Looking to buy a tow/winter vehicle.

I'm waiting for all this to fall out as well.

Looks like a lot of dealers will get stuck with inventory.

 

My tow vehicle is a Ford F250 diesel.

 

Now is the time to buy. The government will is requiring GM to change it's products to fit the greenie's agenda. That is, make cars people don't want.

The only reason GM will continue to do business is that the government will change the rules so that Ford doesn't crush them.

 

The dealers that are closing may have some good deals on the balance of their inventories. Some dealer may sell their cars to other dealers and some may get their cars bought back by GM. But if a potential buyer is not dead set on specifics like color, trim levels or options, there will be deals.

Finding a deal may be a problem, given the attitude of some salesholes. You just have to go in with an attitude that says: "I'm here to buy and this is how much I intend to spend. Do you want to sell me a car?" Do the research on what you want, get the numbers, get the money ready, and don't waiver.

I'll bet that GM will come out of this as a diufferent company. There may be fewer models within each of the 4 remaining companies, but there will still be some good model choices.

Maybe it's time that GM builds some very fuel efficient cars. The Chevy Volt may be a good start, but there is also room for improvement in the area of build quality and better materials especially in the interior.

I think that Obama's new MGP requirements are going to be a problem across the entire auto industry but once there are a few new models that deliver high mileage figures, the CAFE numbers will keep the other cars around.

But the new mileage numbers for pickups are BS; people still need and want light trucks and SUV's that will carry bulky cargo and lots of passengers. The politicians don't understand this and the green-weenies are too blind and stupid to figure it out.

 

One improvement would be to burn the coal in the Volt instead of burning it hundreds of miles away and losing 60% of the energy due to transmission inefficiency.

It's funny how city folks think it's green to dump pollution in someone else's backyard.

 

Not only that, but look into the environmental and social damage that lithium mining will bring us. As another commodity in short supply, the lithium price is guaranteed to skyrocket. The main source of lithium, Bolivia, is already on record as being hostile to western (US) influence. And trillions of dollars of devalued currency won't help the situation.

This "restructuring" will only postpone the inevitable. The greenies will have killed our lifestyle, GM, and all of modern society. Electric trucks? airplanes? What kind of world will we leave our children?

Ok, down off the soapbox...

jr

 

If I had the money, I'd buy a new van in the next 60 days or so. Chevy Vans are just about bullet proof as far as break downs go.

 

Now our tax dollars will go DIRECTLY to the UAW to keep them voting for the big brother.

 

Remember when Joe Conforte's Mustang Ranch was seized by the IRS. The gov't took that over and bankrupted it. So the gov't can't even run prostitutuion, can they run automobiles?? This should be fun to watch.

 

The UAW supported Obama, now he is supporting the UAW.

 

GM is now forever. Remember, the government owns them. Closing down GM will now require action on the part of our elected officials. How would you like to be the member of congress that put UAW workers out on the street. That would not be a happy election.

GM can now produce can sort of crap it wants and the government will have to keep them in business. There's a chance GM could suddenly see the light and start the reformation but remember they've had 30 years to get it right. If they couldn't get it right in the past 30 years what are the chances that they will suddenly get it right now?

Chrysler will probably go under and Fiat will get blamed for that debacle. GM on the other hand is now a branch of the federal government. When was the last time you heard of any part of the government going out of business?

Richard Newton

 

I forsee the government ditching the UAW. UAW sucks anyways as do most unions, cheaper labor can be found easier then worthless UAW workers and thats exactly what will happen! The UAW is living in a dream world if they think the one they elected cares a bit about them, like many others automation and cheap labor will make them obsolete. This change will be for the better in my eyes imagine the profit margine increase by tossing the UAW out!

 

I've read in the past that you have to pay double for a new vehicle because of the union.

Anyways, they have it made. Excellent insurance, $50+ an hour, retirement, other benifits. People working for the Tier 1 suppliers don't get ****. They probably get most of the shaft as GM and all of them want their suppliers to cut costs, and that affects the workers for the Tier 1 suppliers.

 

Having worked in the GM environment in a salary role, I can tell you that absolutely nothing will change if the current leadership in Salary and UAW officials does not change. It's a broken environment of many people that feel entitled to nearly everything.

Only when the younger UAW employees gain control of the UAW leadership roles, will the masses take ownership in what they build and what feeds them. Upper management is just as bad. GM needs new thinking. Not governmental thinking though. The fat cats need to go.