More Stupid Moves at GM
5/3/05, 08:54 PM
#42
Shelby GT500 Member
I think GM has several things against them at this point.
1) Product: It's about the product stupid!
There are only a few GM products I would even consider owning at the moment, one of which of course is the Corvette. There are also a couple nice Caddys, but the problem here is that you have to spend like $49,000 to get a decent GM vehicle, and at the end of the day...it's still a GM product. $49,000 will buy a heck of a nice German, Japanese or other American product, so why spend that much on a GM?
A) Dump most of the boring v-6 sedans and redesign one for Chevy and one for Pontiac. Make them exciting, different and have them max out at about $28,000.
B) Redesign the butt ugly trucks, make them attractive. Drivetrains are great, but the looks could stop a clock.
C) SUVs are horribly outdated and still use crappy plastic interiors from 1990. Get some high quality materials in there, leave the drivetrains and offer 25% less different models.
2) Unions and Retiree Benefits: They just need to make changes
This isn't 1970. In some ways, I wish it were, but it just isn't. I know people were promised certain things back then, and it's a crying shame, but they're just going to have to stink it up like the rest of us. The payout on the retiree benefits have to be changed if this company is to live long term.
3) Divisions: What the heck do we need all these different brands for??
Dump Buick YESTERDAY. Pare down Pontiacs product line. Stop selling Caddillac SUVs, or at least most of them, they are a luxury CAR division and should remain that way. Cut back on the dealership volume. Put Pontiacs and Chevys into GM dealerships, put Caddillacs and Saabs into upscale GM dealerships and sell trucks at Chevy and GMC dealerships. Make 2 GOOD minivans, not 10 crappy ones.
4) Production: Time to consolidate plants
GM has incredible infrastucture. Yes, it means union workers will lose jobs and that hurts, but in all honesty, that's been happening like a plague in American Business since 2000. Why should people continue to have rediculous wage jobs just cause they pay union dues? The alternative is GM goes under. I think to save the company, some union people can stink it up like the rest of us non-union people have for 6 years.
Build all the SUVs in a single plant and consolidate many of the other models into the same kind of strategy. Plant technology exists to be flexible enough to pull this off, they need to invest in it and fast.
These are just some of my ideas for GM. The biggest problem though has been, is and will remain their ugly products. They are uninspiring, leave very little if any impression, and generally just aren't desired by the American public. Therein lies their single largest problem.
1) Product: It's about the product stupid!
There are only a few GM products I would even consider owning at the moment, one of which of course is the Corvette. There are also a couple nice Caddys, but the problem here is that you have to spend like $49,000 to get a decent GM vehicle, and at the end of the day...it's still a GM product. $49,000 will buy a heck of a nice German, Japanese or other American product, so why spend that much on a GM?
A) Dump most of the boring v-6 sedans and redesign one for Chevy and one for Pontiac. Make them exciting, different and have them max out at about $28,000.
B) Redesign the butt ugly trucks, make them attractive. Drivetrains are great, but the looks could stop a clock.
C) SUVs are horribly outdated and still use crappy plastic interiors from 1990. Get some high quality materials in there, leave the drivetrains and offer 25% less different models.
2) Unions and Retiree Benefits: They just need to make changes
This isn't 1970. In some ways, I wish it were, but it just isn't. I know people were promised certain things back then, and it's a crying shame, but they're just going to have to stink it up like the rest of us. The payout on the retiree benefits have to be changed if this company is to live long term.
3) Divisions: What the heck do we need all these different brands for??
Dump Buick YESTERDAY. Pare down Pontiacs product line. Stop selling Caddillac SUVs, or at least most of them, they are a luxury CAR division and should remain that way. Cut back on the dealership volume. Put Pontiacs and Chevys into GM dealerships, put Caddillacs and Saabs into upscale GM dealerships and sell trucks at Chevy and GMC dealerships. Make 2 GOOD minivans, not 10 crappy ones.
4) Production: Time to consolidate plants
GM has incredible infrastucture. Yes, it means union workers will lose jobs and that hurts, but in all honesty, that's been happening like a plague in American Business since 2000. Why should people continue to have rediculous wage jobs just cause they pay union dues? The alternative is GM goes under. I think to save the company, some union people can stink it up like the rest of us non-union people have for 6 years.
Build all the SUVs in a single plant and consolidate many of the other models into the same kind of strategy. Plant technology exists to be flexible enough to pull this off, they need to invest in it and fast.
These are just some of my ideas for GM. The biggest problem though has been, is and will remain their ugly products. They are uninspiring, leave very little if any impression, and generally just aren't desired by the American public. Therein lies their single largest problem.
5/4/05, 06:41 AM
#43
Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Originally posted by 97svtgoin05gt@May 3, 2005, 8:57 PM
I think GM has several things against them at this point.
1) Product: It's about the product stupid!
There are only a few GM products I would even consider owning at the moment, one of which of course is the Corvette. There are also a couple nice Caddys, but the problem here is that you have to spend like $49,000 to get a decent GM vehicle, and at the end of the day...it's still a GM product. $49,000 will buy a heck of a nice German, Japanese or other American product, so why spend that much on a GM?
A) Dump most of the boring v-6 sedans and redesign one for Chevy and one for Pontiac. Make them exciting, different and have them max out at about $28,000.
B) Redesign the butt ugly trucks, make them attractive. Drivetrains are great, but the looks could stop a clock.
C) SUVs are horribly outdated and still use crappy plastic interiors from 1990. Get some high quality materials in there, leave the drivetrains and offer 25% less different models.
2) Unions and Retiree Benefits: They just need to make changes
This isn't 1970. In some ways, I wish it were, but it just isn't. I know people were promised certain things back then, and it's a crying shame, but they're just going to have to stink it up like the rest of us. The payout on the retiree benefits have to be changed if this company is to live long term.
3) Divisions: What the heck do we need all these different brands for??
Dump Buick YESTERDAY. Pare down Pontiacs product line. Stop selling Caddillac SUVs, or at least most of them, they are a luxury CAR division and should remain that way. Cut back on the dealership volume. Put Pontiacs and Chevys into GM dealerships, put Caddillacs and Saabs into upscale GM dealerships and sell trucks at Chevy and GMC dealerships. Make 2 GOOD minivans, not 10 crappy ones.
4) Production: Time to consolidate plants
GM has incredible infrastucture. Yes, it means union workers will lose jobs and that hurts, but in all honesty, that's been happening like a plague in American Business since 2000. Why should people continue to have rediculous wage jobs just cause they pay union dues? The alternative is GM goes under. I think to save the company, some union people can stink it up like the rest of us non-union people have for 6 years.
Build all the SUVs in a single plant and consolidate many of the other models into the same kind of strategy. Plant technology exists to be flexible enough to pull this off, they need to invest in it and fast.
These are just some of my ideas for GM. The biggest problem though has been, is and will remain their ugly products. They are uninspiring, leave very little if any impression, and generally just aren't desired by the American public. Therein lies their single largest problem.
I think GM has several things against them at this point.
1) Product: It's about the product stupid!
There are only a few GM products I would even consider owning at the moment, one of which of course is the Corvette. There are also a couple nice Caddys, but the problem here is that you have to spend like $49,000 to get a decent GM vehicle, and at the end of the day...it's still a GM product. $49,000 will buy a heck of a nice German, Japanese or other American product, so why spend that much on a GM?
A) Dump most of the boring v-6 sedans and redesign one for Chevy and one for Pontiac. Make them exciting, different and have them max out at about $28,000.
B) Redesign the butt ugly trucks, make them attractive. Drivetrains are great, but the looks could stop a clock.
C) SUVs are horribly outdated and still use crappy plastic interiors from 1990. Get some high quality materials in there, leave the drivetrains and offer 25% less different models.
2) Unions and Retiree Benefits: They just need to make changes
This isn't 1970. In some ways, I wish it were, but it just isn't. I know people were promised certain things back then, and it's a crying shame, but they're just going to have to stink it up like the rest of us. The payout on the retiree benefits have to be changed if this company is to live long term.
3) Divisions: What the heck do we need all these different brands for??
Dump Buick YESTERDAY. Pare down Pontiacs product line. Stop selling Caddillac SUVs, or at least most of them, they are a luxury CAR division and should remain that way. Cut back on the dealership volume. Put Pontiacs and Chevys into GM dealerships, put Caddillacs and Saabs into upscale GM dealerships and sell trucks at Chevy and GMC dealerships. Make 2 GOOD minivans, not 10 crappy ones.
4) Production: Time to consolidate plants
GM has incredible infrastucture. Yes, it means union workers will lose jobs and that hurts, but in all honesty, that's been happening like a plague in American Business since 2000. Why should people continue to have rediculous wage jobs just cause they pay union dues? The alternative is GM goes under. I think to save the company, some union people can stink it up like the rest of us non-union people have for 6 years.
Build all the SUVs in a single plant and consolidate many of the other models into the same kind of strategy. Plant technology exists to be flexible enough to pull this off, they need to invest in it and fast.
These are just some of my ideas for GM. The biggest problem though has been, is and will remain their ugly products. They are uninspiring, leave very little if any impression, and generally just aren't desired by the American public. Therein lies their single largest problem.
1. A.) While I agree with you for the most part, I think the market still calls for a few different sizes of vehicles than just one. But they do need to either axe or change the Impala or Monte Carlo, both seem to be relatively the same size and offer the same engine options. If you are going to do that, make at least one of them RWD.
B.) Partially agree, the Chevy line is completely ugly, I like what the do with the Denali versions of the Sierra, Envoy, and Yukon. But the Sierra and Yukon do need a fresh face.
3. GM gobbled up smaller car companies like the Soviet Union used to do with countries during the last half of last century. We saw one of their lines phased out, Oldsmobile, I thought Buick would be next but they are building new cars, Rendevous and LaCross, so not sure what's going on, I see more '05 Mustangs than I see new Buicks. As far as Pontiac's line, the Aztec has to go, just get rid of it, no replacement is necessary. Cadillac will make SUV's as long as Lincoln makes SUV's. Just make the Escalade and be done with it, the Cadillac version of the Avalanche is not needed. Never understood why the Avalanche and the Explorer Sport Trac was made to begin with, seems awfully close to a quad cab truck to me.
5/4/05, 03:58 PM
#45
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they need to get some honest to goodness real car guys in there at ALL levels, and stop hiring these overeducated underperforming "I'd rather drive a BMW or Mercedes" losers.
Seriously, If the company had about 200 people like me, at the levels where it counts, they would be kicking butt up and down wall street.
Look at the front end of the 2007 Monte Carlo, and you will see what is wrong with the company. You cannot tell me an artist or talented designer designed that. Hire people who design exciting cars. Get at least one chassis out that can handle both a Large four door a Mid size 4 door and a Midsize 2 door all being built on it, and have at it.
Make some cool looking aggressive cars, forget the jelly bean shapes and make soem cool looking cars.
When you see a picture of a new GM product what do you think? ooooooooh I want to drive that? Didn't think so.
Seriously, If the company had about 200 people like me, at the levels where it counts, they would be kicking butt up and down wall street.
Look at the front end of the 2007 Monte Carlo, and you will see what is wrong with the company. You cannot tell me an artist or talented designer designed that. Hire people who design exciting cars. Get at least one chassis out that can handle both a Large four door a Mid size 4 door and a Midsize 2 door all being built on it, and have at it.
Make some cool looking aggressive cars, forget the jelly bean shapes and make soem cool looking cars.
When you see a picture of a new GM product what do you think? ooooooooh I want to drive that? Didn't think so.
thats why I wanna b a designer... I love cars!
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