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As for thoughts, DOWN with GM! They sold thier Subaru sharehold to, get this, Toyota. I hate GM with a passion. Constently rebadging cars and releasing them as new designs is just weak. Now you can get a Tahoe from like 5 different brands, you can get a WRX from a Saab dealership, the Ion/Cobalt uses 20 year old suspension technology(solid rear axle on FWD cars is DUMB), Saturn Vue uses a Honda engine and is suddenly among the best SUVs in it's class because of it, I mean it's just constent sharing of parts and platforms, and what's worse is that a lot of Americans are oblivious to this and actually seek out, say, a Saab 9-7X and pay considerably more for it than if they just went to Chevy or GMC and bought the Tahoe. Saab's so backwards because of GM now. Subaru almost did the same, when the Tribeca came out I noticed that the parking brake was straight off of a GM - a freggin push pedal parking brake in a Subaru?!
As for thoughts, DOWN with GM! They sold thier Subaru sharehold to, get this, Toyota. I hate GM with a passion. Constently rebadging cars and releasing them as new designs is just weak. Now you can get a Tahoe from like 5 different brands, you can get a WRX from a Saab dealership, the Ion/Cobalt uses 20 year old suspension technology(solid rear axle on FWD cars is DUMB), Saturn Vue uses a Honda engine and is suddenly among the best SUVs in it's class because of it, I mean it's just constent sharing of parts and platforms, and what's worse is that a lot of Americans are oblivious to this and actually seek out, say, a Saab 9-7X and pay considerably more for it than if they just went to Chevy or GMC and bought the Tahoe. Saab's so backwards because of GM now. Subaru almost did the same, when the Tribeca came out I noticed that the parking brake was straight off of a GM - a freggin push pedal parking brake in a Subaru?!
Anyway I hope GM goes downhill.
General Mazda/NEWS
Like GM or not, they are the largest Car manufacturer in the world. To see a corporate giant like that fall scares me.
I read it out of the local paper first, then checked online to conrfirm.
Originally posted by the dallas morning news
Delphi may use its bankruptcy to shed employee pensions, which would leave the beleaguered federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to pay a $4.3 billion shortfall. General Motors Corp. could get an even bigger $11 billion bill, which it promised to pay if Delphi went under when it spun off the company in 1999.
You're right, MAZDA/NEWS - this is a Mazda oriented subforum, should have gone in General Automotive. But anyway...
Scares you? Yeah, if you own a GM car, are a GM employee, or a GM shareholder I'd be scared a little too. I'd be happy to see GM go though a major bankruptcy and hope that on the other side they can come out with more reliable cars that people might want to buy. Right now I get the feeling people buy GM cars because they need a car, not because they want a GM. It's something cheap and they don't know any better. GM can ditch Buick, GMC, and Pontiac and not really change anything since nearly all of those branded cars are the same as other Chevrolets.
/ = or... Its General Mazda or News (automotive related)
General Automotive is more for ppl with questions about other cars, and the un-veiling of new models.
GM is more than just that...
Cadillac, Hummer, Oldsmobile, the list goes on and on. Having the market giant of car sales dissapear will cause shockwaves on the market. I know alot of ppl that buy GM b/c its GM. Just look at the Corvette and Camaro following... I highly doubt those ppl are just buying a GM b/c its a cheap car.
Gm stands to declare bankruptcy with their stock values sinking, their credit rating at a low junk status, and their pension/health care liabilities out weighing their potential profits. Delphi's sinlge largest customer is GM and their AC Delco parts brand. Much of the rumors that float around my neck of the woods suggest GM may restructure it's supply chain partially. The end result wouldn't do much to change the quality or availability of parts to GM owners. The biggest problem is with the heavily handed contracts the UAW holds with these companies. They made innovative contracts for the American middle class, however, are no longer sustainable with foreign competition. Delphi cannot afford to compete with other parts manufacturers. Their products costs relatively the same as other manufacturers while their costs can nearly double or triple their competitors'. Delphi's profit margin shrinks because of their liabilities and costs.
Mazkid, the end result of a GM-related or a GM bankruptsy will not yeild better quality cars. My assumption would be a dramatic outsourcing and cost cutting approach to producing GM parts and cars. The net effect may shift the company in stride, but not in quality one way or the other. Delphi parts manufactured in America don't only find their way into GM cars. Their products and licensed technologies find their way into virtually every fascet of our every day life. Not to mention, AC Delco and it's manufacturers produce parts available for your little protege as well. Sometimes a little cheaper than pricier Mazda parts.
As for the contention that people simply buy GM cars because they need a car? Alot of people still buy these cars because they love the brands they grew up with. Partially nostalgia, partially patriotism, and partially recognition. As far as rebadging, there are plenty of companies, even Japanese auto makers that do this. From engines, to chasis, to suspensions, and even electronics. Whether you spend 10 grand on an Echo or 50 grand on a Land Cruiser, alot of the components on these vehicles are fundamentally similar and not so remarkably removed from one another.
Look at it this way, if you have 2 engines and 3 chasis, you could:
Sell all three chasis with both engines for: 6 production models
Sell 2 engines on one chasis and only one on the other two for: 4 production models
GM's approach has been fairly simple in minimizing fundamental selections and offering as many different possibilities as possible. It's a matter of giving the consumer the options that they want. Why wouldn't you lambaist Ford for using Mazda engines and Mazda for using the same engine in 2 or 3 different cars? I don't know what to think of your comments. You definately know your cars, but do you understand corporate dynamics and marketing in the least bit?
Frankly, GM will back out of their UAW contracts or obligations somehow. It's only a matter of time. You need not cheer for GM's demise as their failures have already sealed their fate into restructuring and putting many people of America's working class into the dog house.
Kevin
like it or not, if GM or any one of the big 3 fails... it could **** our ALREADY ****ED economy EVEN MORE big time... the US automobile industry has always been a big driving force of our economy... having that **** ****ed means long recessions.... look back at the early 80s
you guys suck at american history
Fixed!
**SOLD** 93 EGT with more suspension mods then your average riced out civic's # of decals + useless "bling/style/culture" mods! **SOLD**
95 EGT New beater! And gawd damnit shes NOT pink!
loosk alot better than the the wagon **** before it. people always say its the best, but noone bought those 92-96 impalas, until they stopped selling them...
d00d i always saw the 92-96 impalas on the road and the 3 people i knew that owned 1 when they were out loved em. i enjoyed the damn car. but ****, its just mvho
proud owner of a 13lb 5 ounce porker baby boy. no longer the proud owner of the car below, it now belongs to 95pro.
Hate GM, only reason they are still in business is cause they supply at least 90% of our car rental and government with unreliable and cheap cars to cart themselves around.... Just my 2 cents
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