General Motors

This topic doesn't seem to fit well into any of the categories, so forgive me for posting this under "GM News".. but I've got some question on the Lambda's: 1) The early complaint is that the Lambda's are so large (weighing 4700 lbs). I fully understand the minivan market for which they are targeted for requires them to have a capable third-row which necessitates the long wheelbase & weight, but are there any considerations for a short-wheelbase variant? Something like the Tahoe versus a Suburban. Virtually the same vehicle minus a row of seats. A short wheelbase Lambda might have some appeal. How flexible is the Lambda platform? Would it accomodate something …

I'm not a GM basher at all. In fact I think their new slate of vehicles are a huge leap in quality and the Z06 is by far the fastest car I've ever driven. However, you have to love this item from my site. i was just surfing the GM press site for new stories and came across it. Hilarious. In a sad way. http://www.mph-online.com/web/prtranslated/00225 If you want a positive Gm story http://www.mph-online.com/web/news/00121 Enjoy both. Dave

From SmartMoney It looks like there may be some serious conditions attached to any TARP money that could be forthcoming. After reviewing the books over the weekend, this was leaked to the media. I personally believe that this may be the only way for GM to get itself back on track. While they may lose major market share, they can become profitable. GM could see their market share at 10% after a restructuring, but it's better to be smaller and profitable than to have 20% share right before you go out of business forever. I'd rather have a smaller, focused, profitable GM than no GM at all..

Kerkorian's Tracinda Plans to Boost Stake in General Motors, May Seek Representation on Board NEW YORK Sep 21, 2005 — Tracinda Corp., the private-equity firm owned by billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, said Wednesday it plans to boost its stake in General Motors Corp. to as much as 9.9 percent and may approach the world's biggest automaker about getting representation on its board. The Beverly Hills, Calif., investment group has been steadily growing its stake in GM while continuing to downplay suggestions that it is looking to increase its influence over the company. Kerkorian, formerly the owner of movie maker MGM Mirage, has a history of wrestling with…

A fresh Perspective on GM and the auto industry http://www.321gold.com/editorials/shedlock...lock101405.html MarketWatch is reporting "Ford's SUV Sales Halved in September": "Ford Motor Co. reported Monday that sales of its traditional SUVs plunged 51% in September, as consumers continued their mass exodus from the thirstiest vehicles on the road amid record gasoline prices. "Overall, Ford turned in a 19% decline in U.S. sales last month, to 228,157 cars and trucks. Crossover and passenger car sales actually improved, but not nearly enough to make up for the steep decline of its bulkier SUVs. "Sales of the Ford Explorer and Expedi…

Detroit News GM to get $5B, Chrysler $500M in fed aid David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau Detroit -- General Motors Corp. will get up to $5 billion and Chrysler LLC $500 million in short-term aid, according to a 250-page government report obtained Monday by The Detroit News. The Detroit News reported Friday that GM would get about $5 billion and Chrysler $500 million, citing an Obama administration official, which prompted a denial from the White House. The short-term aid figures are disclosed in the report from the Treasury Department's Inspector General on the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Progra…

Next Steps in GM Turnaround Set More job cuts and plant closings coming to GM. by Joseph Szczesny (2005-10-18) Struggling General Motors Corp. has put the company's crown jewels on the auction block as part of a broader restructuring of the company that includes a deal with United Auto Workers to reduce healthcare costs and a new round of plant closings. Richard Wagoner, GM chairman and chief executive officer, disclosed that GM is prepared to sell a controlling interest in its storied and profitable finance arm, General Motors Acceptance Corp., which has been consistently been the most profitable part of the company for the better part of two decades. The…

clicky Hover over cars. Why does it say "Aveozz"??

http://www.thegmsource.com/plugins/p2_news..._articleid=1079

From my friend Robert Farago www.thetruthaboutcars.com When the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the world’s largest automaker tells his shareholders to think long-term, there’s only one word for it: sell. Yes, I know. The General got itself into this death spiral by thinking short-term: investing its precious resources in a dead genre guzzling, buying brands instead of investing in existing ones, pushing pushrods, rebadging anything that wasn’t nailed down, and so on and so on stretching back forty years. But Wagoner’s no corporate visionary. What he’s really saying is hang on boys and girls, a bunch of bad $h! is about to go down. Those of…

[source: Wall Street Journal] New Era in Autos as GM Files for Bankruptcy By KEVIN HELLIKER, NEIL KING JR. and JOHN D. STOLL DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy early Monday, marking the humbling of an American icon that once dominated the global car industry and setting up a high-stakes gamble for The question now facing 56,000 auto workers, 3,600 GM dealers and the Obama administration: Will it work? The government, which will own a majority of the company, is wagering upwards of $30 billion that it can return GM to profitability, reversing a decades-long decline by shearing away …

So, a company called me up last week to ask if I would like to give them my impressions of car commercials - 1 hr, $65. I said sure, why not. So I went today, and they showed me four basic ideas for commercials. They were black and white drawings, some crudely animated, with voiceovers to give me the feel of what the finished commercials would look like. They were all part of a new campaign: "Let's Go: Chevrolet". Included in all of them was the new URL letsgochevrolet.ca, which for now, redirects to gmcanada.com. I'm assuming that they would develop it if they use these ads. Ad #1: Shots of people in an office. A man pops his head into a woman's cubicle, and says, 'l…

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117629894771066330.html General Motors Corp. on Thursday posted a 90% plunge in first-quarter profit, though its loss narrowed at its core North American region, as poor earnings at GMAC Financial services weighed on the auto maker. GM, in the midst of an extensive corporate restructuring, reported net income of $62 million, or 11 cents a share, for the quarter, compared with $602 million, or $1.06 a share, a year earlier. Earnings in the latest quarter included unfavorable special items of $32 million, or six cents a share. The auto maker posted a positive automotive operating cash flow of $300 million for the quarter. The year-ago resu…

Ouch. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/1...10883/index.php

Ed Welburn, General Motors' Chief Designer and one of the key people around the recent revitalization of GM's design has announced he will retire from the company on July 1st. Taking his place as chief designer will be Michael Simcoe who currently heads GM International Design. Welburn is GM's sixth design chief in GM's 108-year-history, following in the footsteps of people Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell. Welburn also holds the distinction of being the first African American to lead design for an automaker. Welburn's story of becoming the head of GM design starts in the early sixties when he saw the Cadillac Cyclone Motorama concept at an auto show and writing to G…

With all the cuts GM has anounced here is some good news. GM anounced Lordstown is moving up the start up time for the 3rd shift to August. Sales for the Cobalt are up 17% so they want to get more cars to the dealers sooner.

2008 Product Information Guide Some random info i found: HHR SS available with 4T45E , 2008 Malibu available with the 3.5 V6 HHR SS is not listed, but this was under the transmission information, same with Malibu 3.5, it was under the engine info.

GM CEO put in charge of exploring deal Link to original article @ San Jose Mercury News San Jose Mercury News By Michael Ellis July 08, 2006 General Motors' board of directors Friday issued Chief Executive Rick Wagoner a vote of confidence by putting him in charge of talks with Renault and Nissan Motor on possibly joining the French and Japanese automakers' alliance. After an unusually short meeting lasting about 80 minutes, the board did not follow the suggestion that billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian first aired publicly last week that GM directors form a committee to study the benefits of a three-way alliance. The board instead gave Wagoner the OK to meet wi…

Despite massive restructuring, thousands of buyouts... GM keeps rollin' Brett Clanton / The Detroit News Link to Original Artcle @ DetNews John Brooks works at the Orion Township assembly plant, where more than one third of 2,700 workers took cash buyouts or early retirement packages. ORION TOWNSHIP -- It's hard to say which is more astonishing: that General Motors Corp. is cutting nearly 35,000 U.S. factory jobs this year or that the automaker's plants, by all accounts, are still running smoothly amid the jaw-dropping downsizing. There have been small hiccups along the way, and more are possible as thousands of GM workers depart in waves through December and the …

Link to Article

I think it's time for KK to go.... http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusin...=&from=business

http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servle...y/Business/home

It's official, GM announced the return of the Camaro. You can read the aritcle for more details. The summary is a $740M investment and the Camaro "rolls off the line in 2008". That'd be a year early, no?

Robert Snell / The Detroit News DETROIT -- Turns out General Motors Corp.'s employee discount isn't for everyone. The automaker, which last week temporarily extended the perk nationally to anyone in a bid to boost sales and clear out inventory, simultaneously filed three lawsuits alleging fraud as the company cracks down on employees, retirees and widows giving discounts to nonrelatives, according to court documents. Along with other recent lawsuits, the automaker is suing for more than $450,000 plus costs and attorney fees. "What an irony, huh?" lawyer John Pieri said. He represents a retired autoworker in Buffalo, N.Y., who is being sued for $45,501 and accused of…

Sunday Herald Sun - News.com.au Holden to lose $1 billion a year if GM dumps Pontiac By Carly Crawford Sunday Herald Sun April 26, 2009 12:01am GM expected to dump Pontiac this week Holden will lose $1 billion a year GM hoping to stave off bankruptcy Embattled car maker Holden stands to lose up to $1 billion a year when its ailing US parent dumps major brand Pontiac. General Motors is this week expected to announce plans to ditch or sell the brand as it desperately works to stave off bankruptcy. That means the maker of Australia's most popular car could be in for more pain, the Sunday Herald Sun re…

GM exploring sale of aftermarket parts business October 22, 2008 11:05 AM ET Link to Article DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp is exploring the sale of ACDelco, its global aftermarket parts business, to raise cash, the No. 1 automaker said on Wednesday. GM, which also has its Hummer all-SUV brand and a manufacturing center in Strasbourg, France, on the auction block, has retained Merrill Lynch to assist in the potential sale of ACDelco. In July, the automaker laid out a plan to boost its liquidity by $15 billion by end of 2009. The plan included costs cutting and sales of assets that are expected to raise $2 billion to $4 billion. ACDelco, which provides l…

Cadillac STS, Holden VE Commodore and Opel Corsa have been nominated for the Overall Car of the Year in the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) Awards 2007. It is only the fourth time the awards have been run since it was launched in January 2004, the 2007 WCOTY will be announced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2007. To be eligible, cars must be sold in a minimum of five countries spread over at least two continents. List of 2007 Design Candidates: Audi A6 Allroad Audi Q7 Audi TT BMW Z4 Coupe / Roadster Cadillac STS Citroen C4 Picasso Citroen C6 Dodge Caliber Fiat Grande Punto Holden VE Commodore Honda CR-V Honda FIT Jaguar XK Jeep Commander Jeep Compass L…

GM CEO sees more alliances Wagoner says escalating costs will drive collaboration but declines to comment on possible Chrysler bid. http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/06/news/compa...on=money_latest General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said escalating costs would mean more industry alliances and mergers but declined to say if the world's largest automaker would bid for rival DaimlerChrysler's struggling Chrysler Group. Wagoner said the costs of developing the next generation of automobiles, especially the replacement for the traditional internal combustion engine, meant that the industry would be driven toward deeper collaboration. "Think in terms of 9…

Don't Count the Dots Brief quotes below...

Autoweek article "GM will offer DUB-branded tires on trucks, SUVs" http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...30008/1530/FREE

Automotive News / October 14, 2005 http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=13570 DETROIT --- The United Auto Workers said Friday it might be close to an agreement with General Motors on benefits concessions. UAW spokesman Paul Krell said that the UAW had notified locals by e-mail that an agreement is possible. A source inside GM says it is "very confident" but added that the automaker could impose unilateral benefits cuts this week if talks fail. Krell said GM has not raised the possibility of unilateral cuts in talks. A spokesman for GM declined comment.

GM @ Tokyo Suzuki Palette The Palette is a minicar aimed at parents who cherish time with their children, and at young drivers who like having fun with their friends. Combining emotionally appealing styling cues with a cabin roomy enough for four people, Palette delivers a level of comfort unprecedented among minicars. It also boasts revolutionary packaging, with left and right-hand powered sliding doors and a low, flat floor for maximum convenience.

The story in the 10/24/05 issue states, "Americans who are 50 years old and older make up 39 percent of the nation's adult population. But they will account for half of U.S. auto sales this year. That share will increase to 53 percent by 2010, predicts Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing/Research Inc., a consulting company in Bandon, Ore." Buick often bears the brunt of jokes about how the average age of its buyers is [ fill in your choice of jokes, such as "dead" ]. But the Rendezvous showed new Buicks can lower the demographics (didn't Rendezvous owners average 58 or so?). So that's perfect if Buick can skew slightly younger wi…

Got a letter today about it. http://www.grabthekeys.com/ at the Palace of Auburn hills. 25 different GM vehicles. 2 different courses. 1 great weekend. If you have friends or neighbors who own or are considering a competitive product, here's your chance to have them put new GM cars and trucks through their paces. Plus, we'll have complimentary beverages and snacks. I wish I could go, but I'm busy that weekend. So For you Michigan people sign up and tells us how it is.

GM announced today their new family of EV motors, The Ultium Drive family. The Ultium Drive family is made up of five interchangeable drive units and three motors. This will help transition the current portfolio of auto's to fully electric lineup. Performance, scale, speed to market and manufacturing efficiencies will provide GM significant advantages over past EV auto's. GM is leading the way with industry class leading drive units that use an electric motor and single-speed transmissions to apply power best in class horsepower and torque. Ultium Drives will be more responsive than internal combustion motors with precision torque control of the motors and smoo…

FOR RELEASE: 2006-12-20 General Motors Announces North American Debut of Four Global Concepts Celebrities Carmen Electra and Mario Lopez Also Confirm Attendance at GM Style DETROIT – In addition to an array of classic GM Designs, including the 2006 Camaro Concept (an instant classic) and the 1951 Buick LeSabre Concept (an iconic classic), four global concepts never before seen in North America will “drive the runway” with celebrity guests including Carmen Electra and Mario Lopez during January’s GM Style. The Holden EFIJY, Chevrolet T2X, Chevrolet WTCC and Opel Antara GTC will make North American debuts on Jan. 6, 2007, in a pavilion on the Detroit Riverfront and …

DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. is recalling 804,000 full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles because of potential brake problems, federal safety regulators said Tuesday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said unwanted application of the antilock brake system in some vehicles can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed braking and may result in a crash. Vehicles affected by the recall include the Chevrolet Avalanche and Silverado pickups and the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs. The GMC Sierra pickup and Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs are also affected. All 804,000 vehicles trucks are from the 1999-2002 model years, NHTSA said.…

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/30/toyota-...ra-in-baja-500/ bet the exec's in Japan aren't too happy about this.

The nations largest public charging network for electric vehicles today announced their EVgo eXtend project in conjunction with General Motors and Pilot Company, parent company to the Flying J travel centers. Committed to a greener future and ease of driving everywhere, EVgo will install, operate and maintain the new network of 350 kW charging stations at all Pilot/Flying J travel centers across more than 40 states. To quote Alex Keros, GM Director of Charging Infrastructure and Development: “GM is committed to creating an all-electric future for all. This collaboration with Pilot Company and EVgo will help make that future a reality by significantly expa…

NEW YORK (AP) - General Motors Corp. shares dropped to their lowest point in more than 15 years Tuesday after a report showed it losing market share to Asian automakers in December and Toyota threatened to at least match GM's production next year. GM also recalled more than 400,000 vans on Tuesday because of faulty seat belts. Burnham Securities analyst David Healy suggested the stock's decline -- nearly 4 percent in afternoon trading -- was more likely tied to general pessimism about the automaker's future than any of the day's announcements. The company's shares were down 75 cents, or 3.6 percent, at $20.30 in afternoon trading on the N…

By Bernie Woodall DETROIT (Reuters) - The last time General Motors had a plain-talking Texan on its board of directors who was critical of the way the automaker did business, GM sent Ross Perot packing. Perot of Dallas said he hopes that Ed Whitacre of San Antonio won't run into the institutional stonewalling the billionaire investor faced in the mid-1980s when, as a member of GM's board, he challenged then-CEO and chairman Roger B. Smith. "I disagreed with what they were doing," Perot told Reuters in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "Then suddenly, they just didn't want anybody around to point out what we needed to do. They decided to get rid of the nuisance." Whi…

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union Thursday said it was not close to a cost-cutting agreement with bankrupt auto parts maker Delphi Corp. and automaker General Motors Corp. (GM), dashing hopes of workers and investors that a deal was in the offing. "Nothing could be further from the truth," the UAW said in a statement on its Web site. "The parties are not close to working out such an agreement. "There are many, many, significant issues to be resolved," the UAW said. "Overall the situation has changed very little since our last meeting." Despite the denial from UAW, GM shares were up sharply. In early trading on the New York Stock Exchange, they soared 5.88 perce…

we don't want no stinking partnership.

This is a good article, accually i only read the first part, but i need to go to work... MSN's Tech and Gadgets [quote name='http://msn-cnet.com.com/Technology+to+Detroits+rescue/2010-11389_3-5992268.html?part=msn-cnet&subj=ns_5992268&tag=mobile']Technology to Detroit's rescue? December 13, 2005, 4:00 AM PT By Brian Cooley On top of all the arcane business problems they face, General Motors and Ford Motor also suffer from boring cars. Factor out Cadillacs, F-Series trucks, Corvettes and Mustangs, and Detroit is handing us uninteresting vehicles. What could make their cars more interesting? More horsepower? N…

I just received an e-mail from Bausch and Lomb. If you've been following the news, you'll probably know that Bausch and Lomb sells a contact-lens solution called "Renu MoistureLoc". This product has been possibly linked to a rare eye infection (Fusarium keratitis) - which has caused them to recall (and stop producing) the product. Why is this interesting on a car forum? Their CEO is Ronald L. Zarrella. Here's his message in case you are interested: http://www.bausch.com/us/vision/about/news..._15_recall.html

New York Times Story December 20, 2007 G.M. Selling a Truck Business to Navistar By NICK BUNKLEY DETROIT — General Motors said Thursday that it had agreed to sell its medium-duty truck business to Navistar International, an Illinois-based maker of trucks and diesel engines. The companies did not disclose terms of the deal, which they expect to close on in 2008. Analysts have estimated the unit, which includes the GMC TopKick and Chevrolet Kodiak, to be worth about $500 million with annual revenue of $2 billion. G.M. has been shedding assets outside of its core operations to increase liquidity and focus on its turnaround. In the last year, it has sold controll…

Things are moving along quite nicely with the development of the Chevy Volt. According to Bob Lutz, test mules of the extended-range electric vehicle are now being built atop the soon-to-be-released Chevy Cruze. This is a logical progression since the production Volt will share its Delta underpinnings with the new compact from General Motors when it finally goes on sale in 2010. Prior to these latest mules, the test cars used last-gen Malibu shells that Lutz and the team affectionately referred to as "MaliVolts." Predictably, Mr. Lutz praises the new Delta platform, and we have every reason to believe that it will be leaps and bounds better than its Cobalt forebear, just …

The press barrage is mounting, and the Detroit News is reporting it, too: "Lutz: GM back in driver's seat by 2011." To read the article, which has additional or slightly different quotes than the New York Times, click here.

GM seals Opel deal with Serbia's Zastava Link to Original Article @ The Auto Channel BELGRADE, July 17, 2007; Reuters reported that General Motors Corp. has agreed a deal with Serbia's Zastava for the local production of Opel vehicles, sources close to the deal told Reuters on Tuesday. Germany-based Opel is part of the GM group. The cars would be assembled in Zastava's complex in Kragujevac, central Serbia. "They will sign on Thursday," one source told Reuters. "The production of the first Opel Astra vehicles is expected to start in 2008," the source said. A second source close to the negotiations also confirmed the deal to Reuters.

Link to Article funny because the title of the article is "VW recalls 362,000 cars, GM recalls some Corvettes" its like, WOO VW RECALLED SOME CARS... on a side not... blah blah, chevrolet can walk on water, blah

Manufacturing Revamp? GM spoke out a week ago about a national electric vehicle mandate that they were in favor of. Tesla has reported a bigger than expected profitable quarter and if you Bing or Google National electric vehicle mandate, the stories covering this is huge with more auto companies in favor than against. GM, Honda and the State of California have all as of 10-26-2018 officially pushed back on Trump and his administration in regards to the U.S. fuel economy standards. The short story of what you can read at the bottom in the links is that they are saying the federal government should embrace a zero emission vehicle sales mandate nationwide wi…

Chicago Tribune auto reporter Jim Mateja reports that "GM To Channel Its 8 Brands Seperately." Click here for the entire story, including a mention of Buick's upcoming "Super" series.

GM @ Frankfurt 2008 Suzuki Splash Press Release & Image Gallery 2008 Opel/Vauxhall Agila SUZUKI SPLASH A NEW SMALL PASSENGER CAR WITH EUROPEAN DESIGN World Premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt / Available with three engines with CO2 emissions below 140 g/km With the Splash, a new fresh and exciting small passenger car, Suzuki Motor Corporation intends to gain a significant market share in this growing market segment in Europe. The new flexible compact car combines the sportiness of Suzuki’s successful model Swift with the technologies and immense know-how of the Japanese world market leader in the mini car segment. The Splash is not the successo…

Toyota set to pass GM as world's largest carmaker [RANT] Well I've got to say... The Japanese based Toyota sure is interested in aiding the US Economy... They want to increase prices to make their vehicles less competitive agaisnt the Domestic automakers. They've invested billions into America and employeed... lets see... according to this Toyota according to their website in 2004, Direct North America Employment is 37,351 Well... To those that dont know, in the United States roughtly 10% of all employes are in the automotive industry either directly or indirectly. That would probably be roughtly 25 million people employeed in the automotive in…

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/14/gms-hot...re-selling-out/

Just barely caught something on the news about GM having something like this in Wilmington today. Anyone else here this/know details? I kept watching but they didn't return to the story, and I was just waking up at the time.

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-13 GM's Los Angeles Auto Show Lineup Emphasizes Fun, Function And Fuel Efficiency LOS ANGELES – General Motors increases its North American product pace by featuring seven new models for a number of its brands at the upcoming Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, plus a new concept, the GMC PAD. “From economical cars, to sport coupes, to people- and cargo-haulers, the range of GM vehicles shown in L.A. demonstrates our commitment to meet many transportation needs,” said Mark LaNeve, General Motors North America vice president of Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing. Chevy will feature the newly redesigned 2007 Aveo sedan, the all-new 2007 Suburba…

I've actually always liked watching the Charlie Rose show on CBS - especially on nights when I was having trouble falling asleep and I wanted to watch something quasi-interesting. Anywho...very interesting to watch for any GM fan. http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/8/18...eo-rick-wagoner

GM to Use Cost Savings to Fight Toyota `Green' Cars, People Say By Jeff Green Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., losing sales to Toyota Motor Corp., will use some of the $9 billion in savings from cost cuts this year to make vehicles that match the Japanese automaker in technology and fuel efficiency, according to people familiar with the strategy. GM's plans include a hybrid-electric vehicle with a battery that recharges at any outlet, improved gasoline engines, hybrid versions of its Silverado pickup trucks and hydrogen-powered fuel-cell models that emit only water vapor, according to the people, who didn't want to be identified because the plan isn't pub…

Chrysler-Nissan talks halt No more discussions scheduled after Cerberus acknowledges preference for a sale of Chrysler to GM deal ,sources say. Talks between the Renault-Nissan alliance and Cerberus Capital Management LP have stopped as both sides acknowledged Cerberus's preference to conclude a deal for Chrysler LLC with General Motors Corporation; according to sources familiar with the situation. No more talks between Cerberus and Renault-Nissan negotiators have been scheduled, the sources said Friday , although the parties have not been ruled out discussions in the future Cerberus and Nissan declined to comment. But sources close to Cerberus have said …

GM Prepares for Battle with Kerkorian General Motors has retained two investment banks as the automaker attempts to protect itself from a potential proxy fight from its largest individual shareholder, Kirk Kerkorian, according to a report published Wednesday. Citing people familiar with the situation, The Detroit News reported that the automaker hired Goldman Sachs (Charts) and Morgan Stanley (Charts) and began devising other safeguards against Kerkorian while GM discussed a possible alliance with Renault-Nissan. Read "GM reportedly bracing for Kerkorian fight" @ CNNMoney

Kerkorian buys more GM shares By Jason Stein Automotive News / September 01, 2005 http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=13214 DETROIT -- Kirk Kerkorian has raised his stake in General Motors. Kerkorian-controlled companies agreed to buy 13.1 million shares of GM in three separate purchases in August, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday. Kerkorian's companies -- Tracinda Corp. and 250 Rodeo Drive, both of Beverly Hills, Calif. -- now hold 9.53 percent of GM common stock, or almost 54 million shares. That is up from the previous holding of 7.2 percent. Kerkorian has said in SEC filings that his stake is for i…

General Motors posts uptick in second-quarter global vehicle sales Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News General Motors Corp. said today it sold 2.405 cars and trucks worldwide in the second quarter, up slightly from 2.395 million in the same period last year. While North American unit sales were down 7 percent to 1.2 million vehicles, the Detroit-based automaker gained ground outside the United States, posting a record of 1.39 million vehicles sold. That's up 8 percent, and GM said its non-U.S. sales accounted for 58 percent of its global total in the second quarter. Sales in specific regions include: A record 293,300 vehicles sold in the Latin America, Africa…

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ecn?s=DPH

Link to news [quote name='http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewmonthlyreleasedetail.do?domain=74&docid=21472']Chevrolet Taps New Year's Eve/Times Square To Launch All New 2007 Chevy Tahoe The revolution races on with introduction of all new Chevy Tahoe, signaling Chevrolet's continued barrage of new products in '06 Groundbreaking partnership with NYC, Countdown Entertainment and Times Square Alliance gives Chevrolet unprecedented presence in Times Square, including all new custom Chevy stage Major sponsor of "NBC's New Year's Eve With Carson Daly, Presented by Chevrolet" fea…

Today GM president Mark Reuss revealed the trio of electric motors that will power the Ultium-based EVs and the assumption that the e-crate Performance plug n drive that GM has talked about based on Ultium. Designed and calibrated in-house by GM to ensure the highest level of performance we get the following Ultium Drive motors. 62 kW or 83 HP all-wheel drive assist motor 180 kW or 241 HP front-drive motor 255 kW or 342 HP rear and or front-drive motor The three motors, 62 kW, 180 kW, and 255 kW motors are built as a scalable family, sharing design principles as well as similar tooling and manufact…

AFP/File – Logo of the Saturn division of General Motors at the North American International Auto Show January 2009 … By TOM KRISHER, AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher, Ap Auto Writer – Tue Apr 28, 5:31 pm ET DETROIT – General Motors Corp.'s Saturn brand will either be sold or phased out by the end of this year, nearly two years faster than previously announced, the brand's top executive said Tuesday. Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak said the brand, once billed as a different kind of car company, most likely will be sold, given the interest of several buyers who have surfaced. She says GM will take other bids for the brand until June 1. GM has said it wants to sell …

JASON STEIN | Automotive News Posted Date: 8/22/05 http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=103024 General Motors has promised to run product development globally in the past. This time it's actually happening. After several false starts, GM is assigning global programs to different vehicle development centers around the world. The automaker now has globalized engineering, design, information systems and manufacturing, with global operating and capital budgets. For instance, engineering work on the next generation of vehicles on the mid-sized, front-wheel-drive Epsilon architecture -- including the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 -- now is led by GM'…

The Echo gets some points in the "damn, Toyota is cheap" category for putting the gauges in the circular hole in the center, so that the gauges could be moved for RHD/LHD without a different dash piece. Suzuki did somewhat the same thing with the Aerio, but without it being as cheap and damaging to the design. The dash is very small due to it being digital. There is a matching piece on the other side that you could take out and put a mirror image of the dash into. There is also a cutout for the "passenger" airbag in front of the driver, which is a blank panel of course. So very few panels would have to be changed to change the side the wheel is on, yet it's a very functio…

March 2007 sales figures for the United States: Hummer H1 = 15 units Pontiac Grand Am = 12 units Buick LeSabre = 11 units Maybach = 10 units Pontiac Sunfire = 5 units Pontiac Aztek = 2 units Chevy Astro = 2 units GMC Safari = 0 units (not kidding!)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,452990,00.html

BREA, Calif., Nov. 30, 2005 -- American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) today announced a specially designed U.S. version of the all-new Suzuki SX4 vehicle is slated to hit dealer showrooms in the United States next year. Production of the European version of the sport X-over SX4 in Eastern Europe also was announced today. The all-new SX4 features a versatile, rigid five-door design, an available all-wheel-drive system, and for the U.S. market, a sophisticated fuel-sipping 2.0-liter DOHC engine. "Suzuki is known for its success with small vehicles in Asia and Europe," said Koichi Suzuki, president, ASMC Automotive Operations. "The all-new 2007 Suzuki SX4 …

It has been very quiet in the world of the GM - UAW talks, especially here at work lately. The union guys seem unusually strange, there seems to be a calm before the storm effect. Alot of the union guys almost are acting a little afraid to me and most of the time they are very upbeat. So I was surfing along today and found this bit of news at AUTOBLOG, maybe someone else on here knows whats going on. Stocking up: GM and Ford want to fund health care account with shares Posted Sep 5th 2007 1:01PM by Jonathon Ramsey Filed under: Chrysler, Ford, GM, UAW/Unions The Big Three automakers' massive pension liabilities are well known. To remove that burden, a fund called VEBA …