You go Tuckerfan.
In the 1970s, one radical was heard to proclaim, “Bust General Motors down to private!” While I’m sure Teddy Roosevelt would approve, I’m not so sure that the current crop of Republicans would. (Your idea does have some merits, however.)
Some people need work trucks. Some people require towing capacity. There are parts of Michigan where pick up trucks are the vehicle of choice. I think they look like crap,but I am not their market.
I argue that the big 3 were right to make the big dinos a few years ago. They made a fortune off them. They just did not properly prepare for a new market of small green cars. Now the tax payers are expected to fix their mismanagement and lack of planning.
The Navigator should be against the law. It is an example of all excesses rolled into one. I see no American company planning on making a small commuter car. The Fiero was a good start. A 2 seater for running back and forth to work would be a welcome addition.
The Volt is way overpriced.
Well, that’s probably why they are looking at future Escalade on a smaller platform… From my motortrend link above.
Someone buying a HD Suburban however is planning to tow something with it.
They will be taking a loss as it is with the 40K price (with a $7500 tax credit to the buyer). High tech costs money. The point of the Volt is to get people excited about GM. Get people in the dealerships. Look at all the positive press Toyota has gotten for the Prius, even though they sold it at a loss for four years.
My co-workers and I have been kicking ideas around about restructuring in general, and the plan is basically the same for all the big three;
1; examine the manufacturer’s entire product line, any duplicate vehicles (Saturn Aura/Chevrolet Malibu/Pontiac G6/Buick whateveritisidon’tcarei’mnotabuickfan, for example) will be consolidated into one vehicle model (the Chevy Malibu would become the only model in the GM line using that platform, GMC commercial vehicles get rebadged as Chevy trucks)
2; have the “fancier” models trim available as an optional trimline (Malibu with the trim features from an Aura/Buick version) for people who want to spend their money on cosmetic frippery
3; if a make sells better overseas (Buicks in China) then move the vehicle division to that country and phase it out here, after all, GM doesn’t sell Vauxhall or Holden in the US, do they?
Buick should stay. If GM axed it in the US, it would say to Asia that they’re getting orphan goods and not GM’s latest and best.
Pontiac should either go away or become GM’s “sports division”. Chevy would scream if the Corvette ended up a Pontiac and the 2010 “new Camaro” became a Firebird, but taking re-badged Malibus, Cobalts, and Aveos out of the Pontiac mix could only enhance the brand.
Pontiac’s sales organization has already been combined with Buick’s and GMC’s so Pontiac doesn’t have to be “full-line”. The more everyday stuff can be Buicks.
GMC and Buick shouldn’t be selling the same crossover. The GMC Acadia should go away. It dilutes the brand’s “serious truck” image.
Kill Saturn. The Vauxhall/Opel re-badges could be re-badged as Saabs. All your foreign eggs in one basket.
Chevy and GMC combined sells more trucks than anyone in the world. Would people who’ve driven nothing but GMC for years go to Chevy? Maybe not. GMC devotees have long seen Chevy as a “cheap, lighter-duty” truck–take away their “real trucks” and they might try Ford or Dodge. The leather-lined “sissy trucks” could go to Chevy and Cadillac, and the real work trucks to GMC.
The new Camero is was developed by the Holden team. I think they are going to manufacture it in Canada.
Vauxhall’s are right hand drive Opels for the most part.
The Vauxhall Antara is a RHD Opel Antara, which is the New Saturn VUE in the US
The Vauxhall Astra is is RHD Opel Astra, which is a Saturn Astra in the US
As far as dealerships go, I guess you’re right in saying there are no Holdens or Vauxhalls in the US. But the product is everywhere.
GM used to embody the American dream; When you first started your career, you bought a Chevrolet. When you got your first significant promotion, you bought yourself a Pontiac and all the neighbors knew you were right on track. When you made the jump to management, a big Oldsmobile showed you were making big bucks but you still had some youthful verve; your next promotions called for a Buick with all the bells and whistles let it be known that your future was assured. Finally, when you really hit high cotton, a Cadillac was simply the cream de la cream: you had arrived and you were officially a mover and a shaker. I can’t give cites, but I remember being told that some companies insisted on that progression for their employees. What was good for GM was good for the nation.
I didn’t say it would be easy. If that means they have to hybridize everything, then that’s what happens. Having all cars getting at least 35 mpg is going to happen eventually, and they might as well get a jump on it and be ahead of the curve for once. While I suppose there may be a temporary waiver on the 35 mpg requirement, it would certainly be a very firm goal with a short time frame to reaching it (Concession mainly made because I love me some fast cars, and those can eat gas like crazy).
As the question posed was to restructure the Big Three, thus putting the other brands completely out of my range of (hypothetical) influence, no, I would not demand that. Also, seeing as having the Big Three being the only ones doing that may give them a sort of competitive advantage, I don’t see particularly why I’d want to.
Killing Saturn would be interesting. After all, it’s GM’s last attempt at coming up with a different car company and a different way of doing things. Saturn could either be a scapegoat or the new standard. Buick also has to stay.
It’s pretty clear to me that Chrysler is going to go/be sold to China. Jeep is going to be stripped off. I bet you that we’ll be seeing a Hummerish vehicle coming from GM soon, in order to keep the Hummer brand name around.
My idea: have the UAW pension fund BUY GM-lock, stock and barrel. Then they could hire their own managers, and work for themselves.
Might result in some good changes!