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