New car ad from Detroit

[Dave W]

And so it came to pass... 

[Barklessdog]

How true. I just saw a special on GM and how, once again, they are saying quality is now as good as anything Japan makes.

Yesterday I saw a guy driving a brand new Chevy still with the dealer temp tag and a tail light was already out!

We don't get fooled again

[gweimer]

What I don't get is that I thought Saturn started as a joint venture between GM and Toyota.  Now, it looks like GM has the brand exclusively - especially with all the GM versions of a couple Saturn vehicles.

With all the news about the Big 3, Ford says they really don't need the money, and the CEO for Chrysler has made $1/year since he took over, with no bonus or stock options.  He says he came onboard comitted to getting the company back on track.

[Dave W]

Saturn was always strictly GM. Saturn shares some models with Opel, but that's also strictly GM.

Maybe you're thinking of the NUMMI (New United Motor) joint venture between GM and Toyota in California. That was originally for the Corolla, Nova and GEO Prism, more recently for the newer style Corolla, Tacoma and Pontiac Vibe. It's still going but GM is saying that Pontiac will probably be sold or discontinued.

[chromium]

the CEO for Chrysler has made $1/year since he took over, with no bonus or stock options

It helps that he has Home Depot as a benefactor 

"Nardelli angered Home Depot shareholders when he refused to take questions during a shareholder meeting in May 2006 as the stock was floundering. His rich pay package drew fire; he earned $38.1 million last year. Ultimately he was forced out of the company in January 2007, but left with a $210 million golden parachute in cash and stock options that included a $20 million severance payment and retirement benefits of $32 million."


Some speculation suggests that GM might use the bailout money to buyout Chrysler.

"In a merger, Chrysler and GM would see $10 billion in new market opportunities, Nardelli said. They could save $4 billion a year on parts. And they could share the $1 billion cost of developing platforms for new car models."

[Dave W]

I'm all for the merger if they'll just bring back the DeSoto. With tail fins.

[chromium]

How bout a nice new K-car instead?

[gweimer]

Hey, I tell you what.  I had a Dodge Aries.  Yea, it was pretty basic (I only had the AM radio), but it was a pretty reliable little car.  The K-car was what brought Chrysler back in the black.

[Lightyear]

It's pretty damn hard to make a profit when your average production worker cost you $75.00 an hour and you have have another $500.00 added to the cost of every vehicle for retiree health care.

Toyota's average north american labor cost is $44.00 per hour.

[gweimer]

I remember that one of the really big concerns of GM a couple years back was that their health care costs were going to go up $1 billion, and that was without any increased cost of production or price increase factored in.