General Motors

GM announced 2000 job cuts today. What shocked me was reading Cobalt production dropped from 21,000 in June to 13,000 in December. Maybe GM should look into pushing up the introduction of the Cruze.

3 March 2006 By Robert Farago It’s official: bankruptcy is good for GM. In their recent ass-covering exercise for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), The Ford Motor Company listed "adverse effects from the bankruptcy or insolvency of a major competitor" as a significant risk to its financial future. Translation: if GM goes bankrupt, The General will slough off its excessive labor costs and become… wait for it… competitive. So competitive, in fact, that Ford reckons GM’s products would gain an important price advantage. Well how about that? Obviously, there’s more to it than that. Ford’s SEC filing also alerts investors that GM’s Chapter 11 could destroy The B…

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

General Motors Heritage Collection Joins Elite Group Detroit, MI - February 10, 2006: Detroit When the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) chose General Motors to receive the prestigious AACA Plaque, it put the world’s largest auto company into some very exclusive company - - namely the great automotive collections such as those of the Smithsonian, Harrah’s and the Blackhawk Collection. Steven Moskowitz, Executive Director of the AACA noted that their National Awards Committee unanimously voted to honor the contributions General Motors has made to the sport “not only in terms of the preservation of great automobiles but also for their unselfish sharing of those re…

New Delhi, Jun 1: General Motors (GM) India today said it recorded a jump of 56.1 per cent in May sales at 5,432 units as against 3,478 units in the same period a year ago. ''GM India has registered a consistent surge in monthly sales in 2007 which is a clear sign of growing market demand of our flagship brand Chevrolet in the country. The recently launched Chevrolet Spark is already making serious inroads into the small car segment,'' GM India' Vice-President (Marketing, Sales and Aftersales) Ankush Arora said in a statement. General Motors India is also planning to launch the Chevrolet Optra TCDi (Diesel) in the near future. Gearing up for a major drive to grab 10…

Link: http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=17600

From my local paper via the Associated Press: >>>A 24-year old tax dispute between the city and GM has ended, clearing the way for plans to sell & redevelop the company's Route 1 and 9 property where auto production ended two years ago. The two sides announced during Tuesday's City Council meeting that they have reached a settlement in which the city will pay the Detroit-based automaker $4.8 million to settle tax appeals for 2005, 2006 & 2007. The city has been in litigation with General Motors over its municipal tax assessment ever since the company appealed its 1983, 1984 & 1985 assessments. Over the years, there have been court rulings for both s…

News GM says new SUVs will be value priced; discounts to be used on older products JAMIE LAREAU | Automotive News Posted Date: 12/19/05 DETROIT -- Despite General Motors’ rocky introduction of value pricing, the automaker will stick with it when it introduces redesigned full-sized SUVs in January. The question is: Can GM sell these vehicles without big rebates even as it offers generous incentives on older products? GM CEO Rick Wagoner says GM will continue to discount vehicles nearing the end of their life cycle. “We’ve positioned some prices down, others we haven’t as much,” Wagoner said in a Dec. 8 interview with Automotive News. “It is much easier, when you have a …

General Motors to nearly triple number of cars it produces in India Media Release Dec. 13, 2005 General Motors Corp. said Tuesday it plans to nearly triple the number of cars it produces in India to meet growing demand in the South Asian country. The announcement came just weeks after the company said it would slash 30,000 jobs and scale back production in the United States. GM had earlier announced plans to increase production in India from more than double the 25,000 cars a year it currently produces in the country. Lawrence Burns, vice president for research and development, said Tuesday that the number of vehicles made here would eventually reach 80,000. However…

FOR RELEASE: 2005-12-22 A GM Success Story Thanks to GM's bilingual sales jobs program, Chicago-area resident enhances his career and fulfills his dream of taking his family on a Hawaiian vacation CHICAGO – Luis Villarrubia, who works as a sales consultant at Apple Chevrolet in Tinley Park, Ill., participated in the GM B.E.S.T. (Bilingual Employment Sales Training) jobs program in Chicago in May of 2005. The B.E.S.T. program is designed to help GM dealers attract, recruit, train and coach bilingual professionals for a long-term sales career in the automotive industry. This multi-dimensional program was introduced by GM to its dealers as a solution to the challe…

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…

Friday, December 16, 2005 Tahoe GM gets earlier start on '07 SUVs Automaker cites new engineering approach as it begins output weeks sooner than predicted. Brett Clanton / The Detroit News DETROIT-- General Motors Corp. has begun producing a new lineup of full-size SUVs earlier than expected after saying last spring it would speed up the program to help restore profits and boost lagging sales. The automaker started producing the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade in the last week of November, one week ahead of an already accelerated timetable aimed to begin output five weeks early. Gary White, GM vice president over full-size trucks, said t…

General Motors hasn't ruled out stake in Malaysia's Proton auto maker Link to Original Article @ The Detroit News Proton GEN 2 General Motors Corp. is still talking about a stake in Malaysia's unprofitable carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd., Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said. He declined to comment on GM buying DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler, Bloomberg News reported today. The Proton talks remain "extremely" preliminary, Wagoner said in an interview at the Geneva Motor Show. GM is in talks with Chrysler about a possible purchase, people familiar with the situation have said as recently as last week. GM plans to increase global sales with new models and partnerships…

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=120505 DETROIT — In this latest chapter of the saga of the Chevrolet Volt, the project is still alive and well. Speaking to the Society of Automotive Engineers earlier this week, GM engineering chief Jim Queen said the automaker is planning to build its Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car in the future. "We will get this into production," Queen said. "We are very, very serious about this." However, Queen admitted that GM is still trying to figure out how to make the Volt provide "profit for the enterprise." GM execs are making a considerable effort to reassure the public that the Volt is not being shelved. In a pos…

Recent increase in demand for GM Chevy Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks keeps plant operational. Increased demand for some General Motors trucks has helped General Motors' Powertrain Baltimore Transmission Plant avert a weeklong shutdown that was to have started Monday, a local spokesman for the plant said yesterday. The spokesman, John Raut, had said last month that the plant was planning to shut down and temporarily lay off all of its hourly workers for the week. The plant employs 238 people. But demand for some company vehicles has improved, including the Chevy Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks, for which the Baltimore plant makes six-speed automatic transmiss…

General Motors Posts First Full Year Profit William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 24, 2011 General Motors just released their annual earnings and its good news. GM reported a profit of $4.7 billion, it's first full profit since 2004. GM's revenue for the year totaled $135.6 billion. The results were under the $5.3 billion that analysts expected for GM for the year. GM announced they will be handing out profit sharing checks to 45,000 hourly workers of about $4,300 and 3,000 workers at GM Components Holdings will get about $3,200. Press Release is below. GM Announces First Full-Year Results as New Company 2011-02-24 GM ac…

General Motors pulls out of Portugal 1/11/2008 Car manufacturers General Motors have announced that, as of November 1st, they will be terminating their car loan services with seven European countries, including Portugal and Spain, due to the current economic crisis. Russia, Finland, Greece, Norway and Slovakia will also see General Motors’ withdrawal. This measure, the result of a reduction of company capital, was announced one month after the company claimed to be increasing the number of requisite criteria to apply for a loan, as well as the intention to increase taxes applied to retailer’s loans to their consumers. Recent bankruptcy of various investment inst…

Direct link to article @ GM Media Online FOR RELEASE: 2006-06-13 General Motors Receives Eight Top Scores Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006 Fuel cell-powered HydroGen3 triumphs three times World's largest automaker committed to three-tier strategy PARIS. General Motors underlined its leading position in alternative propulsion concepts with eight best performances at this year's Michelin Challenge Bibendum (June 8 - 12, 2006). The HydroGen3, a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the Opel Zafira, scored top marks three times, the Opel Zafira CNG and the Saab 9-5 BioPower twice, and the Saturn Vue Green Line, representing a new generation of hybrid vehicle…

A deal General Motors employees can't afford to pass up has began rolling out. This special incentive offer is special to just employees of General Motors and differs from the regular Employee Pricing to all. GM employees who purchase select new 2006 vehicle get employee pricing PLUS cash of either $500, $750 or $1,000. The vehicles are listed below. $1,000 GM Employee Bonush Cash is valid through September 30, 2005. Incentive is valid on the purchase or lease of a new 2006 Buick Rainier and Rendezvous; Chevy Trailblazer and Trailblazer EXT; and GMC Envoy, Envoy Denali, Envoy XL, and Envoy XL Denali. $750 GM Employee Bonush Cash is valid t…

Click Here For The Full Story. Being a former GM employee building the 4T's, it's really too bad to see this product to the waste side. Yet another major blow to the Windsor area.

General Motors Spending $17 Million a Year on Viagra and Other "Lifestyle" Meds Date posted: 04-17-2006 DETROIT — General Motors' spiraling health-care costs are a well-known problem area. Now, embarrassment is added to the list of its troubles as the Detroit News reports $17 million was spent last year for plan participants' "lifestyle drug" prescriptions. In fact, General Motors is the world's largest private buyer of Viagra, the paper says. General Motors' total health-care expenses add up to $5.6 billion a year and cover 1.1 million workers, employees and their dependents, the paper reports. The co-pay on Viagra and other such medications is $18 according to GM'…

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…

Highlights: -GM to invest $500 million in its Ramos Arizpe plant in northern Mexico to produce a new line of engines as well as a new vehicle. -the new line of engines are V-8's with SIDI -expected 9% improvement in gas mileage over current engines -Assembly of the vehicle, which wasn't named, is set to begin in the last quarter of 2011. Link to WSJ article The article interests me in several ways: 1) The obvious one: YOU UNGRATEFUL SOB'S. WE SAVED YOUR ****'S LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. WHY ISN'T THIS INVESTMENT BEING MADE IN THE U.S.?!? 2) This article must be referring to the gen-V family of small blocks (5.5l)? The only other V8 you could possibly consider is…

Article General Motors Wants You To Help Write Its Memoirs Date posted: 02-08-2008 DETROIT — As part of the celebration of its 100th anniversary, General Motors is asking the public to "share their personal, first-person experiences" with the automaker. "We welcome everyone to share their stories and build a rich and continuously evolving history of GM's people and products," said Steve Harris, GM vice-president of communications. To submit a reminiscence, writers are asked to contribute to the Generations of GM Wiki on GMnext.com, where they can post a picture, write a story or read what others have written. Apparently, censorship will be kept to a minimum, …

Carnegie Mellon, General Motors Will Compete in 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge Driverless Vehicles Will Navigate Simulated City Traffic and Obstacles PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University will partner with General Motors Corp. to form Tartan Racing, a team that will enter a driverless Chevy Tahoe in the $2 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Urban Challenge scheduled for November 2007. The race will require autonomous vehicles to travel 60 miles of streets in a mock urban setting. To succeed, vehicles must drive completely on their own — without drivers or remote control — and finish the course within six hours. Cars must stay in their lanes, neg…

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/27/general-motors-withdraws-14-4b-loan-request-from-doe/ GM's chief financial officer Chris Liddel, outlined the automaker's choice to cancel its loan request, stating: This decision is based on our confidence in GM's overall progress and strong, global business performance. Withdrawing our DOE loan application is consistent with our goal to carry minimal debt on our balance sheet.

General Motors' too General Website A Critique January 12th, 2011 Paul Guastella - Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com Almost anyone looking to make a major purchase these days will at least do a bit of research online. With so many things to consider when purchasing a new vehicle, a website is a vital source of information to a consumer. A positive web experience will definitely make an impression on the visitor. Conversely, so will a negative experience. This is a chance a manufacturer has to lure a consumer towards their product and hopefully into their showroom. GM knows this and has their websites packed with information. However, if a customer is shopping…

Ghosn was responding to questions at an award dinner in NYC. Seems to be slamming management at GM and Ford, without mentioning them by names. "There is no good management with bad results." "When you are in an industry like the auto industry the best practices exist everywhere," says Ghosn. "You can figure out how they [the winners] are doing it. Forget the past, and forget the excuses. Copy those best practices." It was clear that Ghosn was talking about Detroit. "There's a lack of accountability when someone fails and gets promoted." There is trouble when you create a culture where failure is sanctioned. Then he ad…

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlebusin...eid=&cap=&sz=13

November 24, 2005 GM promises product benefits from business cuts by Alex Law , Auto123 Fate may play a card or two that will change things for everyone concerned, but it looks like future General Motors' consumers will benefit from the company's recent decision to close a bunch of plants and damage the lives of thousands and thousands of its workers and their families. This is apparently the accepted modus operandi in today's global auto society. GM CEO Rick Wagoner (Photo: General Motors of Canada) For consumers, it will mean more money for GM to spend on new and improved products and technologies, or so says Rick Wagoner, the company's CEO and…

Hey guys making SUV's is the easy way out for GM. They need to make smarter cars than the Asian manufactures. Gasoline is never again going to be cheap. With all of their research facilities GM need to take it by the balls and stamp the market with a new fuel system to combat the worlds dependance on Arab oil. In 1969 we landed a man on the moon using a pocket calculator as its computer.Nealrly 40 years on we still using the 'internal gasoline motor'. Comm on GM wake up and smell the coffee. Rusty Adelaide South Australia

FOR RELEASE: 2005-09-05 GM Calls for Collaboration, Balance in Sustainable Development GM Public Policy chief Thomas Gottschalk addresses China 21st Century Forum BEIJING – GM Executive Vice President for Law & Public Policy Thomas Gottschalk called on “every element of society to play a part in making economic development sustainable,” and he advocated a balanced approach to ensure social and environmental progress keep pace with economic growth. “Real progress is possible only through the collective actions of governments and their citizens, organized as corporations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or contributing as individuals,” Gottschalk said a…

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 …

Honda, GM Hybrids Can Get Full Tax Credit Honda, GM Hybrids Are Still Eligible for Full Tax Credit Thursday November 16, 5:55 pm ET Link to Full Article @ Yahoo!Reuters WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Internal Revenue Service said Thursday that hybrid cars made by Honda Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. are still eligible for a tax credit intended to encourage the purchase of fuel-efficient cars, as the credit phases out for Toyota Motor Corp. and its Lexus division. The tax credit for hybrid vehicles begins to phase out after a manufacturer has sold 60,000 hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicles. The IRS said Wednesday that it made the determination on Honda hybrids af…

Durakon Expands Application of Its Paint Film Technology With General Motors Durakon Expands Application of Its Paint Film Technology With General Motors LAPEER, Mich., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Durakon Industries, a leading provider of thermoformed products and paint film technology to the automotive industry, announced today that General Motors will begin high volume application of the company's thermoformed paint film rocker panel. Over the past several years, Durakon has been a leading industry supplier focused on developing and introducing exterior automotive parts produced by combining thermoforming with paint film technology. Combining these techno…

Monday, December 12, 2005 John McCormick The case for hydrogen as an industry transformer Wondering where the automotive industry is headed? Spend time with General Motors Corp.'s research and development chief, Larry Burns and you will come away with a pretty good idea. I was fortunate enough to catch up with this far-sighted Detroit executive at a recent auto show. Our conversation ranged far and wide, from the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina, to the hegemony of the energy companies, to the major progress GM is making towards a commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Like any large automaker, GM is concerned about the effect on sales of higher fuel…

GM, Renault's mini alliance Automakers weighing global tie-up already produce vans jointly Bill Vlasic and Christine Tierney / The Detroit News General Motors Corp. The Movano, produced by GM and Renault's joint venture in Europe, is sold under GM's Opel brand. The nearly identical Master is sold with a Renault badge. See full image Successful partnership A joint venture between General Motors Corp., Renault SA, and later Nissan Motor Co., has been successful. The venture builds 250,000 vans a year. The companies have sold 1.2 million vans since 1999. GM shares increase for 10th straight day While the business world obsesses over a possible alliance of Ge…

GM & UAW Reach An Agreement Over Labor Contracts William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com September 19, 2011 This morning, General Motors and the United Auto Workers announced they have reached a tentative four-year labor agreement. The agreement, which will effect about 48,500 GM employees in the US, will begin to be to ratify over the next seven to ten days. GM is being mum on the details on the contract, but The Detroit News and Automotive News has uncovered some parts of the contract. The contract gives a $5000 signing bonus to eligible UAW-represented GM employees. Also, the contract raises the pay of entry-level workers by $2 to $3 m…

The WSJ reported that GM will entertain a pact with other companies, should the N-R deal fall through. It sounds almost like Rick has planned out the outcome of the 90 review. Well anyway, I got to thinking about VW. What do you guys think of those companies coming together in some capacity? VW wouldn't threaten GM in North America at all and the 2 companies would be a juggernaut in Europe, Asia, and South America. Unlike Nissan-Renault, VW does have some good technology and masterful interior making that could actually help GM in America. On the downside, VW is plagued with their own problems too, but not to the extent of Ford.

GM sales drop 15%, but up from previous quarter Robert Snell / The Detroit News General Motors Co. reported this morning it sold 1.94 million vehicles globally during the second quarter, down 15 percent from a year earlier due to continued economic pressures and a drastic cut in vehicle production. But compared to the first quarter, sales were up almost 20 percent. Through the first six months of the year, GM sold 3.55 million vehicles, down 22 percent compared to last year. Meanwhile, sales outside the U.S. rose to 72 percent of the automaker's total sales, compared to 65 percent a year ago. Sales in Asia rose 38 percent, but GM posted double-digit drops in s…

Ok, hear me out, but.. Didn't GM have digital dashes back in the mid-to-late eighties? It was panned as being too gimmicky. Didn't Chevrolet used to have ABS as standard equipment? It has knocked as an added option (and extra expense) that was forced upon consumers. Consumers should have the ability to choose. Today? You're criticized if you don't have ABS as std equipment. Didn't GM get crucified for the heavy use of unpainted gray plastic molding/panels on their Aztec and Avalanche? Seems ok for use on the Element Didn't the dustbuster vans get critized for their design-pushing tall tail-lamps (that extended along the rear glass…

December 6, 2005 GM names its displacement-on-demand "Active Fuel Management" Detroit, Michigan – General Motors has trademarked Active Fuel Management as the name for its displacement-on-demand technology, beginning with the 2007 5.3-litre V8-equipped Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. The name will be applied to all model-year 2007 vehicles equipped with the technology. Active Fuel Management enables the engine to automatically and seamlessly operate on only half the engine's cylinders when full power is not needed, improving efficiency by as much as 12 per cent in some vehicles. GM currently offers the system in nine models, and by 2008 it will be used…

John Revill July 7, 2008 06:01 CET General Motors Europe's decision to build its new Astra in Rüsselsheim, Germany, will not affect other plants scheduled to produce the key model starting in 2010, a top union official says. Currently, GM's Rüsselsheim plant only builds upper-medium cars for its Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries. But weak sales in the segment have forced GM to scale back its production schedule. The factory is currently running at a little more than half its 218,000 annual capacity. GM's June 20 announcement that the Astra will be built in Rüsselsheim came as a bit of a surprise. Industry observers expected GM to move production of the Saab 9-3 to R…

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNew...=22&sp=true Has anyone seen this ad?

GM aim: Show its softer side Global restructuring, cost cutting and a revamped product line are the forces driving General Motors Corp.'s turnaround bid. But another less tangible factor has grabbed the attention of the world's largest automaker: likability. Long viewed as stodgy and ultra-corporate, GM is making a concerted effort to show a more human and personal side of the world's largest automaker. "There's a feeling that GM is the big, insensitive colossus that needs to be kicked regularly," said Bob Lutz, GM's vice chairman for product development. Lutz, a former top Chrysler executive, said one factor that helped that automaker's comeback in the 1980s was its …

If you think things have been tough for General Motors in America, you should see how bad it's going for them in Japan. Forget pulling out of the Tokyo Motor Show, we're talking a steady sales decline over the past decade that has brought volume to just 2,000 units a year from a high of 50,000 in 1996. That really sucks, so GM wants to try and change things ASAP. They have announced a modest goal of doubling sales in Japan over the next three years. Part of the problem with Japanese sales is image, but product selection and a shrinking dealer network are also to blame. Rick Brown, president of GM Japan, says they plan to address those issues by adding a couple of dealer…

David Barkholz Automotive News February 16, 2009 - 5:06 pm ET General Motors is expected to identify more than $1 billion in savings from additional plant closings and factory work-rule changes when it files a viability plan with the U.S. Treasury on Tuesday, said a source familiar with ongoing stakeholder negotiations. The carmaker and the UAW are expected to bargain deep into tonight. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., said today that Congress expects a commitment from GM bondholders to let the automaker pay off a sizeable portion of its $30 billion debt with company stock in lieu of cash. "People had better put their best foot forward becau…

GM is Among Both Most and Least Trusted Firms in US By BRADLEY JOHNSON | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS AutoWeek | Published 02/14/06, 9:02 am et General Motors is loaded with debt and is the subject of bankruptcy speculation. But give it credit: GM scores tops for trust among U.S. consumers. There's a downside, though: GM also shows up on the list of companies that Americans trust least. These are among the findings of the American Demographics 2006 Consumer Perception Survey. The survey was conducted by Synovate for Advertising Age, which, like Automotive News and AutoWeek, is published by Crain Communications Inc. Last November, the online survey sought the views of more t…

FOR RELEASE: 2006-01-24 General Motors Unleashes “Autotainment” On Las Vegas Scene GM to Open Unprecedented “The Drive” Facility Offering Performance & Off-Road Driving Experiences in Spring of 2006; GM also Becomes a Marketing & Advertising Partner of the Las Vegas Monorail Company Additional information and photography LAS VEGAS – With tons of dirt and a dose of speed, the corner of Paradise Road and Sahara Avenue will be transformed in spring of 2006 when General Motors opens the doors of “The Drive,” a unique hands-on driving experience that will be the first of its kind within the United States. Featuring two professionally-designed driving cour…

Reuters / August 30, 2005 DETROIT (Reuters) -- General Motors, which will soon roll out a new lineup of full-sized pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, acknowledged on Tuesday that it was worried about high U.S. gasoline prices. Paul Ballew, GM's director of global market and industry analysis, said the impact on sales of fuel-thirsty pickups and SUVs was something the world's largest automaker was "wrestling with each and every day." Speaking to a meeting of investors and Wall Street analysts he also said GM -- which is struggling to return its North American auto business to profitability -- had wrongly been portrayed as saying that high gaso…

Munster kids rev up GM Web site Students critique company approach, headed to Detroit BY SHARON PORTA Times Correspondent This story ran on nwitimes.com on Friday, December 16, 2005 12:31 AM CST MUNSTER | Most U.S. auto manufacturers n General Motors Corp. included n have had a difficult time appealing to and connecting with customers in the youth market. To help build a relationship among those elusive 18 to 24 year olds, GM has solicited the help of students from Munster High School. According to GM, this demographic group, which is expected to account for one in five vehicles purchased by 2010, has a greater acceptance of import vehicles because they think the qu…

Follow the money Merging the two sickly car firms makes little sense—except for one thing OBJECTIONABLE, but necessary. The description by Hank Paulson, America’s treasury secretary, of the federal rescue package for America’s banks, is a mantra that may soon be repeated in boardrooms across the land as recession-hit firms survey their dwindling options for survival. Few areas of the economy have been battered harder or for longer than the car industry, especially Detroit’s Big Three. So the news which surfaced at the end of last week that General Motors (GM) and Cerberus Capital Management, the private-equity outfit that was paid $700m by Daimler to take Chrysler off …

http://www.media.gm.com/servlet/GatewaySer...n=2&docid=26381 "DETROIT -- Discovery Channel and GM are taking viewers behind the closely guarded doors of GM Design and into the minds of the automaker's innovative, forward thinking designers as part of a new, four-part documentary. Set to debut in 2007, the Discovery Channel program will examine the future of automotive engineering - from design and alternative fuel sources to advanced materials and in-vehicle electronics." hopefully this will be great and even show some future vehicles, to bad it's not anytime soon well... be great whne it does show up.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/05/news/compa...igoil_hydrogen/ Toyota, GM: Hydrogen fuels cells are not viable http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0305-fuel_cells.html

G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com GM and Navistar reach Commercial Agreement GM and Navistar have signed a long term agreement to co develop future medium duty Class 4/5 trucks for the Commercial Chevrolet truck line. GM is excited to expand and grow their commercial line of trucks as they add to the fleet lineup of crossovers, vans, trucks and medium duty trucks. Navistar will add 300 jobs and invest 12 million into their facility to produce these new vehicles that will be sold under GM's Chevrolet division and Navistar. http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2015/sep/0930-navistar…

I'm in Northern California, and I've never heard GM advertise on radio, probably the most targetted of traditional media outside of niche magazines. I usually listen to NPR and contempoprary pop/alternative stations, and have never heard any car commercials other than Toyota and Lesux (those two, on the other hand, seem to blanket the airwaves with new and certified used commercials), and VW sometime back. This morning, I heard a Chevy ad on NPR promoting their alternative fuel research. I think NPR listeners may be skeptical until something like the Volt goes in to production, but I was glad to hear GM taking the initiative to reach out. Seems like GM is making progres…

What My Dad Taught Me About GM And The Auto Workers Fat wages and benefits can't last when competition is cutthroat URL: http://yahoo.businessweek.com/magazine/con...45/b3958038.htm

Interesting article in the January 7th edition if the San Francisco Chronicle. History is indeed a revelation. Nazis rode to war on GM wheels. And everyone makes mistakes!

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...n=2&docid=19615 Understatement of the year: Really? $15b in savings? Time well spent? What insight! Other news This is interesting because GMAC is GM's cash-flow darling. There's a reason why GM hasn't divested itself from GMAC earlier than this: it's because GMAC brings in big money to GM's bottom line. You remove this, then you'd better be pretty confident you can make money selling cars. If GM makes this move, then they better have the rest of the ship in tight shape.. While it's nice to see that Delphi's bankrupcty isn't going to cost them a full &#0…

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) today announced significant new actions to support its ongoing turnaround plan, particularly in its North American business, to reduce costs and business risks, and to further enhance its financial flexibility. These actions include the following: *Revised health-care benefit plan for salaried retirees in the U.S. that is expected to reduce the company's liability by about $4.8 billion and its annual health-care expense by almost $900 million before tax; *Planned restructuring of the U.S. salaried pension benefit plan; *50-percent reduction in the cash dividend paid to stockholders; *Significant reduction in salary for GM'…

Nothing really shocking to tell you the truth, but does anyone have the story on this? I heard about it on the radio in Atlanta, but have not seen the story online. ***EDIT*** Production to slow at Doraville plant to 54 vehicles per hour. Layoffs expected.

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 …

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet...=74&docid=25952

After reading the following article, it seems like no wonder that Bob Lutz has been so bullish on E-85 ethanol in the press recently, and not too enthusiastic on diesel. Startup Says It Can Make Ethanol for $1 a Gallon, and Without Corn By Chuck Squatriglia www.wired.com A biofuel startup in Illinois can make ethanol from just about anything organic for less than $1 per gallon, and it wouldn't interfere with food supplies, company officials said. Coskata, which is backed by General Motors and other investors, uses bacteria to convert almost any organic material, from corn husks (but not the corn itself) to municipal trash, into ethanol. "It's not five years aw…

Conservative commentators stoke anger against 'Government Motors' By Paul A. Eisenstein msnbc.com contributor updated 7:06 a.m. ET, Fri., June 26, 2009 Barring an unexpected setback, a "new" General Motors will emerge soon from bankruptcy after eliminating most of its debt, hundreds of dealers and a fair share of its work force — saved by up to $50 billion in federal bailout funds. But while the once-dominant automaker certainly wouldn’t have been able to survive without that federal largesse, the question is whether it can survive its unlikely alliance with Washington — which will hold a 60 percent stake in the company that emerges from the Chapter 11 process. …

DETROIT -- Now that General Motors Corp. has outlined a painful plan to close factories and shed 30,000 jobs, the big question is whether a raft of vehicles debuting next year can revive its sputtering sales. The automaker will launch about 15 new vehicles next year: A new family of large SUVs, three "crossover" vehicles, a new Saturn roadster and sedan and the next generation of its full-size pickups. The new vehicles -- designed to shore up GM's strongholds and grab share of growing segments -- are critical to Chairman Rick Wagoner's comeback strategy. To quell doubts about its future, GM has allowed dealers, journalists and key analysts to…

Will be interesting to see if there's anything to this rumor. We'll know Monday. Full thread Here's the first post from the 19th: Just came back from a meeting with a few other creditors and we were speaking about the auto parts suppliers. We obviously went on the GM subject and the few people I was talking said the filing is already signed and sitting on the desk. Without an immediate bailout, the filing will take place Monday Morning. This is a new source from me, but was mentioned by 3 people at my meeting. Just laying out there.