Reading the news, things really dont look good for GM, Delphi has filed for bankrupcy, they have lost lots of money this year and there is speculation that GM may soon file for bankrupcy. Things really havent looked good there in 15 years+ with the end of Oldsmobile, the loss of many traditional models (Bonnieville, LeSabre, Eldorado) and market share that keeps being washed away by the asian automakers. Thesad part is that its their own falt, there are few new GM cars that really get people excited. Look at the new GTO, they had a great car with a famous name yet its a flop because 1 34,000 is a lot to start at when the badge says Pontiac, and the style isnt something that makes you turn your head (like the Dodge Charger or Ford Mustang) Also there arnt any real differenced between a Pontiac and a Buick, why spend and extra 5 thousand for a Olds when the Chevy has the same stuff just not trimed as nice. Just a thought why doesnt GM stop building so many different cars and follow Toyota/Hondas lead?

In all reality, I wonder when the big 3 will stop making such atrociously large vehicles with HUGE V8 engines... I realise people love the big-heavy feeling of driving an SUV, but they must cost at least $100 each time you hit the pump...

I cant imagine the gas situation is going to get better from here, why would I want to sink $40,000 into a new GTO with a 6L V8 engine if my name wasnt money-bags mcgee?

someone on crack???? dude GM is one of the biggest corporations in the world, i highly doubt that they will file for bankrupcy. ohh and its not just cuz of old's.. to begin with, they sold many cars, then they just fell off the face of the earth and went to shit, and thats my 2 pennies.
-Joe

Well...looking at the facts....main news story on TOC home page:

GM's Slump Drops Market Capitalization

They really aren't looking all that great....Ford has surpassed them....and the fact that google has over 10 times the amount of GM....something just ain't right....

Still talking about billions of dollars here....so I wouldn't expect them to go bankrupt, they are going to have to make some cuts...probably in workers and cars that are produced. On another note, those smaller hummers? wtf were they thinking...H2 was bad enough....now H3?

TOC Admin
Brando

Just you... GM is on a downward swing right now... Look it up- With Delphi under chapter 11, and GM employee discounts coming again, you can tell that they are trying to move as much product as possible to stay afloat.

No one is on crack, the problem is that GM builds very boring cars, my aunt has a 2001 Impala LS, she wanted to trade it in on a new 2006 but when she went to go look at them they looked "too much like old Accords" and decided the keep her 2001 which is styled "better", my dad a life long Pontiac owner drives a Honda because the Cavalier/Sunfire that were on the market when he was looking for a car didnt have the reliability record of his Honda.

Also removing old names from good cars never helps, weve had a Grand Am, Grand Prix, Catalina, LeSabre, Ford Ranger and the Honda and the Honda is built better. GM needs to get away from the platform sharing which hurts any attempts they make the brands seem independant. Look at the cars they have now-Trailblazer, Envoy, Rainer, 9-7 are all the same thing just like the Impala, Grand Prix, Lacrose which are all reworked w-bodies whos basic structure dates back to 1988.
I think that the ranks need to be thined and the structure of Chevy-Pontiac-Buick-Cadillac make clear, why is a Grand Prix just as costly as a Lacrose, why is the difference between the Envoy and the Trailblazer little more than a grill and some glued on emblems?

That is where the problem lies, today the name Cadillac is a sad shadow of its former self, 25 years ago the Standard of the World was just how to the Eldorado and Fleetwood should be thought of, now its not much more than a fully loaded version of one of GMs other cars.

X2

life & death of a business... its only natural.

yep....GM is closing more plants, 9 to be exact...3 of them being in Michigan....home of the Motor City....

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=1333118

TOC Admin
Brando

Same in Ohio. Moraine factory in Dayton gets big cuts. Not sure what happens with Delphi yet. Sad....

3 plants in canada...

Sorry to drag this back up......just wanted to put my two cents in.

My roommate, an army reservist, has said many times that "if you want to drive a Hummer, join the military."

I agree with him.

Instead of looking at cutting more of GM's 'core' (brands like Pontiac, traditional products like LeSabre, Eldorado etc., longtime plants & employees) , why not just get rid of the Hummer brand, or at the very least, try to sell it off?

They're ugly, overweight and overpriced IMO.......

I mean, if yuppies, rappers and some well-off families show interest in them.....that's well and good, but is the interest/demand really strong enough to justify Hummer's continued existence?

Well said. Its kinda like, " Hey, lets take one of the most capable off road vechiles in the world, make it gay, and put it on a surbaban chassis."

Im still amazed about the Pontiac Bonneville, as the owner of an 92 SE I think its a real shame cause its a real shame. As far as Oldsmobile I can't imagine what they were thinking since not many Olds owners seem to dislike their car, infact the name Oldsmobile seems to bring generations together, I know 5 people (outside of myself) who learned to drive on an Oldsmobile, Olds owners seem to have more pride in thier cars, unlike Buick and Pontiac owners they can tell you right off the bat the model year, trim level, and many even know the engine.

Also as a side note I just got a key made for my Pontiac, cost me $44 just for the ignition key...and they wonder why people feel so screwed by GM they stop building their car and then charge crazy amounts for a key.

Hey, GM's gotta charge something there......


Consider yourself lucky though. $44 is nothing compared to the $135 my dad shelled out for a ignition key to his '02 Accord LX.......