General Motors

http://autos.aol.com/article/car-news/corv...ise/20090429001 Pontiac Is Dead; Is The Corvette Next? What Detroit Will Build (and Won't) In Its Next Chapter by Rex Roy | AOL Autos In remarks made in March about the auto industry, President Obama said, "We cannot, we must not, and we will not let our auto industry simply vanish." This is positive news for many, but it may actually signal the end of the consumer-driven American automotive industry. Depending on how active the Obama administration chooses to be regarding the operation of General Motors and Chrysler (the government already forced out GM CEO Rick Wagoner), bureaucrats may restrict the types of cars th…

##Excuse the grammatical errors they arent the best in the world## ANDERSON — Concern about General Motors’ ability to restructure operations, cut costs and boost sales was raised after the company filed its annual report to investors Thursday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “(GM’s) recurring losses from operations, stockholders’ deficit and inability to generate sufficient cash flow to meet its obligation and sustain its operations raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern,” the company’s auditor, Deloitte & Touche LLP, indicated in the report. Shares in the company closed at $1.86 Thursday on the New York Stock …

Auto Snow: Not So Fast, Comrade Kuttner! The shift lever falls readily to hand for one R. Kuttner, who road tests the Pontiac G6. He doesn't like the door-lock releases. Or the steering. Kuttner concludes the problem wiith GM isn't its workers--or unions--it's GM's incompetent designers and executives: You might blame GM's woes on poor American workmanship or the cost of American labor. But Japanese total labor costs are comparable, even with Detroit's higher health insurance costs. Increasingly, Japanese cars are being assembled in the USA, and the quality holds up just fine. So what's wrong with GM? The cars. GM is famous for being run by bean counters and ad men. T…

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/30454401 Is This The Final "Fix" For GM? No Way GM CEO Fritz Henderson is a straight shooter. It's one of the things about him that I like. That said, how many of us believe the man when he says GM's latest restructuring plan is the final "fix" for the auto maker? Count me among those who are skeptical. Since December, GM has given us three major restructuring with plans to cut thousands of jobs, close 16 plants, and get rid of half the auto makers brands. Each plan also has come with the CEO saying, "We think we've made the changes necessary for us to get back on track." Every time I heard this it sounded like the movie "Ground Hog Da…

This article is very good and gives a good indication on what GM is doing to fight tooth and nail against Toyota. The survey flat out says Toyota is not quite there yet in peoples minds even though the media says so. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17437402/site/newsweek/

Isuzu + GM = LPEC Isuzu and GM are pairing up once again to develop a next-generation pickup truck. This time around though, they're getting quite a bit more serious. So much so, in fact, that they are joining to create a new company: LCV Platform Engineering Corporation (LPEC). It is a 50-50 joint venture which will be based in Fujisawa City, Japan (pictured above). The company is to be established later this month. Read "Isuzu and GM Start Joint Venture" @ World Car Fans

Isuzu d-max gold-series/

Here's a commercial for the Thai version of the Isuzu D-Max... a rebadged Colorado. See... they're not gonna be sold as Chevys exclusively. <iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EUd5PAb-7qc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Envoy/TB/Ascender thread inspired me to look at the US Isuzu web page. I can't believe how much cheaper the Isuzu versions are from their GM counterparts. 5-passenger Ascender: $20,459 5-passenger Trailblazer: $27,410 7-passenger Ascender: $22,498 7-passenger Trailblazer: $29,030 i-280 ext. cab: $14,239 4-cyl Colorado ext. cab: $18,365 The only one on the Isuzu site that seems expensive in comparison, very close to the comparable Chevy, is the i-350 crew cab, at $24,608. That is some CRAZY undercutting on the TB though - can't believe they are still floundering.

News Isuzu CEO says North American operations nearing a 'major turning point' JAMES B. TREECE | Automotive News Posted Date: 11/23/05 TOKYO -- Isuzu Motors Ltd.'s profits are down, but CEO Yoshinori Ida isn't worried. He says the decline is part of his plan to refocus the company on the more profitable parts of its business. For example, Isuzu's North American revenue shrank 31 percent in the fiscal first half, which ended Sept. 30, to $604.1 million, the company reported last week. That was mostly because Isuzu stopped selling SUVs. But operating profit there surged two and a half times, to 3.74 billion yen, or $33.1 million at current ex…

Isuzu pulls out of 2006 North American Auto Show. http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000273060268/

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=103810 Some news everyone saw coming-apparently the CEO thinks Isuzu has a chance-I'm not even sure what the point is anymore.

TOO BAD GM AND FORD WON'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO TELL THE TRUTH OF COURSE,THE MEDIA WOULD JUST SHOOT IT DOWN IF THEY DID. WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - A battle for the hearts and wallets of consumers escalated this week as retirees of the Big Three U.S. automakers launched a campaign to make Americans think twice about buying a foreign car ---even one made in the United States. With Asian automakers shipping about $65 billion worth of autos and auto parts to the United States last year and U.S. automakers shedding tens of thousands of jobs, ad campaigns by Toyota <7203.T> and Hyundai <005380.K> touting the number of Americans they employ have hit a raw …

DETROIT (Fortune) -- If you want to understand how the old General Motors stumbled for 30 years until it collapsed into bankruptcy, consider the story of GoFast. GoFast was a program started in 2000 by Rick Wagoner, then the company's president (and later CEO), to untangle bureaucracy. The idea was simple: When negotiations over an issue reached an impasse, all the interested parties would be put together in one room until they agreed on a decision. Human resources was assigned to spread GoFast through the company. It trained GoFast coaches, arranged thousands of GoFast workshops, staged GoFast feedback sessions, and distributed GoFast coffee mugs. At one point, GM c…

http://www.autoextremist.com/ December 12, 2008 It’s up to you Mr. President. By Peter M. De Lorenzo Detroit. The U.S. Senate late last night voted against passage of a bill to give an emergency bridge loan to the Detroit automakers – specifically GM and Chrysler - paving the way for the eventual collapse of the domestic automobile industry and sending this country’s already teetering financial situation to the brink of disaster. The inaction - a blatantly malicious display of placing political self-interests before the best interests of the nation – was orchestrated by Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), two men who are pushing “the Sout…

Probably GM itself won't bother with any publicity ( after all, this includes Buick, and, in fact, Buick is ranked above Cadillac here ), so here is the J.D. Power Customer Service Index announced July 20th. It's based on a thousand-point scale: 1. Lexus 912 2. Buick 911 3. Cadillac 909 4. Jaguar 908 5. Lincoln 906 and the rest... Mercury 905 Saturn 904 Pontiac 903 Audi 890 MINI 890 Volvo 890 Acura 889 Chevrolet 887 Infiniti 887 Porsche 88…

Suzuki hits the nail smack-dab on the head with new XL7 here very positive review

When the Chinese started to gain market share in TV.s from the Japanese, the Japanese cried. so congress put tariffs on Chinese televisions. On RCA. Magnavox and New American companies such as Polaroid, Apex, Advent and others who use Chinese manufactures to compete with Japan.The tariffs were so high these companies can not manufacture regular TVs in China for their price advantage. At Target stores they have a whole new line of electronic products called Truetech. DVD players, DVD recorders, Radios, LCDS, Telephones etc. all made in China, but their line of regular TVs are made in Korea because of the High Chinese Tariffs. Can not the Big Japanese Companies com…

http://money.cnn.com/services/tickerheadli...69_FORTUNE5.htm "Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.TO) Chairman Hiroshi Okuda has expressed worries about a possible backlash and proposed raising prices on Toyota cars being sold in the United States as a way to calm emerging trade friction." I guess the extra billions of dollars that Toyota make by raising the price is just a painful side affect that they have to bear. Can you think of another business lie in this proportion? Unfortunately, our media seems to play into this propaganda.

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…

I've been thinking about this and wanted to start a thread about it because it's so unbelieveable this practice still exists and the US has done nothing about it. Just how much do the tarriffs increase the average price of a Cavalier or Corvette, since I know those are about the only American cars that sell in Japan. This is probably the most backhanded thing any company can do, not because Japan Inc are selling so extraordinarily well, but because of all the other pressures in addition to this ridiculous form of trade GM must follow in Japan. So if anyone knows what the real price difference becomes, can they speak up about it? Does this make anyone else as mad…

Cadillac and Buick ranked higher than Toyota and Honda in reliability survey. Other GM brands hovering around average and are much better than Nissan. http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/23/Autos/amer..._cars/index.htm

Jerry Flint has come up with some ideas which will, in his opinion, help to save General Motors. To read his column from Forbes.com, click here.

Fresh off the GM Yahoo Financial page. Jerry also addresses many of the points you've been discussing here. http://www.forbes.com/2008/06/23/gm-chrysl...artner=yahootix

Link To Article

From Autoweek Dutch Mandel Imagine the Irony It certainly was not lost on the sharp mind of John G. Middlebrook, a 49-year veteran of General Motors sales wars. Middlebrook, who until July 1 was vice president of vehicle brand marketing and corporate advertising, joined family, friends and business acquaintances at the General Motors Heritage Center, a facility that chronicles GM's nearly 100-year history. They came to celebrate Middlebrook's retirement from the company. The irony: On the day that Middlebrook was making small talk with well-wishers, GM chairman Rick Wagoner announced that what once was the world's largest corporation is making dramatic, drasti…

Detroit Free Press Nation/world business AUTOS: GM to spend $3 billion on health fund April 14, 2006 Email this Print this General Motors Corp., the world's largest private provider of health care, will report a first-quarter expense of as much as $3 billion to create a fund to pay future retiree health care costs. The fund requires the company to set aside $1 billion annually in 2006, 2007 and 2011 to offset increased health care costs to retired workers, a federal regulatory filing Thursday shows. It is part of an agreement to get a pretax savings of about $3 billion a year in health care costs from union workers. The October agreement requires more than 475…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

Judge approves Delphi-GM-UAW attrition plan By Nick Zieminski Fri Apr 7, 6:43 PM ET Bankrupt auto parts maker Delphi Corp. (Other OTC:DPHIQ - news) won court approval on Friday for its attrition agreement with former parent General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - news) and the United Auto Workers Union. The deal frees Delphi to offer GM-funded retirement incentives to about 13,000 UAW members, and allows 5,000 workers a chance to return to factory jobs at GM. Delphi, which last week asked the court for permission to reject its labor contracts, has described the attrition plan as a first step to slashing wage and benefit costs and reversing losses in its U.S. operations. "We …

http://www.forbes.com/2005/09/26/GM-SUVs-d..._0926flint.html

Keith Crain, editor at Automotive News calls a ball is a ball,and a strike is a strike. He has it figured out..........how come the guys running GM don't ????? Listen what he has to say GM. "It's a good thing that General Motors has North America and China to rely on for sales, products and profits. But what's going on in Europe? No one understood why GM got involved with PSA Peugeot Citroen by acquiring 7 percent of the company in March. Now, only a few months into the deal, it looks like GM executives made a big blunder. The weak European car market has made the value of the Peugeot stock worth less than the valuation carried on GM's balance sheet. I h…

Kerkorian Reacquires 12 Million GM Shares By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writer Wed Jan 25, 6:35 PM ET DETROIT - Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian is acquiring 12 million shares of General Motors Corp. stock, matching the number of shares he sold in December, a federal regulatory filing showed on Wednesday. Kerkorian's private equity firm, Tracinda Corp., bought 5 million shares of GM stock on Monday for an average purchase price of $21.40, or approximately $107 million, it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On Tuesday, Tracinda agreed to purchase an additional 7 million GM shares in a private transaction for $22.25 per share, or appro…

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…

Sorry If already posted.... Kerkorian Calls for Drastic GM Overhaul The Daily Auto Insider Thursday, January 12, 2006 January 2006 Jerome York, investor Kirk Kerkorian's top lieutenant, urged General Motors to speed up and expand its restructuring, The Wall Street Journal reported. York, an adviser to Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp., which owns 7.8% of GM, said GM should immediately do the following: Cut its $2 a share annual dividend in half to save $566 million a year; cut pay significantly for top executives and directors; drop salaries for lower-level employees; trim GM's lineup of more than 80 U.S. models; and get rid of the Saab and Hummer brands to focus on cor…

Kerkorian May Boost His Stake in GM Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian pressed his case for a three-way alliance between General Motors Corp., Renault and Nissan on Thursday, backing up his argument with a threat to push his GM holdings to more than 10 percent. Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp., broke the news in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, sending GM's stock to a 52-week high at $33.64 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. By closing, though, the price had eased to $33.06, up 78 cents, or 2.4 percent. Read "Kerkorian may buy 12M more GM shares" @ Yahoo

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…

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp.'s board of directors is expected early next week to discuss a possible board seat for Jerry York, a key aide to billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, according to people familiar with the matter. Kerkorian, who owns a 9.5 percent stake in GM, said last week that he plans to buy more shares and may seek representation on the automaker's 11-member board. While Kerkorian has not publicly identified his choice for the board, people close to the situation say the 88-year-old casino mogul now is pressing GM to install York as a director. GM spokeswoman Toni Simonetti declined to comment. York, the former chief financial off…

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/13/business...serland&emc=rss

Philip Nussel Automotive News September 26, 2007 - 5:19 am EST UPDATED: 9/26/07 4:23 p.m. EDT Here is the situation at General Motors in North America: * Talks: GM and the UAW announced a tentative contract settlement at 4 a.m. EDT. * Employees: About 73,000 hourly workers represented by the UAW are expected to return to work today by the afternoon shift. * Approvals: Any agreement must be ratified by the UAW rank-and-file. UAW local leaders could meet as early as Friday morning to discuss the tentative pact. If ratification is completed, the deal would then be subject to court approval and GM must get regulators to approve how it accounts for the contrac…

http://money.cnn.com/2006/02/09/news/companies/gm_delphi/

AW DETROIT -- Watch out, Chevrolet. Kia Motors America has you in its cross hairs. That caution from COO Len Hunt reflects marketing data showing that Chevrolet is the brand most frequently shopped by prospective Kia buyers, except for Hyundai, he told the Automotive News World Congress. "When we take Hyundai out, Chevrolet, with its sporty image, is our biggest cross-shopping brand," Hunt said. "So be careful, that's where our customers are coming from."

we don't want no stinking partnership.

heres another article

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070402/ap_en_...night_rider_car DUBLIN, Calif. - KITT, the flame-throwing, river-jumping, talking muscle car from the `80s TV show "Knight Rider," is up for sale. Restored to its debut-season glory, the modified black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am is offered at $149,995 at a Dublin auto dealership. Johnny "Vette" Verhoek of Kassabian Motors has had the car, officially called Knight Industries Two Thousand, on display for about a month. It is one of four documented "camera cars" used for close-up shots and scenes where David Hasselhoff, who played Michael Knight in the series, was behind the wheel. Although it cannot achieve the 300 mph spee…

WILMINGTON, Del. -- General Motors shareholders blasted the company's chief executive for raking in huge salaries and bonuses while the automaker has struggled financially, but a proposal to give investors a say on executive pay was soundly defeated today. Shareholders also defeated a proposal under which at least 75 percent of future stock options and restricted stock awards for senior executives would be tied to the company's performance. John Lauve of Holly, Mich., who sponsored the proposal on performance pay, said GM's market share, stock price and credit rating have decreased in recent years, but management and directors have not been held accountable. "We eit…

Lack of '05 inventory expected to take toll on GM sales By Greg Migliore Automotive News / August 25, 2005 http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=13151 DETROIT -- A summer of offering employee discounts to the public has cleared out plenty of 2005 models for the Big 3 -- a fact that will likely dent General Motors' sales for August, analysts say. Analysts expect Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler group to post sales gains for August, as both automakers kept their employee discount programs for a second month. But August was the third month of the sales program for GM, which the automaker applied to most of its 2005 models. And with the number of &#…

Jill Lajdziak Reacts In the Fastlane Blog's most-recent update, Saturn's General Manager reacts to comments regarding the brand's revamped lineup. Lajdziak offers insight concerning the Aura's translation from concept to production, the lack of a manual transmission as optional equipment, and the phasing-out of polymer body-panels. Lajdziak's mention of the AutoExtremist's praise is an interesting tidbit, as is her statement regarding the Aura's 14-spoke wheel design. Enjoy the read. Bimmer325 Editor/Reporter -------------------- More on Our Saturn Family By Jill Lajdziak General Manager, Saturn It was great to read all your comments on our new Saturn lineup.…

Check this out,(credit to Popular Mechanics) a mini on the lambda platform with real form! a great improvement over the (really) outdated uplander that has been dissapointing to say the least. Great clean euro looking sheet metal, vibe style arched roofline and what seems to be great visability.This shot gives us a glimps of what should prove to be a jump into hyperspace for the twin upcoming people movers.It goes without saying that GM will undoubtably have a world class interior as well. Keep your eyes peeled!!

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 …

Jamie LaReau Automotive News January 13, 2008 - 1:45 pm ET UPDATED: 1/13/08 3:17 p.m. DETROIT -- General Motors is willing to boost incentive spending in 2008, says Mark LaNeve, vice president of North American vehicle sales, service and marketing. He says he believes that U.S. vehicle sales in 2008 will be flat because manufacturers will likely spend more on incentives to keep it around 16 million. GM in the past has been known to spend more on incentives than some of its competitors. "We've broken that cycle of incentive spending," LaNeve said, noting that buyers' reasons for choosing GM have evolved from a great deal to a great product. "But you sti…

LaNeve: GM's Sales Slide has "Bottomed Out" General Motors Corp. U.S. sales decline has “bottomed out,” marketing chief Mark LaNeve told reporters in New York on Wednesday, and the company hopes to end a four-year slide in U.S. market share next year. “If we grow a tenth of a point next year, I’ll be thrilled out of my mind,” LaNeve said, according to a report from Bloomberg News. GM is counting on new SUVs and redesigned cars, pickups and SUVs to stop the fall, LaNeve said. CEO Rick Wagoner is to brief reporters and industry consultants on GM’s restructuring and plans for new models later today at a meeting in Detroit. Detroit Free Press

By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writer Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writer – Fri May 22, 6:51 pm ET Article Link WASHINGTON – Lawmakers appealed to the Obama administration on Friday to slow down the restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler, wary of shuttered car dealerships, job losses and the big unknown of a GM bankruptcy. "We are asking President Obama to call 'time-out' on his automobile task force," said Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio. Members of Congress urged the White House to re-examine its work to stabilize the U.S. auto industry, prompted by sweeping plans outlined last week by Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. to shutter hundreds of car deale…

Leadership After Lutz Bob Lutz has already retired at least once from an executive position at a car-maker when he left DaimlerChrysler following the merger. When he joined General Motors a few years back to oversee its product development, he was already well past the standard retirement age and by next year he will be 75 years old. According to Just-Auto.com, GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster has been informed by Chairman Rick Wagoner that he will be taking over Lutz's seat on the board of directors as well as his role leading product development in 2008. Autoblog

Okay. Does anyone know if GM is going to ressurect the Lean Machine concept vehicle in light of the new desire for more fuel efficent vehicals. It was rumored that it achieved 100mpg.. Just wondering..

John Revill Automotive News Europe February 16, 2009 06:01 CET ENLARGEAlain Visser will focus more on Opel’s sales strategy. General Motors is restructuring its sales, marketing and aftersales operations in Europe to give its Opel, Chevrolet Europe and Saab brands more autonomy. The move is likely to include a greater role for Chevrolet in Europe as GM’s entry brand while also making it easier for Saab to be spun off into a separate company. The change also will allow each brand to be more responsive to market conditions, Brent Dewar, GM Europe’s head of sales, marketing and aftersales told Automotive News Europe. “This year will be as challenging as 2008…

http://today.reuters.com/investing/finance...OS-LEAR-SEC.XML

IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed. Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check. I love cars, American cars. I was born in Detroit, the son of an auto chief executive. In 1954, my dad, George Romney, was tapped…

One thing I find funny about the internet - it gives me a chance to find all of the douche bags of the world and watch them open their word holes and have diarrhea come pouring out at just the click of my mouse. All from the comfort of my own home! http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/artic...,yhoo,msft,goog

The Article:Backseat Driver Let's Bail Out GM Jerry Flint 10.22.08, 6:00 PM ET Forbes Magazine dated November 10, 2008 http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2008/111...artner=yahoomag Seems as compelling a case and rationale as I've ever read.

Oldest Customer of 2010 Camaro [source: General Motors] When most people retire they take up golfing, but 101 year old Virgil Coffman is living life in the fast lane. The active centenarian recently became the oldest known living owner of a new 2010 Camaro. Despite initial concern from the sales associate, Coffman knew exactly what he wanted when he purchased the 400 horsepower, bright yellow, Transformers edition Camaro. Impressed by the overall design, Virgil was ultimately sold on the cars' easy handling. After owning nearly 40 cars in his lifetime, he follows the philosophy that if you want something, get it. These days Virgil says he can'…

General Motors' increasingly empty coffers could consign the Cadillac Converj show car to 'concept only' status. The Detroit Auto Show coupe has been the subject of production rumors since before it rolled onto the stage in Cobo earlier last week, but now Automotive News is reporting that GM may not have enough money to make Converj a reality. AN quotes GM vice chairman Bob Lutz as saying that the Converj is far from a done deal: Our take? The angularly gorgeous Cadillac was designed around the same extended-range Voltec architecture as Chevrolet's forthcoming Volt, itself a spectacularly expensive research and development effort. GM is clearly committed to makin…

Limited recall riles GM owners NHTSA monitors brake callback in 20 states and D.C. as complaints mount. Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- General Motors Corp. last year recalled 1.35 million trucks and SUVs in 20 states and Washington, D.C., to clean brake sensors that could malfunction and cause accidents. Despite the recalls, though, GM is struggling to move beyond questions about the anti-lock brakes on its best-selling Chevrolet Silverado pickup and seven other models. Reports continue to pour in from states not covered under the recall -- and some from states like Michigan that are included -- of accidents and near-misses from truck own…

While I can't say any of these GM cars and trucks are good looking (except for the pretty stock Solstice GXP, not the Ferrari wannabe one) at least they are basing them off some real cars (is that good or bad). Question, is that a Cobalt next to the riced Mustang? http://blog.cardomain.com/blog/2008/03/mor...ics-f.html#more

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.

Hello all, just wondering if anybody has any news on what will be going on at Lordstown Assembly as far as any possability of getting another product, or if they are gonna extend production of the Delta platform. I'm hearing a few rumors but am wondering if anybody else is hearing anything comparable to what I have heard.

Can anybody tell me what is planned for Lordstown Assembly when the Cobalt is done in 09. I have heard several rumors about GM extending production there, and I have also heard rumors of a new product. Can anybody fill me in?

It seems just about all you see here are "Toyota" billboards on nearly every corner. And on TV. The dealers are even stronger here advertising-wise. I can't help but imagine what a difference it might make by advertising Chevrolet and Cadillac here more. Unfortunately, you can forget about trimming Pontiac/GMC/Buick/Saturn to get the money: they don't advertise here either.

I live in Pasadena, CA which is a city to the northeast of down town Los Angels. It's about 8 miles to downtown LA. Yesterday I got a postcard from my Saturn dealer. They are closing both of their Saturn dealerships, one in Monrovia (one town East of here) and the other in Alhambra (2 towns southwest of me and bordering on Los Angeles.) Now the closest Saturn dealer is 26 miles away in Whittier. In last weeks Pasadena newspaper, the local Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer announced that they were no longer selling these products. The nearest next two dealers are 25 min. away. The first Saturn dealer will be selling Mazda, the second Saturn dealer (owned by the same people)…

Oh Jalopnik, gotta love them for the new photos of the 2008 Corvette and it's LS3! Just because the new Corvette LS3's not expected to be unveiled until Saturday, doesn't mean you don't deserve to see it early. Luckily some shots have already snuck out of Bowling Green of what looks to be the new engine for the 2008 big bad-ass from the bargain brand at the General. A poster over at DigitalCorvettes did the dirty work to show us the rumored 430 hp engine that we've heard will be the new standard for the '08 Corvette. It's no "Corvette SS," but whatevs. Anyway, we'll just let you look at the new n' pretty five-spoke wheels and the big side-bolstered red leather seats, an…

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-06 "Baby Buick" Lucerne Golf Carts to Star on Tonight's "The Amazing Race" on CBS Tonight’s winning team to take home new Lucerne Week-long sweepstakes for new Lucerne AND a trip to Lucerne, Switzerland, at www.cbs.com/buick Detroit – As part of the launch of the all-new 2006 Buick Lucerne and following activities including a new tagline (“Beyond Precision”), new advertising and appearances on “The Apprentice Martha Stewart” and the daytime “Martha Stewart Living,” Buick will take a lead role on tonight's “The Amazing Race” on CBS at 9 p.m. EST. This time, Buick is leveraging its role as one of the leading sponsors of golf and provides e…

http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/archives/2008/..._a_cr.html#more

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...5/1002/BUSINESS MARK PHELAN Lutz says GM won't sweat the small stuff Carmaker to focus on high-volume, big-profit products BY MARK PHELAN • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • July 16, 2008 Read Comments(19)Recommend (3)Print this page E-mail this article Share this article: Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine What’s this? The troops need something to fight for, not a feeling of endless retreat. General Motors Vice Chairman and retired Marine pilot Bob Lutz gave his beleaguered company that goal Tuesday, saying the company will concentrate its engineering and design efforts on vehicles it expects to sell profitably a…

This was taken from a Canadian auto web site. Much of this matched what the Fbodfather has stated before. HOT CAMARO CONCEPT WILL BECOME A REALITY "It is now clear that the car that made the biggest waves at the Detroit auto show was the Camaro concept. It is now an open secret that it will be built. "Ever since the first day I got to General Motors I've been getting mail from Camaro owners, Camaro clubs, Camaro fanatics," Lutz said during the show. "It's like a cult following out there. "I've been telling them, just wait until the Detroit auto show. I think you'll be pleased. But most of the e-mails lately have been, 'Hey, you've been there four years already. W…

“Five Things I Think I Think” Remarks by Robert A. Lutz Automotive News World Congress Marriott Hotel GM Renaissance Center Detroit, Michigan January 23, 2008 Thanks and good evening, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be back at the Automotive News World Congress. It’s been five years since I’ve spoken here, which seems unbelievable to me, but it’s true. Back in ’03, I predicted that the automotive industry was on the cusp of a New Golden Age… then proceeded to explain how the New Golden Age wasn’t going to look much like the Old Golden Ages. To my credit, I didn’t say exactly when this was going to happen… Obviously, we’re not reveling in the throes …

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GM's Lutz makes his mark with Solstice Sports car may be start of a risk-taking strategy September 1, 2005 BY MARK PHELAN FREE PRESS AUTO CRITIC http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/lutz1e_20050901.htm After four years at General Motors Corp., Vice Chairman Bob Lutz gets what he asked for. The 2006 Pontiac Solstice is Lutz's baby, and both Pontiac's future and his legacy ride in the little roadster. GM hired Lutz in 2001 to inject style and passion into a humdrum lineup. He challenged the company's designers to create an exciting sub-$20,000 sports car as the first step. The Solstice is that car. If it succeeds, Lutz's le…