| Don't you just love it? General Motors can't | | | | how you lose money, and you can't make it up |
| make a quality car to save its life, which is | | | | on volume. |
| what it's trying to do, and it wants Nissan | | | | |
| to give it billions of dollars to show | | | | You also have the issue of your competition's |
| respect for a failed company. Over the last | | | | pricing. The other guys are giving their |
| couple of years, you have heard of failed | | | | customers perceived value and real value. The |
| nation states, many of them in Africa. | | | | value is so great, that it is disallowing you |
| Countries that can't feed themselves, and | | | | a profit in the vehicles that you are putting |
| have just about as much wealth as is | | | | on the market. It's that simple. |
| necessary to put an embassy in NY, so their | | | | |
| diplomats can dine at the United Nations, and | | | | But wait, there's more!! |
| park overnight with diplomatic plates. | | | | |
| | | | Toyota, your main rival for world supremacy |
| Now we have failed corporate states like | | | | just came out with a new Lexus LS 460 with |
| General Motors who can't get out of their own | | | | built in features that GM isn't even thinking |
| way, and probably have no justification for | | | | about. It's not even on the drawing boards at |
| remaining in business other than the fact | | | | GM. THE LEXUS CAR PARKS ITSELF. It's got |
| that they've been around for something | | | | sonar distance finding devices that link up |
| approaching a century. If you really think | | | | to its navigation system. This thing can pull |
| about it, other than the employees who would | | | | into a parallel parking position with the |
| anyone miss General Motors if they went out | | | | driver basically watching the car park |
| of business tomorrow, maybe even today. The | | | | itself. |
| remaining players would immediately pick up | | | | |
| their market share, and we wouldn't have to | | | | Mercedes will envy the paint job at twice the |
| watch the slow market attrition that is | | | | price, and a first ever 8-speed transmission. |
| taking that share down anyway. | | | | How does a car with 380 horsepower get 19 |
| | | | miles to the gallon anyway? With a crash |
| There will come a time if they remain in | | | | sensing system that prepares the brakes and |
| business, that only aliens coming to visit | | | | airbags for the coming impact, this Lexus may |
| our planet will buy General Motors vehicles. | | | | give new meaning to the word safety. What's |
| The news recently is ludicrous. Carlos Ghosn | | | | going on here? For $70,000, Lexus will give |
| runs Nissan-Renault. This man has done a | | | | you a car that BMW, and Mercedes can't even |
| world-class turnaround over the last several | | | | dream about making for the price. |
| years, making billions of dollars for a | | | | |
| company that very few thought could be turned | | | | I have talked with representatives of the |
| around. | | | | Japanese automobile companies. They think GM |
| | | | is on the ropes, and who can argue. The old |
| Rick Wagoner is the typical corporate | | | | giant is pumping out iron that just doesn't |
| bureaucrat that spent decades at GM while its | | | | do it anymore. The only employees happy at |
| market share slid down the tubes. The two of | | | | the company are hebephrenics on the assembly |
| them have been talking about some sort of | | | | line who are taking too many pain killers. |
| consortium at the behest of GM's major | | | | There's also Chairman Rick Wagoner who |
| shareholder Kirk Kerkorian, who wants GM | | | | appears to be constipated in every interview |
| turned around tonight, today, yesterday. | | | | he gives, and wants a financial tribute from |
| Wagoner has now decided that Nissan should | | | | Nissan to boot. |
| pay GM billions of dollars for GM's perceived | | | | |
| greater value. | | | | The Future of GM |
| | | | |
| What value? Hey dude, you just lost $10 | | | | General Motors will continue to exist. If the |
| billion last year. You've bought out thirty | | | | consumer bought only on the basis of quality, |
| five thousand employees that you can't find | | | | and bang for the buck, GM would have filed |
| work for. You're a textbook case study in how | | | | for bankruptcy years ago. The consumer buys |
| to lose money by selling inferior products, | | | | for other reasons though, aside from quality. |
| and you believe you bring greater value to a | | | | Some have never driven a Japanese car, and |
| partnership with Nissan, than Nissan brings | | | | wouldn't consider it. Once you drive |
| to you. HELLO, ANYBODY HOME? | | | | Japanese, buying American cars becomes |
| | | | unthinkable. Some buyers live in sections of |
| One of the first lessons anybody learns if | | | | the country where there is peer group |
| they are active in the stock market is, you | | | | pressure to buy American, such as the |
| have to deal with reality, not your perceived | | | | Midwest. |
| reality, but what's really taking place. GM | | | | |
| has yet to do a full, truthful | | | | People on the East coast, and West coast |
| self-assessment and figure out where they | | | | however have basically shunned GM's vehicles. |
| are. What are you doing wrong? You can't be | | | | The Big 3 automaker will never recapture |
| doing things right, and lose $10 billion in a | | | | anything in those two markets again. I can't |
| year. You've got sales all right, but your | | | | imagine how they turn around corporate |
| customers are so disenchanted with your | | | | morale. With seventeen layers of management |
| product that they are not allowing you to | | | | compared to Toyota's five, I don't know how |
| price your product at a number that allows | | | | anyone is proud to say, "I work for GM". |
| you to take a profit out of the sale. That's | | | | |