Robert Hall

It is what it is. Whatever will be, will be. We are but pawns in game of life.

I've worked with a number of Ys (recent college grads) in the last few years in the Denver area and Phoenix area, and AFAIK, 100% of them drive Japanese (Civics, Camrys, a G37, Priuses). Not encouraging.

Good analogy..I think GM's state currently would be like a ship with a bent propeller, broken rudder, and the whole bottom rusted out, taking on a lot of water, with people bailing water as fast as the can to stay afloat. Lots of good products right now, but lots of corporate problems..the next few months and next year should be very interesting to see what happens.

I predict GM's market share, realistically, will probably be at most 10-15% in 5 years. Can it be profitable at the point? Lots of variables.

I think that 'niche brand' was just spin...I doubt if they really intended to keep it that way..the whole integration with Pontiac into Buick and GMC was to make it easier to phase out than they did with Oldsmobile.

Well, the current LaX and Lucerne are pretty old and outdated, esp. the LaX..the new LaX is coming out for '10, so that should definitely help with the sedan sales. And if they add the Insignia-based Regal and a compact sedan on Delta within the next 2-3 years, that should help. I've wondered if GM has considered a midsize crossover for Buick, but maybe that niche is too full with the new Equinox, Terrain, and SRX coming..

It was inevitable..GM has been trying to wind down Pontiac for years, mostly through neglect.

Happy Birthday! Enjoy.

From the Wikipedia article on Olestra-- Olestra was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as a food additive in 1996 and was initially used in potato chips under the WOW brand by Frito Lay. In 1998, which was the first year Olestra products were marketed nationally after the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee confirmed a judgment it made 2 years earlier, sales were over $400 million.[5] However, by 2000 sales slowed to $200 million, largely caused by the unappealing side effects described on the FDA-mandated health warning label "This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added."[6] This condition (normally occurring only by excessive consumption in a short period of time) became popularly known as "anal leakage," which can be embarrassing. Sales were so slow that P&G gave up on attempts to widen the uses of Olestra, and even sold off their Cincinnati-based Olestra factory to Twin Rivers Technologies in February 2002.[4] The FDA removed the warning requirement in 2003 as it had "conducted a scientific review of several post-market studies submitted by P&G, as well as adverse event reports submitted by P&G and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (a particularly outspoken critic). The FDA concluded that the label statement was no longer warranted",[7] in spite of having received over 20,000 complaints.[8] When removing the Olestra warning label, the FDA cited a 6-week Procter & Gamble (makers of Olestra) study of more than 3000 people showing that an Olestra-eating group experienced only a small increase in bowel movement frequency.[7] P&G also worked hard in its publicity campaigns to highlight the positives of the additive, even working directly with the health-care community.[9] But, outside of the popular culture disapproval of the product, many consumers simply did not see the speedy results for which they had hoped from a product they saw as being a cure all. This was because Olestra only dealt with the fat component of the overall dietary pattern of Americans. Foods containing olestra do contain calories and many Americans believed that they could just eat more of them to compensate for the fat calories "saved".[10] Eating olestra chips was not a particularly effective way to improve one's diet overall.. ... Proctor and Gamble are marketing their sucrose ester products under the brand "Sefose" for use as an industrial lubricant and paint additive.[15] Because Olestra is made by chemically combining sugar and vegetable oil, it releases no toxic fumes and could potentially become a safe and environmentally-friendly replacement for petrochemicals in these applications.[16] It is currently used as a base for deck stains and a lubricant for small power tools, and there are plans to use it on larger machinery. Olestra FTL!

No..no rush to buy something..need more garage space first..

After dinner, I cruised down Camelback past the car dealers...and saw my first '10 Camaro! Sitting on the front lot of Courtesy Chevrolet, next to the showroom was a black SS w/ huge aftermarket black wheels and a large 'SOLD' sign in the side window. Sharp. Across the street at Coulter Cadillac, they had a slate blue G8 GT (they always seem to have a G8 or two), and two XLRs, one with '$15,995 OFF' on the side in huge letters...

Ya, product-wise, these are great times. In so many ways, these are best of times for cars and the worst of times simultaneously..

Oh, I think GM can and will thrive again..but they will have to find a way to thrive with 15-20% market share...I don't see 50% ever happening again.

Here's a few local ones. 60 Chevy Brookwood 2dr wagon '75 Chevy Impala 2dr ht (I think I've seen this car in traffic) '63 Chevy Impala 4dr ht '72 Pontiac GTO rollin' on 24s, YO! '91 Buick Roadmaster wagon (interesting paint & wheels)

Well, some here do live in the past (or view it with rose-colored glasses), so pointing out the obvious was necessary.. That would be good, but not going to happen given the mistakes GM has made the last 30+ years..

Truly LOL material...hilarious... Olestra, eh? Hmm.... this may explain some mysterious, unexpected shartage I've had before.

Hmmm...so many. For oldies, a '63 Riviera, '66 Riviera, '69-70 Grand Prix, '67-70 Eldorado, '66-67 Toronado, '62 Starfire, '62-68 Grand Prix, '61 bubble top B-bodys, '63-67 Corvette, etc. Of the '70s, pretty much anything A-, B-, C-, E-, F-, or G- body from '71-72..with my favorites being the B-body coupes and convertibles, the Riviera, and the A-body coupes. Or later, a '77-79 Impala/Caprice coupe or other B- body 2dr. For the big '80s, I'm a fan of the Hurst Olds and 442, MC SS, Grand Prix 2+2, Trans Am GTA, Camaro IROC-Z, Regal T-Types and GNs. So many... For current GMs---the G8 GT or GXP, Camaro SS, any CTS, any Corvette, Solstice, Sky..

Took a stroll to the kitchen to make some tea then out into the front lobby for a brief break a few min ago..saw a bright red G8 GT pull up out front. Sweet...

Yes, as a condition of the loan..not that different from a startup company taking venture capital and the VC firm providing their choice of CEO as part of the funding deal (I've been through a few of those).

Yes...what was relevant and true 50+ years ago isn't necessarily relevant in the modern world. The US of 2009 is a very different place than it was in 1953.

Saw a black 1st gen CTS-v on the freeway this morning...sweet.

He probably meant core divisions (CGBC). Pontiac is a non-core, now cancelled brand.

Thanks for posting these!

Saw a black Continental GT today, when I was pulling into my company parking lot..it was sitting at the light. Sweet.

Cool... I've long been fascinated by aviation..have been to the Air and Space Museum in DC, Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson in Ohio, Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run, Michigan, and the San Diego Air and Space Museum. And worked for a navigation charting and systems company, so I've learned a lot of teh cool 'inside baseball' terminology like waypoints, moving maps, NOTAMs, VORTACs, etc.. have long thought about pursuing a pilot's license, if I had the time and disposable $$$.