General Motors
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According to GMI the GM board apparently made the decision to shut Pontiac down by 2015 a few years ago... One of the biggest critics of that decision was Rick Wagoner. Did I miss something?!?! 1) Can the board make these kinds of decisions? 2) What is the purpose of making a decision like that in the first place? Pontiac is/was a volume division which could've/does have a lot of life left *IF* the appropriate investment is made. (Then again, so did Oldsmobile, Saturn and Hummer) 3) If this were the case, then why the continued investment in the G8 and Solstice variants & 4) Why did Bob Lutz even care about Pontiac at this point, if it were to be shut down all alo…
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Link to Article US directs GM to prep for bankruptcy filing-NY Times Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:08pm EDT WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters ) - The U.S. Treasury Department is directing General Motors (GM.N) to lay the groundwork for a bankruptcy filing by June 1, even though the automaker has publicly stated it could reorganize outside of court, The New York Times reported on Sunday. GM is operating under emergency U.S. government loans. It has been told by the Obama administration's task force overseeing its bailout that it must cut costs and reduce its debts in order to continue to receive aid. The White House-appointed autos task force has given GM 60 days to come up wi…
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According to an unnamed source speaking with Reuters, General Motors "is in 'intense' and 'earnest' preparations for a possible bankruptcy filing." The report states that GM could be split into two separate entities; one "new" unit consisting of the General's successful brands (read: Chevrolet and Cadillac) and an "old" unit made up of its less-profitable endeavors (Hummer, Saab, Pontiac and Saturn). If the plan is enacted, the all-new GM would assume some of the debt from the bankruptcy (primarily, unsecured debt) and that GM's bondholders would lose a substantial amount of value if the Chapter 11 filings go through. Naturally, neither source wished to be named, so thi…
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General Motors has been mandated by the U.S. government to shed brands as part of its restructuring process. Recent reports indicate that the General is hard at work, as three buyers are reportedly seeking to purchase Hummer, while a Chinese company may have interest in Buick. The Hummer fire-sale has been ongoing, but a brutal economy and non-existent credit markets have made a sale even less probable. Reuters is reporting that GM has than three bidders for the Sierra Club's symbol of excess, with one potential buyer from the U.S. and two others overseas. The price of Hummer is reportedly somewhere between $100-$200 million in cash, plus assurances that the buyer will …
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http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090405...ESS01/904050366 I say we close BG next.... Move the C7 to Wilmington. So what's the deal? Traverse axed? Traverse moved to Lansing? If the Traverse is axed, wouldn't this make the case for GMC that much stronger. This is a segment where GM MUST have a volume entry. The Outlook is gone, and the Traverse seems to be on shakey ground. That's funny... I didn't think Obama was in the business of running car companies. But apparently they can decide what plants to close? Remember; this is the government "For The People" err... "For The People That Voted For Us" But, we all know how good the government is at…
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Well, I have read it here a million times, and heard it bitched about over and over by the GM fans around me. After seeing Chrysler's conundrum about how to launch their new minivans, I thought it would be a great thread to see what the brains here at C & G would come up with to better promote the GM products we all know and love. What changes would you like to see in the marketing? ( I personally think the marketing sucks all around - sorry ) Hell, I am starting to LIKE the Tundra ads because the actually show a vehicle doing something it is supposedly designed for. Compare that to a guy looking at his watch one minute then the bezel flies out the window and becom…
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Before we begin, let us state clearly that this is speculation by Karl Denninger at The Market Ticker. Examining the various stakeholders' interests in General Motors, Denninger has come up with a scenario that supposes GM's bondholders might actually want the automaker to file for bankruptcy. The bondholders appear to be the biggest obstacle to restructuring. They're not allowing GM to reach its government-mandated target for debt reduction because they would lose much of their investment in the process. According to Denninger, however, the biggest and most savvy of those bondholders could get 100% of their investment back if GM files for bankruptcy. Those bondholders …
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General Motors may be lacking the cash to develop any new rear-drive platforms, but reports out of Australia suggest that the existing Zeta platform that underpins such models as the Holden Commodore and new Chevrolet Camaro will carry on for at least another decade. GM's Australian subsidiary only finished development of the current Zeta platform a few years ago, and it's not about to flush that down the toilet. However the next Commodore, currently sold in the North American market as the Pontiac G8, is likely to downsize for the next generation, anticipated to debut in 2013 and carry on through 2020. Along with the reduced size and heft, the General could use smaller…
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...3ujUsQD9792JTO0
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Bloomberg article By Doron Levin and Jeff Green March 29 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner will step down after more than eight years running the largest U.S. automaker, people familiar with the situation said. The people, who asked not to be named because the announcement hasn’t been made, didn’t give a reason why Wagoner, 56, is leaving. Wagoner said as recently as April 19 that he didn’t plan to resign. To contact the reporters on this story: Doron Levin in Southfield, Michigan, at [email protected]; Jeff Green in Southfield, Michigan at [email protected]
Last reply by enzl, -
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Original: http://www.economist.com/business/displays...ory_id=13414108 Time for a new driver General Motors gets a new boss, but Barack Obama is really in control IF AMERICA’S two beleaguered carmakers, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler, had harboured the hope that Barack Obama would prove a soft touch, any such illusion has been robustly dispelled. When the news leaked on March 29th that Rick Wagoner, GM’s chief executive for nine years, had been told to step down by the president’s auto task-force in favour of his number two, Fritz Henderson, there was little doubt that more unpleasant medicine was on the way. So it proved. The next day the task-force gave its an…
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Wall Street Journal Malibu Shows Road to Revival Is Bumpy By KEVIN HELLIKER and JOHN D. STOLL KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- With his teenage daughter needing a car, Robert Neighbour expects to buy a Toyota Camry. Never mind that the new Chevy Malibu -- built just a few miles from his home -- bested the Camry in a recent reliability survey. "Toyota has just more consistently done a good job," says Mr. Neighbour, a suburban Kansas City computer-systems analyst. Track the history of the Chevy Malibu with key dates and photos. His skepticism about Chevys represents one of the biggest issues facing General Motors Corp.: Even when G…
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I'm still skeptical on this, but Car and Driver is a legit source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_li...nascar_car_news
Last reply by Blake Noble, -
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GMAC has loosened the purse strings, with General Motors' finance arm allocating $6 billion for auto loans for the next 60 days. The 60 day mark is critical to GM, as it is the government's drop-dead date to satisfy Auto Task Force viability requirements. The cash infusion will help struggling dealers with dried up credit channels, but it will also be used to finance cars and trucks to people with credit scores under 620. The under 620 crowd is referred to as subprime, a term that is now synonymous with the words "bailout" and "recession." Back in October, GMAC restricted lending to customers with scores over 700, and when the U.S. government provided a $6 billion in lo…
Last reply by Teh Ricer Civic!, -
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General Motors Corp.'s new chief executive said Tuesday that he will not reduce his salary to $1 a year like his ousted predecessor, Rick Wagoner. Fritz Henderson, GM's former chief operating officer, said at a news conference that his pay will remain unchanged now that he is head of the troubled automaker. His base salary as COO was cut 30 percent to about $1.3 million this year when GM accepted government loans. Wagoner had agreed to accept a salary of $1 as part of the Detroit automaker's request for assistance. The company has been staying afloat because of the $13.4 billion GM has received since Dec. 31, and Wagoner stepped down as CEO on Monday as a condition fo…
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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Normally I'm not a fan of John McElroy (Autoline Detroit), but his post on Autoblog sums it up nicely, IMO: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/30/autolin...h-john-mcelroy/ WHY OBAMA AXED WAGONER Rick Wagoner is no longer CEO of General Motors for two reasons. First, he failed to come up with a plan that satisfied the government that GM would be viable going forward. Two, President Obama needed political cover before he poured more money into the auto industry, a move which is strongly opposed by a majority of Americans. Obama needed to show he was decisive and in control to maintain support for his efforts to provide taxpayer money to GM and Chrysler. And firing the …
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090401/bs_nm/...tos_report_sb_4 The rumor mill appears to be in full production. Of course the administration denies it.
Last reply by toesuf94, -
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Wall Street Journal For GM Bondholders, Time Is a Weapon President Obama delivered a powerful warning to General Motors' unions and bondholders, suggesting that he was prepared to push the company into bankruptcy to force them to accept serious cuts. Now the great game of chicken begins. Does he really mean it? A bankruptcy would force bondholders to take big losses on $29 billion of unsecured debt. But that doesn't mean the bondholders will quietly accept their fates. In many cases, these are the same investors who won a big victory over the government in the case of GMAC, the auto maker's finance arm, just three months ago. The bondhol…
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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…
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Wall Street Journal New GM Chief Says Company Can Hit U.S. Goals The new head of General Motors Corp. said Tuesday the company could reach the goals set by the U.S. auto task force ahead of a June 1 deadline. Fritz Henderson, installed Monday as interim chief executive, said GM remained focused on restructuring out of court and understood the tasks needed to avoid a "quick rinse" bankruptcy. Mr. Henderson told reporters that GM had made "a good down payment" on a new restructuring plan after the federal task force said Monday GM's existing efforts were insufficient, and turned down a company request for fresh …
Last reply by DBeaSSt, -
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I would think that every poster on Cheers and Gears would want to read what President's Obama's auto task force found to be wrong with GM's viability plan. Here are the details from Jamie LaReau of Automotive News: President Barack Obama's auto task force says General Motors will be hard-pressed to meet its projections in five key areas without dramatically restructuring the company. In response to the viability plan GM submitted Feb. 17, the task force demanded that GM intensify its restructuring over the next 60 days or face possible bankruptcy. In a statement released today, the task force criticized GM's assumptions in these areas: 1. Market share 2. Price…
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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…
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WASHINGTON - The Obama administration plans to give General Motors Corp. enough government aid to restructure over the next 60 days, while Chrysler LLC will get up to $6 billion and 30 days to complete an alliance with Italian automaker Fiat SpA. Two people familiar with the plan said Sunday it will demand further sacrifices from the automakers and bankruptcy would still be possible if the automakers failed to restructure. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make details public. President Barack Obama was announcing his plan on Monday. It includes government backing of warranties for GM and Chrysler vehicles to give consum…
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General Motors' OnStar in-car communications system can give you directions or help you make a phone call, and soon it may also be able to send and receive Tweets. Gear Live recently received a survey from the General announcing that Twitter functionality could soon be on the way. With a press of a vehicle's OnStar button, users will reportedly be able to send voice-activated Tweets of up to 140 bytes to everyone in their Twitter network. The text would automatically be added to the owner's Twitter account via the "What are you doing?" section at the top of the page. The system would also read aloud messages that are sent to the OnStar user. Adding Twitter functionali…
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General Motors is in survival mode right now; cutting staff, closing plants, and reworking contracts. The last thing the General likely wants to cut back on is product, but even new vehicles aren't immune to the chopping block. Automotive News is reporting that GM has postponed production of the Chevrolet Orlando at its Detroit Hamtramck facility. Local United Auto Workers chief George McGregor informed AN that plant management informed him that the Orlando and a planned Opel variant will not be built at the facility later in the year. GM has neither declined or confirmed the Orlando's postponement (it could simply be built elsewhere), but North American President Troy …
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Can New Chevy Camaro Muscle Up Sales? Posted By: Phil LeBeau -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For pure "car lovers", the re-birth of the Chevy Camaro is like an early Christmas gift. A modern day muscle car (base sticker $22,995) built for people who live for the thrill of the drive. Its return, like the return of the Dodge Challenger or the Bullitt Mustang, reminds us of the glory days for American cars. Too bad this Camaro come out when GM is gasping for air and Chevy showrooms are quiet. It wasn't supposed to be like this. When GM introduced the Camaro at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, people drooled over the …
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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7c531d92-1270-11...00779fd2ac.html
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AIG gives bonuses, General Motors hands out pink slips Via the Baltimore Examiner America…the land of opportunity. But not for all. The tale of two mega-companies, AIG and GM, their rise to behemoth proportions, and their simultaneous, yet very different, roads to demise, might one day be an epic saga for the US history books. Today, however, as we live through and witness the pain of the collapse of two iconic corporations, an all-too-common picture of the middle class in America, and ironically, its painfully similar demise, is also being painted. ...... Here is why I am utterly astounded by the latest headlines surrounding these companies: AIG has been ba…
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Autoblog
Last reply by FUTURE_OF_GM, -
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http://www.camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=675020 Interesting tidbits: From a poster that also participates here: From another poster that also participates here: Same source as the first bit:
Last reply by Camino LS6, -
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Ever heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child?" Something similar could be said about the automotive industry, except the village is an assorted and wide-ranging group of auto suppliers and the child is your next new car. Currently, the major automakers only deal directly with Tier 1 suppliers, the big companies that assemble major automotive components into large modules. These modules are created using parts from Tier 2, Tier 3 or even smaller suppliers, and these companies are generally paid by their larger Tier 1 siblings. General Motors has just announced a new provision that would have the automaker making payments to smaller Tier 2 suppliers. The wo…
Last reply by FUTURE_OF_GM, -
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090312/bs_nm/us_gm_funding_2 Hopefully this is the start of some good news. Unfortunately saving money by cutting programs (diesel for pickups) isn't going to help in the long term.
Last reply by CARBIZ, -
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Looks like GM has axed the engine. I think it's a terrible idea if true, but there is some hope that they may get somebody else to manufacture it and GM could still put it in their trucks I guess. I hope they find a way to put this in the 1500s somehow. Link from MT http://wot.motortrend.com/6481157/auto-new...gine/index.html
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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So here is a Total BS story about how bad GM is due to the same crap rolled over. You would think that the Senior editor who only quotes that Asian Loving company Consumer reports would get his facts before writing a story. There are a few valid comments, but for the most part this is just another story aimed as hurting our own Auto Making business rather than helping it. CNN Story ON GM has more troubles than you think! What is your thoughts???????
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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Over at A/W magazine's website, Natalie Neff interviewed Ed Welburn for a short video. The subject: The Cadillac Converj concept vehicle. Dude is the quintessential designer: suave, debonair, soft spoken, eloquent... he's done a great job as head of GM Design, and I wish him many more years of success at my favorite automotive company. Ed Welburn, I salute you, sir!
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I just saw a commercial for a CNBC special airing tonight at 9pm. Does anyone know if this is indeed a new special, or just a rebroadcast of the one aired a few months ago? Our friend Phil LeBeau is again reporting.
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http://www.thegmsource.com/plugins/p2_news..._articleid=1079
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Excellent read! I'd buy one the second it rolled off the trailer. Enjoy! http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2009/...oextremist.html
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http://www.businessinsider.com/2008/8/gene...pports-him-why-
Last reply by enzl, -
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##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 …
Last reply by cletus8269, -
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DETROIT--General Motors Chief Executive G. Richard Wagoner, in Washington to plead his case for more government financing, brought fresh evidence Thursday of GM's desperate situation--a $9.6 billion loss in the final three months of 2008. The Presidential Task Force on Autos had summoned Wagoner and several other senior executives to Washington to answer questions about the company's request for up to $16.6 billion more in taxpayer aid, on top of the $13.4 billion it has already received from the U.S. Treasury since Dec. 31. The task force, led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House Economic Advisor Lawrence Summers, wanted a better understanding of GM…
Last reply by CaddyXLR-V, -
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http://www.cnbc.com/id/29407368 I haven't checked to see if this article has already been posted before.
Last reply by 6t5frlane, -
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...PStory/Business How the frack did this end up happening, I frankly can't believe it but there you go. At least in Canada the consumers went to other American brands- all three still outsell Toyota. If it gets much worse I'm going to have to start making connections at Ford dealers.
Last reply by Intrepidation, -
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I agree with the overall theme: bankruptcy could have a positive outcome for GM and Chrysler. The key is setting expectations and eliminating uncertainty about warranties, brands, dealers, etc. http://adage.com/article?article_id=134959
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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http://www.hybridcars.com/news/long-time-g...pany-25553.html http://www.umtri.umich.edu/content/RetoolingGM.pdf (This guy is my new hero...)
Last reply by Oracle of Delphi, -
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The dire situation in which the U.S. auto industry finds itself has created a lot of national discussion, but for many the consequences are much more personal. It's one thing to see a panel of experts discuss the ramifications of bailing out an ailing auto industry on a cable news shows, but as we see in this video after the jump, it's something altogether different when you're the mayor of a town caught in the crossfire. Virg Bernero is the mayor of Lansing, MI and it's quite apparent that he's not content to let pundits shape the discussion about who needs to sacrifice more to save the auto industry. The Fox News anchor conducting the interview can't do much in the face…
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Official: Saturn is Dead, Pontiac is a Ghost Is that the sound of GM executives putting on their flame-retardant jumpsuits? Link to original Article @ Jalopnik smallchevy: Here is the full WSJ Article
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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090226/D96J8RGG0.html
Last reply by FUTURE_OF_GM, -
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http://www.saabsunited.com/2009/02/saab-op...lationship.html no wonder GM was non functional
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Link to article END OF THE ROAD Thomas Cadillac Of Hartford, Parsons Chevrolet Of Farmington Shut Down By ERIC GERSHON and KENNETH R. GOSSELIN | The Hartford Courant February 25, 2009 Connecticut auto dealerships continue to disappear amid the meltdown of the U.S. automobile industry. In Hartford, Thomas Cadillac on Weston Street, a dealership that has operated in the city since 1929, closed last Friday. The closing follows the shutdown in December of Tony March Buick- Pontiac- GMC and Saturn of Hartford, also in the North Meadows area of Hartford. Parsons Chevrolet of Farmington also shut down Friday. It was founded in 1916 by Robert E. Parsons and had …
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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WASHINGTON (AP) - It will take more than one "car czar" to help get the embattled U.S. auto industry back on track, President Barack Obama has decided. Instead, his administration is establishing a presidential task force to direct the restructuring of General Motors Corp. (GM) and Chrysler LLC, a senior administration official said Sunday night. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers will oversee the across-the-government panel, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made. GM and Chrysler are expected to submit restructuring plans to the government by Tuesday, the…
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http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorial...lped-destroy-g/ ** I don't really agree with it. But food for thought. I think GM didn't listen to Lutz.
Last reply by GXT, -
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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...UTO01/902220319 so could this be an impetus for Bowling Green to cease possibly?
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From The Wall Street Journal
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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…
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Plans announced last year to move 2,000 General Motors jobs from Wilmington, Del., to Bowling Green appear to be on hold, United Auto Workers Local 2164 President Eldon Renaud said yesterday. "The future does not look good for that right now," Renaud said in an interview of the plan to add the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky to the Corvette factory by 2012. "The talk we are hearing is those vehicles will not be built here." Renaud's comments came as GM announced plans to shave 10,000 from its global white collar staff of 73,000. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said it was too soon to discuss how those personnel cuts could affect individual plants like Bowling Green. "W…
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Jamie LaReau Automotive News February 18, 2009 - 5:05 pm ET DETROIT -- General Motors, focusing on mainstream products in a battle to survive, has scrapped a unit that produced high-performance vehicles. GM today disbanded High Performance Vehicle Operations, which is based at the company's suburban Detroit technical center, and redeployed its engineers, said spokesman Vince Muniga. "All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold," Muniga said. "The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs." The unit created low-volume vehicles for GM's divisions designed to appeal…
Last reply by Dragon, -
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Chevrolet: - Brand Positioning: • Expressive Value • High Value Appeal with High Retail Volume - Dealer Throughput: • Growing to match Toyota in large markets Buick-Pontiac-GMC: - Brand Positioning • Buick: Sophisticated Quality, Luxury and Craftsmanship • Pontiac: Youthful & Sporty – with niche focus • GMC: Engineering Excellence with Capability and Functionally - Dealer Throughput: • Growing to match Nissan in large markets Cadillac: - Brand Positioning: • Performance Luxury with Aspirational Appeal • Global Luxury Brand - Dealer Throughput: • Growing to match Mercedes in large markets
Last reply by cire, -
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Chevrolet Malibu vs. Impala? Some call the present Malibu a great car but the older, simple Impala still outsells it. Here's what the Los Angeles Times observes, on the eve of the announcement of GM's viability plan.
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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By Maria Panaritis INQUIRER STAFF WRITER The e-mail video that General Motors Corp. sent to its Saturn dealers last night was an odd mix of apology and pep rally. The automaker had just told Congress it would do away with Saturn as part of a drastic restructuring plan to qualify GM for billions more in emergency taxpayer loans. For 209 Saturn franchises across the country - a dozen of which are in the Philadelphia area - the news was potentially devastating. "I know you've been dealing with the emotion of it, the frustration of it, maybe even the anger of it," Jill Lajdziak, general manager of Saturn, said as dealers Tom Zimbrick and Todd Ingersoll sat by he…
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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…
Last reply by balthazar, -
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http://www.dw-world.de/dw/function/0,,1221...r-1893-xml-atom
Last reply by ehaase, -
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The deadline is looming to present a plan for viability, and Reuters says GM is considering Chapter 11 to form a new ( ! ) company. To view their story, click here.
Last reply by gm4life, -
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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…
Last reply by SAmadei, -
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One intriguing prospect of GM's upcoming Voltec technology -- the drivetrain used on the 2010 Chevrolet Volt -- is the ability to drastically alter the vehicle's dynamics through a software update. Such improvements will be implemented on the fly and they won't need to wait until further versions of the vehicle are introduced. Future implementations of the Voltec powertrain will likely appear in higher-end vehicles, as foreshadowed by the Cadillac Converj concept from this year's Detroit Auto Show. When the time finally does come to introduce a second generation of the Chevy Volt, the biggest area of improvement may be made to the battery pack. In lieu of crafting a pac…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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The last few days Bob Lutz has been on many people's minds. But here's a new interview with Rick Wagoner, from an article by Sharon Silke Carty for USA Today. here
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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DISCLAIMER: Just because I'm grinding an axe about the G8 and how well it is doing doesn't mean I think that GM needs a whole line up of RWD V8 large cars. This is merely an interesting comparison. cz28 Not to mention, every G8 sold is profitable. The G8 and Solstice do well because THEY are true to the image of what Pontiac represents to the public. (The Vibe is probably doing well because it's new and competitive... And a Toyota ) I don't really understand why Gm is so surprised about Saturn being down either. I mean, with all of the cut or sell talk, they're shooting themselves in the foot. POSTED by guionM (who posts here sometimes as well)
Last reply by regfootball, -
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4 Bay Area BPG Dealers close 4 GMC Pontiac Buick dealerships close Four GMC Pontiac Buick dealerships — in San Jose, Dublin, Newark and Colma — have abruptly closed their doors, as a fresh wave of shutdowns and consolidations roils the ranks of Bay Area auto dealers in the new year. About 100 employees lost their jobs because of the closing of Dublin Buick Pontiac GMC in Dublin and the shutdown of Fremont Pontiac GMC in Newark. Those East Bay operations closed Jan. 29. An unknown number of employees were affected by the shutdown of Colma Buick Pontiac GMC in Colma and the closing of Capital Buick Pontiac GMC in San Jose. All four dealerships were owned by the same…
Last reply by hyperv6, -
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http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/11/rumormi...oduction-by-97/
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/090212/business_us_gm_saic.html?.v=6
Last reply by FUTURE_OF_GM, -
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"GM to restructure European sales, marketing" John Revill Automotive News February 5, 2009 General Motors is restructuring its sales, marketing and aftersales operations in Europe to give its Opel, Chevrolet Europe and Saab brands more autonomy. The change 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. We want to speed up decision making and focus our resources," Dewar said. The initiative will see three executives named brand leaders, effective March 1. Alain Visser will be vice president for Opel w…
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http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servle...y/Business/home
Last reply by Dragon, -
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3 large pickups don't live up to brawny image in side tests; none rates better than marginal for occupant protection ARLINGTON, VA — The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, and Nissan Titan are billed as workhorses, but the side crash protection these 2009 model large pickups provide is wimpy, at best. The trio earns either poor or marginal ratings in side tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Even with side airbags, occupant protection in these crew-cab pickups is no better than marginal. "The size, weight, and height of these large pickups should help them ace the side tests just like the other large pickups we've tested. Not these three," says …
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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Feb 07, 2009 (FIND, Inc. via COMTEX) -- GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- General Motors Corporation (GM) has determined that certain model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 passenger cars did not fully comply with paragraphs S4.3© and S4.3(d) of 49 CFR 571.110, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110 Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of 4,536 Kilograms (10,000 pounds) or Less. GM has filed an appropriate report pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h) (see implementing rule at 49 CFR part 556), GM has petitioned for an exemption from…
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http://www.leftlanenews.com/bob-lutz-to-st...nd-of-2009.html
Last reply by CaddyXLR-V, -
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so, really, what if? Could GM make do globally with 3 brands? These are the three I propose. Chevy Opel Cadillac
Last reply by Sixty8panther, -
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When Lutz talks, people seem to listen. So here's what he told a roundtable of journalists about the future of each of GM's brands. MICHAEL BETTENCOURT From Thursday's Globe and Mail January 22, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST DETROIT — Robert A. Lutz, GM's charismatic vice-chairman of product development, doesn't know the meaning of "no comment" — one of the reasons he's so popular with auto journalists, who are fed everything the companies want them to say about the positive aspects of their cars, but often get stonewalled when questions turn to less-flattering subjects. This is not the Lutz way: very few companies have as blunt a corporate leader willing to provide …
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Interesting, but depressing. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...&type=autos ---
Last reply by Sixty8panther, -
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the CAW is worried they might http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servle...y/Business/home
Last reply by ShadowDog, -
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Jamie LaReau Automotive News January 25, 2009 - 3:11 pm ET General Motors leaders told Saturn dealers today that funding has been allocated to build Saturn vehicles through 2012 and in some cases 2013. But they stopped short of saying Saturn would get new products and won't be killed. "We are still working through many options," but Saturn is "not going away in 30 days," said Todd Ingersoll, a Saturn dealer on the Franchise Operations Team who attended a Saturn dealer meeting at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in New Orleans. "That is good to know." Ingersoll, who owns Saturn stores in Danbury and Watertown, Conn., says GM leaders did …
Last reply by saturnd00d, -
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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.
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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Linkity GM lobbies Congress to avoid tax Automaker wants to add provision to stimulus bill to eliminate expense that could cost as much as $7B. David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- General Motors Corp. is quietly lobbying Congress to help the automaker avoid a multibillion-dollar tax bill the company faces as part of its $13.4 billion loan agreement with the federal government. The Detroit automaker has been urging members of Congress to add a provision to the $819 billion economic stimulus bill to eliminate the tax liability, which officials said could cost GM as much as $7 billion, and jeopardize the company's restructuring. GM c…
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Talk about a mess? To give States the right to set their own standards is a problem even if there were only a few states involved but to give all states this right is a problem not only for a strucggling Detroit but also Japan. To give the auto industry a bail out then to sign a deal like this would be so counter productive. Obama may not have shown great judgment in some things in the past but even he should see the problems involved with an ailing industry and economy that will effect him. The sad part is something like this could get signed in this week and the vast majority of people will never know what it means to them or how it will effect them till it is …
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Construction contracts for GM's new Flint, MI engine plant have been canceled, but GM tells us plans to build the new 1.4-liter four-banger powering the Chevy Volt and Cruze in Flint remain unchanged. Despite reports to the contrary, and despite construction contracts being canceled by GM, spokesperson Sharon Basel told us via e-mail the General's committed to building their new 1.4-liter engine for the Chevy Volt and the turbo version for the Chevy Cruze (above) in Flint: Additionally, Basel told the Flint News GM was examining all options — including using existing buildings on site. Our take is GM's looking to cut every short-term cost possible as they try t…
Last reply by pow, -
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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…
Last reply by Satty, -
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Here we are, not yet through the first month of the new year, and Ed Peper, vice president at Chevrolet, is already predicting that the Bowtie brand will increase market share in 2009. What evidence does he submit to arrive at this early conclusion? Last year, Chevy managed to post an increase of six-tenths of a point in retail share in 2008, despite the horrible market conditions late in the year, with the Malibu leading the charge by increasing sales by nearly 40% over the previous generation. The latest Malibu is certainly a good place to start, and Peper believes that the updated Equinox crossover will make similar inroads in the market. Peper also points to wins by…
Last reply by cire, -
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Linkypoo Let the media bashing begin.
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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so im watching the BCS national championship game and i cant help but notice all ford trucks and the dodge truck ads for the ramchallenge.com but then... GM truck ads come on too. calling out toyota and dodge on fuel economy for their full size trucks. i looked on youtube but didnt find them yet. anyone else see those ads too?
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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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…
Last reply by Oracle of Delphi, -
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President Obama will inherit a lot of things when he takes the oath of office on Tuesday. So good, some... not so good. And while his new digs on Pennsylvania Avenue are the same as his predecessors, his ride has been thoroughly refreshed for the 21st century. With fuzzy spy photos of the new presidential limo out in the open and Obama's inauguration less than a week away, Cadillac has finally released official photos of the Command-In-Chief's new ride. As expected, the new limo inherits Cadillac's current front- and rear-end design cues, but the overused fender vents on civilian Caddies are notably -- and thankfully -- absent. The back compartment where our new CIC sit…
Last reply by Satty, -
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There's a little of everything -- from the Legendary Buick Blackhawk -- to (are you sitting down?) a COUPLE of 1989 Corvette ZR1s -- the Jon Moss built Track-dominating Black 572 ZL1 -- A C5 Alpha and a C5 Beta -- The Tiger Shark -- the LT5 Camaro -- a 1904 Olds Touring -- several GTOS -- both old and new -- a couple of 1970 muscle cars -- a mid nineties "510" Impala SS -- and many, many pace cars and trucks. This may be the time to break open the piggy bank................. PLEASE NOTE: >This is a preliminary list -- it is very likely subject to change - >Barrett-Jackson will, in the coming week or two, put out pictures of each of these cars…
Last reply by balthazar, -
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Linkity Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Car Concept Here's another one from the world of unlimited conceptual design: the Cadillac World Thorium Fuel concept. Otherwise known as the Cadillac WTF. Created by Loren Kulesus, everything about the WTF has been created to last 100 years without maintenance. That's the reason for the element number ninety, thorium: to act as a nuclear fuel powering batteries that would power the car. Elsewhere, every major system is redundant in case of a failure. And the wheels don't have individual tires - in fact, what's located at each corner is one combined unit made up of six individual wheels. That gives you 24 wheels in to…
Last reply by ShadowDog, -
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http://gm-volt.com/2009/01/15/video-exclus...irman-bob-lutz/ I had the special opportunity for a one on one exclusive interview with GM vice chairman Bob Lutz. I apologize for the sound quality as we had to go to a place where the mobs of reporters wouldn’t besiege him, and there was a lot of background noise. You may have to turn up the volume to hear it well. The video appears below. I have summarized our conversation as follows: I asked him about whether the Cadillac Converj would be produced. He said he wanted it to be and said the production clay model is already built and essentially identical. He notes financial difficulties limit the certainty for moving ahead…
Last reply by gm4life, -
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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…
Last reply by daves87rs, -
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Link to article GM trucks, SUVs prone to losing power steering GM trucks, SUVs prone to losing power steering while parking but company says it's no problem MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Several popular models of General Motors trucks and SUVs are liable to lose their power steering as drivers make slow turns in parking lots, according to testimony and company documents. The problem has forced the nation's biggest automaker to settle lawsuits and led one state police force to briefly label the condition a hazard, but GM considers it a "normal characteristic" of the vehicles. Some drivers complain they must struggle to parallel park and navigate into tight spots. Othe…
Last reply by Daryl Z71, -
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http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/12/officia...to-four-models/ Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC Pontiac - Vibe, Solstice, G8, G5 I don't get it, why keep GMC? Why do you need GMC when all of those vehicles are covered by Chevy??? And if your going to limit Pontiac to a few vehicles why the hell keep the G5?? At least keep the G6 since it's a good seller and differetiates itself from the Aura and Malibu!!!!
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http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articl...94_FORTUNE5.htm Not entirely saying they are saved, but GM is considering alternatives to help Saturn survive. My guess is to avoid paying out the dealer network.
Last reply by HarleyEarl, -
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One of the big remaining technical questions for General Motors' Chevrolet Volt has been who the automaker will tap to supply the batteries. LG Chem and A123 Systems are the two companies that have been supplying prototype battery packs for Volt development program. It has long been rumored that South Korea's LG Chem would be selected, and today CEO Rick Wagoner confirmed the selection. Surprisingly though, GM has decided it will take responsibility for actually building the complete packs. GM will also take full responsibility for all the battery management systems and power electronics. The company will build a new factory in Michigan, but a specific site has yet to b…
Last reply by prototype66,
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