General Motors

Imagine GM getting 113% utilization of their plants. 2006 Habour Report

New GP/GTO???? In any case it is a new Holden and it looks good! posted on Drive.comau HSV's eagerly awaited E-Series performance sedan has broken cover a full week ahead of its official launch because of a silly mix-up in embargo dates. Pictures of a white E-Series sedan, most likely a Clubsport, were apparently published by a government department mistakenly advised by HSV that the vehicle's official launch was yesterday, Wednesday August 16. The launch was actually put back a week until Monday 21 August, but it seems this small detail never got to the department in question. These pictures, picked up by enthusiast sites like LS1.com.au, are only the second tim…

It looks like Holden is bringing the new VE to the states for the GM board to drive and I am sure the press to drive. He is the full strory from DRIVE.COM.AU Drive.com.au It’s only just been revealed, but already Holden’s VE Commodore is embarking on a world tour. "Holden has developed a secret plan to pitch the new VE Commodore SS to its parent General Motors as a Pontiac sports sedan model in the USA. The future of the plan, which estimates a $20 million cost to legalise the car for North America, could rest on a sample drive by the General Motors board of directors in Detroit early in August. At the same time board heavyweights, led by chairman Rick Wagoner and…

Several GM executives are being given different positions, including Brent Dewar and Mike Jackson. Here is a link to the entire story from The Auto Channel. I don't know one of these people from the other. Is this a good thing? As part of the changes, a man named Pete Gerosa will get a "special assignment" focusing on the North American turnaround. Gerosa is to "focus on implementing sales and service programs and distribution strategies that are integral to GM’s North American turnaround plan," but how effective can he really be if he plans to retire later this year?

I was looking through all of the 2007 model guides and it looks like a year of retrenchment...not much new, not much different in the way of colors and trim and virtual duplication of ordering groups/patterns. Say I wanted a telescopic wheel or a folding front bucket seat outside of an option group. It's almost as it they are saying "take it or leave it." Are any juicy new platforms or extensive face lifts due in 2008 or 2009? Good Gawd. Are you feeling the same way - kind of ambivalent about the upcoming model year?

Excellent article on the CTS. Nice fluff piece by Angus MacKenzie. Nice focus on the details of the CTS. I'm convinced this is going to be a winner product for Cadillac. Let's hope for some momentum. Go GM!

Here's the direct link to an August 22, 2005 Q&A between U.S. News & World Report and Mark LaNeve: "Q&A: GM's Marketing Chief" :angry: I sure hope he's not serious about 3 products for Buick.

here is the link [URL=http://motortrend.com/future/spied/112_0509_spy_chevy_silverado/ B)

The new 2008 Opel Vectra is obviously very close to introduction based on how many times it has been turning up at the far end of spy camera lenses lately. The latest images that have appeared show a couple of views of the new car with all the striped mylar photoshopped away to give us a clean look at the first vehicle built on General Motor's Epsilon II platform. The car pictured here will be appearing stateside in about two years wearing Saturn badges as the new Aura. Variants with different bodies will also appear as the next next Chevy Malibu, Saab 9-3 and 9-5, and possibly even more.

NEWSWEEK INTERVIEW: Rick Wagoner CEO of General Motors Feels 'Completely' Secure in His Job: 'I Know in the End, All of Us Are Going to be Judged on Accomplishments' On Calls For 'New Blood' in GM Management: 'That Is So Simplistic ... That Would Be The Biggest Risk I've Ever Heard Of' NEW YORK, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner tells Newsweek's Detroit Bureau Chief Keith Naughton he is particularly annoyed by critical media coverage that fails to acknowledge any progress at the troubled company. "They talk about that we are not moving to address the problems," he tells Naughton in the April 10 issue (on newsstands Monday, April 3). "I want to say…

Read the whole article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11677325/site/newsweek/page/2/ GM chief designer Ed Welburn sweeps into his Chevrolet design studio and it's as if he were stepping back in time. On one side of the cavernous white room, designers huddle over a silver retro remake of the Chevy Camaro. A few steps away, stylists scurry around a future Chevy family car that ripples with sinewy muscles from a bygone era. Papering the walls of the studio are photos of classic iron from Detroit's halcyon postwar years—the chiseled '65 Chevy Impala, the jet-age '65 Ford Galaxie, the long-nosed '65 Plymouth Fury. Welburn slowly walks around the work-in-progress family car, ins…

If you visit Fusion Unleashed you can see three photos of the next generation Mazda 6. Does anyone have any information on this car?

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…

now that we have the FRENCH and JAPANESE moving in on trying to take apart one of our All-American industrial giants, do you think maybe its time some of the people in WASHINGTON, namely GWB and the congress wake up and smell the fact that our policies have threatened to wipe out some of our most prized US businesses?

Nissan To Build New Suzuki Pickup Chicago Auto Show Debut | Fall '08 Production | Frontier-based From Winding Road.

OnStar Stays Factory-Installed Only Date posted: 10-11-2007 | Link to Original Article @ Edmunds WASHINGTON, D.C. — After contemplating offering aftermarket OnStar receivers to owners of cars that didn't come with the service built in, the company has decided to limit its product to original-equipment-use only, said OnStar President Chet Huber. With a flattening membership growth curve, the notion of pursuing customers whose cars didn't come with OnStar certainly looks attractive, but the idea of marketing a version of OnStar for such customers just doesn't make sense to the company, Huber explained. "We can't be confident that it can really be OnStar as an aftermark…

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/opinion/...agewanted=print May 14, 2006 Editorial No Holds Barred Both sides in the labor battle at America's largest auto parts supplier, Delphi, are trying to ratchet up the pressure. Delphi's management asked a bankruptcy judge to throw out its labor agreements, which would let the company cut wages and benefits steeply. The United Automobile Workers leadership, meanwhile, has asked its 24,000 rank-and-file union members at Delphi to authorize a strike. The country is used to confrontations between entrenched unions and struggling corporations in the Rust Belt, but this one is more significant than the usual fights over who will …

Earlier this week, when General Motors rolled out the very same 3-door Chevrolet Beat concept that it showed back in 2007, we were a bit confused. After all, GM's Ed Welburn teased all of America when he pulled back the tarp on a related (but clearly different) subcompact during NBC's Today Show (video here), only to trot out the same vivid green three-door that has been steadily making the show circuit rounds for some time now. Well, Kicking Tires has unearthed the back story, and evidently the tarp-pulling session with Matt Lauer revealed a foam model of the production Spark five-door. Understandably, GM couldn't very well drive a foam block up the ramp and onto the s…

GM vows to defend title against Toyota By TOM KRISHER http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8MF41100.htm From AP

Chevrolet light vehicle sales for November (up to Class 3 trucks) totalled 150,364 (-11.40%). At Toyota (which only sells light vehicles and not even Class 2 and 3 trucks) November sales totalled 162,722 (+2.21%), excluding Scion. For the year, Toyota still trails Chevrolet by a good margin 1,980,567 (+5.75%) v. 2,066,273 (-6.58%). Light vehicle sales at Ford were 146,455 (-1.83%) for Nov. and 1,934,417 (-15.51%) for the year so far. Brand Nov 07 % chg 2007 YTD %chg Chevrolet 150,364 -11.40% 2,066,273 -6.58% Toyota 162,722 +2.21% 1,980,567 +5.75% Ford 146,455 -1.83% 1,934,417 -15.51%

There was a time when General Motors was seen as the paragon of financial quality. Its bonds were rated triple A, and it was known for the most conservative accounting. Let other companies use liberal accounting rules to make results look better; G.M. did not need such things. The announcement late Thursday that General Motors would revise profit figures for every year of this decade, and would have to restate the 2005 earnings it had already reported, shows how far the icon has fallen. Less than a year after it lost its investment-grade bond rating, its bonds are viewed as middling even among junk bonds. "You have to question what controls are in place," said Charles W…

GM deal 'a black day' for Canada's auto sector By GREG KEENAN, From Thursday's Globe and Mail One of the key pillars supporting Canada's long-standing competitive advantage in the auto industry began crumbling Wednesday, less than a week after another one collapsed. General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers reached a deal that shifts the burden of retiree health-care costs for U.S. workers to the union. The agreement dramatically reduces GM's burdensome cost structure and once it's followed by Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. , will reduce the health-care advantage Canada has used for more than a generation to help lure automotive investment to this country.…

Business Insider Now that's thinking inside the box The Detroit News Link to Original Article @ DetNews A Web phenomenon was born when a Saturday Night Live skit starring Justin Timberlake hit YouTube in the past week and Detroit auto brands Cadillac, Hummer and Ford went along for the ride. The skit featured Timberlake and another performer singing a randy love ballad entitled "D--- in a Box" in exaggerated 1990s boy-band fashion. The two sing about making a gift for their girlfriends of their male anatomy, which appear to be wrapped in strategically placed boxes and topped with bows. SNL bleeped the word in question 16 times during the broadcast a week ago. But a…

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/magazine/30pensions.html Very long read but looks at a looming problem facing corporations and governments (state, local and federal). Someone will eventually have to pay for this.

Original article here: http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchang...rivers_seat.cfm I ABSOLUTELY hate the idea of comparing the administration's response to the collapse of the big carmakers to the administration's response to the collapse of the financial system. They're superficially alike, yet different enough in substance to make analogy misleading. And yet, I can't avoid it. Barack Obama's comments today, as he rolled out the administration's plan for handling the all-but-certain failure of General Motors and Chrysler just demand to be held in constrast to his administration's poor roll out of its banking plan. The first and most notable difference is the messeng…

Here are some notes of what I found at the auto show this year. the Cadillac line was placed in and with Benz, BMW, Porsche and Audi. It was removed from all the other GM products. T The ATS and XTC were generating a lot of interest at the display. The Buick display was near empty less for the Encore. The Encore had many older buyers looking. As for the Encore it was the first time I was in it. It is a very nice car if you do not want a large ready cargo area. you can configure it to carry things but you had best be alone. It has a similar feel inside of my HHR less the cargo area and the much better interior. The GMC display was busy with the Acadia. They did have a…

The Employee Pricing Scheme is over so now it appears that a person shopping for a new 2008 would have to pay more for one than they would have paid in September. Something is fundamentally wrong with that picture. The incentives available on the 2008 are tantamount to a joke, given that these cars are held over; the 2009's are already out. What is GM thinking? What are these dealers thinking? That the economy will suddenly improve and people will flood GM showrooms, willing to be pounded on high gross profit deals? There is no reason why they can't sell a new 2008 now for the same employee pricing less current incentives, but they won't. I hope that all these jerks go o…

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Derivatives traders are increasing bets that General Motors Corp. may follow Delphi Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc. into bankruptcy after the disclosure of accounting errors and four straight quarters of losses. Traders last week demanded upfront payments in addition to annual premiums for derivatives contracts that protect owners of the Detroit-based company's debt should it miss a payment or declare bankruptcy. By doing so, traders relegated GM to the same status as Delphi and Delta just before those companies defaulted. GM, the world's biggest automaker, is losing U.S. market share to Asian rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp. and is …

FOR RELEASE: 2006-10-25 GM Reports Preliminary Third-Quarter Financial Results *Reported net loss of $115 million, or $0.20 per share *Adjusted net income of $529 million, or $0.93 per share diluted *Record third-quarter revenue of $48.8 billion *Upper end of estimated Delphi exposure reduced by $4.5 billion DETROIT – General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) today reported significantly improved preliminary financial results for the third quarter of 2006. The company posted a profit on an adjusted basis, excluding special items, and generated its third consecutive quarter of record revenue. GM reported a net loss of $115 million, or $0.20 per share, for the third quar…

The dealer has been open 100 years. Article here

For Lansing resident car enthusiests this is a sad sight . The removal of the Oldsmobile name from the Olds world headquarters. Oldsmobile sign to stay in Lansing GM giving letters and sculpture to R.E. Olds museum By Barbara Wieland Lansing State Journal http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage A visible piece of Oldsmobile history will get a permanent home in Lansing. General Motors Corp. said Friday it will donate the large Oldsmobile lettering atop the former car division's headquarters to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. The museum also will be given an abstract sculpture that stood at the south end of the building for about 40 years. The fate of th…

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/03/business...ss/03chevy.html June 3, 2006 On Route of Chevrolet Impala, Signposts to Detroit's Decline By MICHELINE MAYNARD DETROIT, June 2 — To understand why Detroit is having so much trouble competing against Asian car companies, look no further than the Chevrolet Impala. In the 1960's, the Impala was king of the road. General Motors sold more than a million of them in 1965. Now the Impala is still the best-selling American car, but it is selling less than a third of that total. The Impala also lags behind four Japanese offerings — the Toyota Camry and Corolla, and the Honda Accord and Civic — in the annual race to be the best-sel…

You don't hear enough about On-Star anymore. This is still a huge unique selling point for GM (I've heard a number GM buyers say that they'll never buy a car that doesn't have On-Star) and it's only going to get bigger as navigation systems become more common and GM continues to improve On-Star's capabilities. I seriously think this is one of GM's most under-leverged assets. http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/25/onstar-...car-navigation/

For those of you with Onstar's Directions & Connections Plan, eNav is finally up and running at Mapquest.com. I think it is nice that, 1) it took so long to get it here, was suppose to start toward the end of last summer, and 2) they launch it AFTER the Memorial Day weekend. Oh well, at least it is here finally. For those that don't know what eNav is, OnStar eNav, an enhancement to the Turn-by-Turn Navigation service allows subscribers to plan travel destinations on the MapQuest.com® site and then send them to their OnStar-equipped vehicle. Once on the road, simply press the OnStar phone button, follow the voice-guided commands, and select a destination. Plan online…

A decision by the Federal Communications Commission that allows all cell phone companies to turn off their analog networks beginning in February of 2008 means that nearly two million people, or half of OnStar's entire subscription base, will soon find the other end silent when they press that blue button on their vehicle's dash. Link: http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/20/onstar-...ns-of-vehicles/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/37229661#37205306

OnStar system will be able to halt stolen cars Tom Krisher | Associated Press | Link to Original Article @ DetNews DETROIT -- Say some clown steals your car from the parking deck at work. If it's equipped with General Motors' OnStar service, he could be in for a big surprise and you could get a little revenge -- and even see your car again. Starting with about 20 models for 2009, the service will be able to slowly halt a car that is reported stolen, and the radio may even speak up and tell the thief to pull over because police are watching. OnStar already finds 700 to 800 cars per month using the global positioning system. With the new technology, which OnStar Presi…

IL Exclusive: OnStar To Help Customers Find Ethanol Date posted: 04-08-2006 DETROIT — OnStar President Chet Huber said his company will unveil a new service in June to let customers know if their vehicle is E85 compatible and help them find ethanol filling stations. Customers will receive an e-mail telling them where ethanol filling stations are in their area — or they can press the OnStar button in their vehicle and get help from a representative. Huber said OnStar is also working on another new service that would alert customers when their tires are underinflated. "Even minor underinflation has an impact on fuel economy," Huber said. He would not say when that serv…

OnStar Updates its Navigation Option 02.07.06 OnStar Turn-By-Turn Navigation provides spoken directions without requiring the driver to enter a destination manually; without continued operator involvement (unlike current OnStar directions); but also without any navigation display. It will require a 2007 GM car and cost about $10 a month more than current basic OnStar service. By Bill Howard The in-car navigation space is getting a lot more crowded: Enter the upcoming voice-only OnStar navigation system, shown to the media on a live Webcast January 6, and to be formally announced by GM and Onstar on January 8 at the Chicago Auto Show. The salient appeal of OnStar T…

Enrollment Enrolling in OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics is quick and easy. OnStar subscribers can enroll either through our enrollment website (onstar.com/vehiclediagnostics) or by simply pressing the blue OnStar button in their vehicle and talking to an OnStar Advisor. Newly enrolled subscribers will receive their first OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics email report within a few hours after the vehicle is driven following activation for the service. The OnStar system in the vehicle will continue to send vehicle data to OnStar about every thirty days, depending on driving habits. Although the data call usually is completed within a few minutes, the vehicle ignition must remain in …

OnStar, GM map out plan for navigation system DETROIT -- More than 2 million General Motors products will come with factory-installed navigation systems by 2007. GM will seek to broaden the market for navigation systems through its OnStar telematics network. GM will offer OnStar's Turn-by-Turn Navigation system as a cheaper alternative to systems that use an embedded screen in a vehicle. With the OnStar system, a customer talks to a live adviser. GM will offer its system as a $100 option during the first year of service on a majority of GM vehicles, OnStar President Chet Huber said in an interview with Automotive News. The service will be free for the first year on mos…

January 6, 2006 11:03 AM PST LAS VEGAS--Customers who subscribe to GM's OnStar service mostly call when they need help unlocking a car or after an accident--but some call when they are lonely, said Chet Huber, president of the company. "They call and ask them (the OnStar phone consultants) to contact their wife," he said. The social calls, however, have been dropping since the company integrated Verizon's cellular service with hands-free driving. During Hurricane Katrina, OnStar gave customers in Louisiana free cellular service. In some places, it was the only phone. The company will come out with a new upgrade of its hardware in a month. On…

http://www.940news.com/nouvelles.php?cat=23&id=112257 Seems as AH-HA said there is still a chance for OSHAWA 2

Oohs and Ahs At Delphi's Circus New York Times 11/13/05 11/13/05 by Gretchen Morgenson c. 2003 New York Times Company It's not every day that investors can view the contortions performed by compensation consultants trying to justify the monster executive pay packages that they recommend to corporate clients. And when these exercises in absurdity are done for executives asking for great sacrifices from workers, retirees, creditors and former shareholders because they manage a company in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the entertainment is unmatched. The ringside seat for this show comes courtesy of the Delphi Corporation, the automotive parts giant that f…

It Finishes Among the Backbenchers in German Quality Survey. [source: MotorAuthority] German Cars Tops In Latest ADAC Breakdown Statistics Reliability is the main concern for most car buyers, and for obvious reason - for such a large investment, the car better start up and take you where you need to go. And while all brands have their issues, it turns out German cars fared best this time around, mirroring last year's results. The turnaround is something of an upset, since Japanese cars dominated most of the previous decade in reliability surveys. The Germans have definitely upped their game, however, with Audi at the leading edge. The…

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/bailout-w...money-or-worse/

General Motors' European unit "won't provide a single cent" of the aid it might get from the German government. General Motors might be burning its way through cash but it won't get a chance to even singe any bailout money that its European subsidiary might get. Adam Opel has said it will keep any funding it gets from the German government, even as its ailing parent company has revealed it is close to bankruptcy. "We as employees will make our contribution in this difficult time to ensure future investments," said Klaus Franz, deputy supervisory board chairman of GM in Europe said Saturday. "But we won't provide a single cent, which then would be burned from GM." O…

Last week in San Jose, California there was an alternative fuel cars display which was represented by GM, Nissan, Honda and Ford(at least in the spot where I was). GM was displaying a blue Opel Zafira hydrogen fuel cell technology. When I spoke with Mike the GM Engineer of some sort about the car and the technolgy GM was displaying, I asked him why GM was not doing a better job at promoting their efforts in alternative fuel technolgy. I mentioned the GM hybrid pick up trucks, the buses they are testing in cities, etc but the public is unaware of these efforts because of GM's poor PR. I mentioned how everyone believes Toyota is "green" despite the fact that t…

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,1221...r-1893-xml-atom

Opel/Vauxhall Astra is Europe's Top Seller in September • GM Europe Q3 sales up 66,730 cars and LCVs, or 14.6 percent • GM Europe YTD share up 0.3 points, at 9.5 percent • GM Europe YTD sales 123,725 vehicles ahead of last year • YTD: Opel/Vauxhall grows 4 percent, Chevrolet up 32 percent Zurich. In the first three quarters of 2007, General Motors (GM) Europe sold a record 1,652,082* vehicles, up 123,725 units or 8.1 percent from the same period last year. The resulting market share of 9.5 percent constitutes a growth of 0.3 points. It is the highest market share for the group since 1999. In September, GM Europe sold a record 205,497 cars and LCVs, a plus of 20,950 v…

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 20, 2012 Opel/Vauxhall are trying to position themselves as premium car brand for Europe. One problem; their only “flagship” model is the Insignia. CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke said the brand needs more of them. “I believe we need a top of the line car, to be positioned in the luxury segment. The Insignia car has done a great job of showing we can make premium-like products, but establishing ourselves properly in this territory will be a long journey.” Stracke went onto say, “We would also benefit from launching a large crossover, something to fight the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML, and possibly another roadster — …

I need a lot of opinions on this truck. I want to get the opinions of everybody on the SEMA Z71 Plus concept. Its a radical step away from the current 355 trucks. It obviously includes some of the traits of the 900 series, as evidenced by the tremendous new fender flairs. It also has some flavor of other GM cars, with Camaro-style low profile lights, a cleaner tailgate, and revised interior. This is the fourth time GM has unveiled a Colorado Concept model with the 5.3 V8. I see alot of pre-production hints in this truck. I need the opinions of everybody here. What do you like? What do you hate? What else would you like to see happen? Please, let us know any opinions, an…

Its been announced that the third shift at the Oshawa Truck Plant will end as of Jan 1st/08. We were told at work early this morning.

Information to be released tomorrow. http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/article....vf=2&bg=32&pp=0

Automotive News July 13, 2009 - 12:01 am ET When Rick Wagoner was canned by the Obama administration earlier this year, many wondered how long his replacement, General Motors old-timer Fritz Henderson, would last. Listening to Steve Rattner, head of the administration's auto task force, last week, it would appear that Henderson has some job security. "We have been spending time with the GM team, and we're very pleased to see the energy that both CEO Fritz Henderson and incoming Chairman Ed Whitacre are devoting to ensuring GM's future success," Rattner told reporters. Rattner didn't waste other opportunities to tout the dutiful Henderson. Asked about Henderson…

What are the odds of the GM leaders waking up and do something that would make a great impression on Washington and the rest of the country. When they go back to Washington drive the best new product and efficent product you have and even bring a few Future mules like a Volt. If Rick drove up and parked at the Capital steps in a Volt Mule that made it all the way from Detroit alone with a Cruze and a hand full of their best hybirds it would not only put it on Washington but it would show what GM is really doing to a uninformed public. Make a show of this a show of what really is going on. Leave the Jets and SUV's at home and show how GM is and will compete in the…

Patent Reveals 7-Speed Dual Clutch Transmission From GM William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 23, 2011 Last Summer, GM announced that it would be working with their partner in China, SAIC to build a new dry dual-clutch automatic transmission. Now, a patent filled by GM has been uncovered. The patent shows a seven speed dual-clutch transmission for front wheel drive vehicles. It's unknown what vehicles the transmission will be put into, but small cars like the Chevrolet Cruze and Buick Verano are contenders. Source: Motor Trend Source: Free Patents Online

NOTICE: I didn't know where else to put this, so I figured I'd post it in here. While I found this quite fascinating, those who are not musically inclined might not be so interested. http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/autoworld.shtml The Corvette Standard 22, on the PRS website: http://www.prsguitars.com/showcase/current/corvette.html

Paying tribute to General Motors About 15 new GM vehicles are parked at the press conference site. By DAVID SKOLNICK CITY HALL REPORTER YOUNGSTOWN — Officials with the city, convocation center and General Motors Corp. will announce an agreement today to name the facility in honor of the automotive company, according to various sources. Most sources say the new downtown arena will be called the Chevrolet Center, in honor of the Chevrolet Cobalt produced at the Lordstown GM complex, with a few saying it would be a variation of that name. One source said the center's logo would feature the Chevrolet bow-tie trademark. City, center and GM officials declined We…

Just caught Wind Tunnel tonight. Robin Millers [indianapolis Star] was on with his scoop that the word going around the pit areas in IRL and NASCAR have Roger possibly going to lead GM. Miller said he is following up on this and will report more later. He said he needed to shake out more info on it this week from team members in both series. I know this one comes up every few months and there is most likley nothing here as usaual, but it is the first time I have heard that race teams are passing the word around on this topic. Hmmm can you imagine a GM leader racing Dodge's, Porsche and Honda. GM could give him some token C6R's as a signing bonus.

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…

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…

So once again, in my opinion, Phil LeBeau distills GM's 'situation' down into it's essence.. [the article] Saving GM: Inside the Crisis, Automobile Industry, Bailout, Business, Manufacturing Behind the Wheel - Phil Lebeau Talk about a re-structuring. In one full swoop, the White House has made it clear it will re-make America's largest auto maker from the top down. This goes way beyond dumping the CEO of a company gasping for air. This is the start of the Treasury Department actively changing who and how GM operates. So what happens next for GM? Here's my take on the biggest questions swirling around GM. - Wagoner out/Henderson in The White Ho…

Link to Article Link to Photo Gallery

Here are the pics..... Sorry, GM/Scott S. has asked that every website remove the pics. - Northstar.

Rest of the article is Here.

I have witnessed (in that I have seen the before & afters with my own eyes) the demolition of both the local GM Linden plant & the Ford Edison plant here in NJ. GM-Linden is still a huge fenced lot of small piles of concrete rubble, Ford-Edison has the questionable 'improvement' of a Sam's Club and... weeds. My '64 Catalina was built in Linden, so on occasions I would drive by the plant in it, I would yell out my open window '834L88280 STILL ON ACTIVE DUTY!' I'm nuts like that. Just this week I am likewise witness to the demolition of the New Brunswick Delco plant, built in 1946 for battery production to support the East Coast assembly plants. Had a neat…

http://www.imediaconnection.com/news/11900.asp GM has announced they will be buy a virtual island in Second Life to help promote products such as the solstice GXP and the G5. Sounds like it is the next big thing.

here

Pontiaction: 3,600 Workers to be Relocated General Motors Corp. said Wednesday it will move 3,660 workers out of Pontiac to other metro Detroit offices by the first quarter of 2008 in an effort to become more efficient. Most of the workers will relocate to GM's technical center in Warren, and others will go to the corporate headquarters in downtown Detroit. No jobs are to be lost in the moves, which will allow GM to get rid of excess office space created through years of restructuring and retirement, GM spokesman Dan Flores said. Detroit Free Press

Autoblog

Yes, I do realize that the image posted below is a bit of a reach, however there's something under wraps seen in the image. Could we be looking at a rear spoiler covered up under the tarp, and possible dual exhaust outlets next to what appear to be a bumper integrated liscense plate holder? Or could it be a preview of a front end shot with tow hooks and integrated fog lamps with a certain bowtie gracing the grille? Ah the speculation GM puts us through.

i FOUND THIS ON A GERMAN OPEL SITE,CUOLD THIS BE A HARD TOP VERT FOR SATURN? B)

Potential For a More Detroit-Friendly Congress? When Congress reconvenes in January, Detroit automakers will have a lot of friends in high places -- and that has foreign automakers a little wary. With the return to power of Michigan's congressional Democrats -- who will head three key committees and have significant say over the agenda on Capitol Hill -- lawmakers are expected to revive several proposals aimed at helping the domestic industry. Detroit Free Press

Just in Case

Start Of Production Dates From GM Canada To Dealers. 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe - December 5, 2005 2007 GMC Yukon - January 9, 2006 2007 Cadillac Escalade - January 16, 2006 2007 GMC Yukon Denali - March 6, 2006 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche - April 3, 2006 2007 GMC Yukon XL Denali - April 17, 2006 2007 Chevrolet Suburban - April 17, 2006 2007 GMC Yukon XL - April 17, 2006 2007 Cadillac Escalade EXT - May 1, 2006 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV - May 8, 2006

By Jason Stein | for wheelbase communications November 23, 2008 In the world of automotive design, where each crease has a meaning and every crevice has a story, Wayne Cherry was a wiggle in a world of straight lines. In an era of pop-star obsessions over designers and their creations, General Motors’ former North American design boss was the anomaly. He was a Midwestern boy with a global outlook; a soft-spoken executive whose artwork spoke volumes. Not extravagant like current GM product czar Robert Lutz. Not a cult figure like Ford design whiz J Mays. And definitely not a conversation piece the way BMW’s lead designer Chris Bangle has been. Cherry alway…