easyrider13

The new Forbes magazine has a thought-provoking commentary by Jerry Flint who has covered the auto industry for forty years:

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/05...ed-future.html

AORoads

It's not a bad commentary and analysis. But don't you know that there have been threads that we're not supposed to be doomsayers, or repeating the doomsayers, or quoting/referencing the doomsaysers?

Whazzamatter with you? Get with the program! Up with people! Up with GM! UP, UP and away! Hi yo Silver!

johnodrake

We humans are prone to self fulfilling prophesies. If enough people say something long enough, it will be believed as the truth... Witness Global Warming.. etc.... If we all bad mouth GM long enough, GM will go under..... The opposite is true as well, in most cases...

C6NRED

Pessimistic at best regarding GM..........but he likes Subaru??? Not sure how wise he really is....close the door on a Subie and you don't hear something solid, just cheap....

mikesul

As much as I hate to say it, he is probably right.

AORoads

What he doesn't like is GM going into bankruptcy, citing Delphi which is still in it; or GM being led, even the supposedly "bad part" by politicians. You know, the same folks that can't remember from a Tuesday to a Thursday that they wrote the legislation to pay out bonuses to AIG ( fella named Dodd). So, it's not all bad news, just some positive negativism.

Red Rochester

Mark VerMurlen

I don't think you could write a more negative article if you tried. I think this is far too pessimistic. I think that GM can be rebuilt. But it needs to shed a lot of baggage and the economy needs to turn around first.

- Mark

Vette Suspension

Well said. Like global warming. Not even a real threat but it has people all hysterical. Of course many are profiting over the hysteria.

johnodrake

And many people stand to profit from the demise of GM, if it happens....

tolnep

after a little encounter today, i sorta agree..

i go into a local dealer today just curious if the have a camaro or when they will get one... just want to see one.. not my cup of tea.. unless im mightily surprised..

so off the curb comes a skinny dude with prison tats bad teeth.. he knows nothing about them so he gets the attention of (I assume) the floor manager (or whatever the guy is called) a slicked back cowboy boot wearing guy makes me think of a cross between elvis and beezelbub (i swear i though he was gonna whip out a smokin contract and ask for my soul).. and he goes on to tell me about how they had some coming in soon and so forth that they was marking them up 5 to 10k... from MSRP...

so i just laugh, say good luck and do an about face and im outta there..

never to return.. and i think thats the key here. i wont go back to that dealership to look regardless..

economy's in the tank, sales are slow and the last of the lounge lizards and bottom feeders are whats left in many dealerships and they acting like times aint changed.. but the water is risin and noah has loaded the critters up in the arc and is waiting for the final deluge..

they could have said a lot of things.. like come back. we dont know whats gonna be available, 'can i give you a call when they hit the floor'? would you like to schedule a test drive..'?

but no... its we'ere still looking for a few good rubes to skin before we all go down the drain...

and good riddens is almost what i wanna say...

dvilin

BigJag

The guy who wrote this article is right on. Anybody that thinks GM is going to become a great company again by selling Chevy's and Cadilllac's is sadly mistaken. Cadillac still has the stigma of an old persons car and how much profit do you think GM makes on an average Chevy. The Government will also see to it that GM builds the "green" cars the government wants them to build and not cars that people actually want. Corvettes, SUV's and pickups and other higher margin type vehicles are not what the government (socialists/communists) have in mind. And they will make it more and more difficult for people to buy these types of vehicles through gas tax, environmental tax or whatever other excuse they want to dream up.

How many people in upper management of the company's that you work for drive an American car. Answer will be not many. That in itself tells the story of the US car companies. I own three american made cars (Corvette, Hummer, Viper) and all three are an endangered species. The Corvette may survive but not in the high performance version it is today. When these kind of vehicles are no longer available I will have no choice but to buy European or Japanese. And these niche market type vehicles have a much bigger profit margin than an average Chevy. In my opinion its pretty much over for GM and Chrysler.

danl72

MarkRx

ever own a subaru? i mean a late model... i've had 2 STi's, i'll buy again just for the AWD technology.

a_drogan

Really sad reading, but I have to agree with the author. We've all watched GM management screwed up the company for at least the last 30 years.

I'm thinking, hopefully not, that we'll see the Corvette morph into a new Mustang II. That would be unbelievably sad.

Also thinking, maybe I got to stop driving the car in the rain, spend a few hours detailing it and turn it into a garage queen again.

easyrider13

Gentlemen, the fact IS that GM is all but technically bankrupt. Without Obama cash, the assembly plants would be preparing for the autioneer's gavel. The problem with Obama cash is that it brings both political and bureaucratic baggage that will ultimately kill the recipient. I'd rather have taken money from Tony Soprano...

Vette Suspension

He may break your legs but at least he would not take over the company and fire the exec.


And after you pay Tony back your done. Unlike Obama once you take the money he onws you forverer. Just ask the banks.

Rule292

Reading that article really makes you want to get both that new Z06 you always wanted and a GS as a daily driver.

As much as you might hate the politics of the article, he accurately describes GM's situation. The good, bad and ugly are the truth. So many negatives and a truly bleak outlook, but with God all things are possible.

Boys, these are the golden years for the Vette.


RIP Stanley Strohl Chevrolet, Fogelsville PA. 1921-2009. When nobody else was open on Saturday morning for those SBC and BBC parts, you guys were.

GCD1962

Pretty much sums up my thinking. The gov't will not allow GM to build the cars that are profitable. I recently made a trip down & back to Fl from CT and nearly every vehicle on the road was an SUV, truck, Crossover, or RV. hese are the cars people want and to a degree need. Can you imagine loading a couple of kids, two adults and gear and driving any distance? Simply put, no matter what incentives the gov't puts out to buy cars, people are not going to trade in a vehicle they need for some little crap-box car that get a few more miles per gallon. GM is decimated as far as employees who made the company run. Throw in the fact that people will stay away from any GM car in a bankruptcy, and what you basically have is GM staring down and seeing the dark end of the tunnel. Just for the record Chrysler is history. Even if Fiat gets a sweetheart deal it is doomed to failure within a year - same reasons, no one wants little cars.