Something up at GM?
5/5/05, 10:05 AM
#21
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Kerkorian is at it again. He really wanted Chrysler but was beat out of aquiring it by Daimler. Now it looks like he wants to take over GM.
I guess he really wants to get into the automobile business. Does anybody have any background info on him? All I know about him is that he's one of the richest billionaires in the world and has had a lot to do with building and running casinos in Las Vegas.
Could he be a car guy who has enough money to buy his own car company? If I had the money to buy GM...
I guess he really wants to get into the automobile business. Does anybody have any background info on him? All I know about him is that he's one of the richest billionaires in the world and has had a lot to do with building and running casinos in Las Vegas.
Could he be a car guy who has enough money to buy his own car company? If I had the money to buy GM...
5/5/05, 04:05 PM
#23
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Originally posted by 05Mustangfan@May 4, 2005, 10:10 PM
before i go on, i would like to note that i do NOT like GM and i find it humorous that Lutz is butt-rapin' em all.
If i were running things, here is what i would do
1. Buick
ok, this car company is one of my favs and i love the new lacrosse, heres what the line-up needs
1. Buick Luxury Truck--Mark LT Lacks competition
2. Buick Lacrosse -- add a 6 spd Manual and maybe the northstar 4.6l V8?
3. Buick Skylark -- from a 6 to a GS, Buick would compete with the Mustang, it would have the lacrosse's six as a start, then the top model, the GS, would have an LS2
4. HALO - Buick GNX-- this would RULE i'd say a Supercharged Lacrosse V6, with a 6 speed Manual....oh, MAN that would RULE
2. Pontiac
As much as i want this to Die....well, dammit, i loved the T/As (big, deep, dark secret)
1. Pontiac Grand AM - I HATE THIS CAR, but it brought in the sales..a wagon needs to be added, and it should be shifted to a RWD platform, the Grand AM GT will have the lacrosse's V6 and i think a grand am convertible should be offered only in the GT body style
2. Pontiac GTO - ugh, i'd say axe it, but..whatever, i'd say modernize the old T/A F-body, make it low, mean, and still sell it for a high price, as to compete with BMW M3s and such
3. Pontiac Firebird - this HAS to come back to help this company survive, dammit. start out with the 6, end with a Supercharged 4.6 northstar
4. HALO - Pontiac Solstice - yup, this be the Halo. keep the powertrain but add a Solstice GT with an inline Six
3. GMC (WARNING THIS WILL BE TABOO)
1. GMC Performance CAR- you read that right, i think GMC needs to add a CAR to it's line up, im thinking a GTO clone, maybe? it would turn heads, i mean, sing the red letters in the grille of a car..
4. Chevrolet
1. Camaro - ok, as much as i hate to say this, i want this back, the Mustang vs Camaro wars RULED this is what needs to be done
(THIS IS THE ONLY THING CHEVY NEEDS TO GASP IN ENOUGH AIR TO LIVE)
1. Camaro RS - G6/Lacrosse V6
2. Camaro Z28 - 4.6 Northstar V8
3. Camaro SS - LS2
thats all i can think of for the brands that matter at all to me...
before i go on, i would like to note that i do NOT like GM and i find it humorous that Lutz is butt-rapin' em all.
If i were running things, here is what i would do
1. Buick
ok, this car company is one of my favs and i love the new lacrosse, heres what the line-up needs
1. Buick Luxury Truck--Mark LT Lacks competition
2. Buick Lacrosse -- add a 6 spd Manual and maybe the northstar 4.6l V8?
3. Buick Skylark -- from a 6 to a GS, Buick would compete with the Mustang, it would have the lacrosse's six as a start, then the top model, the GS, would have an LS2
4. HALO - Buick GNX-- this would RULE i'd say a Supercharged Lacrosse V6, with a 6 speed Manual....oh, MAN that would RULE
2. Pontiac
As much as i want this to Die....well, dammit, i loved the T/As (big, deep, dark secret)
1. Pontiac Grand AM - I HATE THIS CAR, but it brought in the sales..a wagon needs to be added, and it should be shifted to a RWD platform, the Grand AM GT will have the lacrosse's V6 and i think a grand am convertible should be offered only in the GT body style
2. Pontiac GTO - ugh, i'd say axe it, but..whatever, i'd say modernize the old T/A F-body, make it low, mean, and still sell it for a high price, as to compete with BMW M3s and such
3. Pontiac Firebird - this HAS to come back to help this company survive, dammit. start out with the 6, end with a Supercharged 4.6 northstar
4. HALO - Pontiac Solstice - yup, this be the Halo. keep the powertrain but add a Solstice GT with an inline Six
3. GMC (WARNING THIS WILL BE TABOO)
1. GMC Performance CAR- you read that right, i think GMC needs to add a CAR to it's line up, im thinking a GTO clone, maybe? it would turn heads, i mean, sing the red letters in the grille of a car..
4. Chevrolet
1. Camaro - ok, as much as i hate to say this, i want this back, the Mustang vs Camaro wars RULED this is what needs to be done
(THIS IS THE ONLY THING CHEVY NEEDS TO GASP IN ENOUGH AIR TO LIVE)
1. Camaro RS - G6/Lacrosse V6
2. Camaro Z28 - 4.6 Northstar V8
3. Camaro SS - LS2
thats all i can think of for the brands that matter at all to me...
The G6 needs a LS1, then it would kick azz
GTO needs to go bye bye
Firebirds were so ugly, big Wedge of cheese with a 4x4 ride height :notnice:
5/5/05, 04:49 PM
#24
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As you requested. 
Kirk Kerkorian (b. June 6, 1917) is a Nevada billionaire and president/CEO of the modern incarnation of MGM, which today is still a motion picture studio as well as a resort properties corporation. Kerkorian also owns Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, California. Kerkorian is known as one of the important figures in shaping the city of Las Vegas, Nevada and the "father of the megaresort".
Early life
Kerkor "Kirk" Kerkorian was born in 1917 in Fresno, California to Armenian immigrants. The young Kerkorian, under the tutelage of his older brother, became a fairly skilled amateur boxer but in 1939, he decided to learn how to fly airplanes. During World War II, Kerkorian flew as a pilot in the British Royal Air Force.
Kerkorian and Las Vegas
Kerkorian made his first visit to Las Vegas in 1945 as a Cessna pilot. After spend much time in Las Vegas during the 1940s and 1950s, Kerkorian quit gambling and founded a startup airline.
In 1962, Kerkorian bought 80 acres (320,000 m²) across the Strip from the Flamingo for $960,000. This purchase led to the building of Caesars Palace, which rented the land from Kerkorian; the rent and eventual sale of the land to Caesars in 1968 made Kerkorian $9 million. In 1967, he bought 82 acres (330,000 m²) of land on Paradise Road in Las Vegas for $5 million and built the International Hotel , which at the time was the largest hotel in the world; Kerkorian's International Leisure also bought the Flamingo Hotel . In 1973, having purchased MGM, the famous movie studio, Kerkorian and MGM opened the original MGM Grand Hotel, which was the largest hotel in the world at the time it was finished.
On November 11, 1980 the original MGM Grand burned in a fire that was the worst disaster ever in Las Vegas history, killing 85 people. Amazingly, the MGM Grand reopened after only 8 months. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand hotels in Las Vegas and Reno for the huge sum of $594 million to Bally. Spun off from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM Mirage owns and operates many properties, including the Bellagio, the current MGM Grand resort complex, the Mirage, Treasure Island, the New York-New York, and the Boardwalk in Las Vegas, as well as the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
(see Business Week - November 2, 1974 for how he financed all of this)
Kerkorian and MGM
In 1969, Kerkorian appointed James T. Aubrey, Jr. MGM's president. He downsized the struggling MGM and sold off massive amounts of historical memorabilia, including Dorothy's ruby slippers (from The Wizard of Oz), and several acres of MGM's backlots (which were razed to build houses). Kerkorian sold MGM's distribution system in 1973, and gradually distanced himself from the daily operation of the studio. In 1979, Kerkorian issued a statement claiming that MGM was now primarily a hotel company; however, he also managed to expand the overall film library and production system with the purchase of United Artists in 1981. In 1986 he sold the studios to Ted Turner.
Turner kept ownership of the combined MGM/UA for exactly 74 days. Both studios had huge debts and Turner simply could not afford to keep them under those circumstances; to recoup his investment, he sold all of United Artists and the MGM trademark back to Kerkorian. The studio lot was sold to Lorimar, which was later acquired by Warner Bros.; in 1990, the lot was sold to Columbia Pictures, in exchange for the half of Warner's lot they'd rented since the 1970s. Also in 1990, the MGM studio was purchased by Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti, but Parretti defaulted on the loans he'd used to buy the studio and sold the studio back to Kerkorian in 1996.
Family
Kerkorian married tennis pro Lisa Bonder . He was involved in a breach of privacy suit filed against him by Steve Bing. Kerkorian claimed Bing was the father of Lisa Bonder's daughter.
Kirk Kerkorian (b. June 6, 1917) is a Nevada billionaire and president/CEO of the modern incarnation of MGM, which today is still a motion picture studio as well as a resort properties corporation. Kerkorian also owns Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, California. Kerkorian is known as one of the important figures in shaping the city of Las Vegas, Nevada and the "father of the megaresort".
Early life
Kerkor "Kirk" Kerkorian was born in 1917 in Fresno, California to Armenian immigrants. The young Kerkorian, under the tutelage of his older brother, became a fairly skilled amateur boxer but in 1939, he decided to learn how to fly airplanes. During World War II, Kerkorian flew as a pilot in the British Royal Air Force.
Kerkorian and Las Vegas
Kerkorian made his first visit to Las Vegas in 1945 as a Cessna pilot. After spend much time in Las Vegas during the 1940s and 1950s, Kerkorian quit gambling and founded a startup airline.
In 1962, Kerkorian bought 80 acres (320,000 m²) across the Strip from the Flamingo for $960,000. This purchase led to the building of Caesars Palace, which rented the land from Kerkorian; the rent and eventual sale of the land to Caesars in 1968 made Kerkorian $9 million. In 1967, he bought 82 acres (330,000 m²) of land on Paradise Road in Las Vegas for $5 million and built the International Hotel , which at the time was the largest hotel in the world; Kerkorian's International Leisure also bought the Flamingo Hotel . In 1973, having purchased MGM, the famous movie studio, Kerkorian and MGM opened the original MGM Grand Hotel, which was the largest hotel in the world at the time it was finished.
On November 11, 1980 the original MGM Grand burned in a fire that was the worst disaster ever in Las Vegas history, killing 85 people. Amazingly, the MGM Grand reopened after only 8 months. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand hotels in Las Vegas and Reno for the huge sum of $594 million to Bally. Spun off from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM Mirage owns and operates many properties, including the Bellagio, the current MGM Grand resort complex, the Mirage, Treasure Island, the New York-New York, and the Boardwalk in Las Vegas, as well as the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
(see Business Week - November 2, 1974 for how he financed all of this)
Kerkorian and MGM
In 1969, Kerkorian appointed James T. Aubrey, Jr. MGM's president. He downsized the struggling MGM and sold off massive amounts of historical memorabilia, including Dorothy's ruby slippers (from The Wizard of Oz), and several acres of MGM's backlots (which were razed to build houses). Kerkorian sold MGM's distribution system in 1973, and gradually distanced himself from the daily operation of the studio. In 1979, Kerkorian issued a statement claiming that MGM was now primarily a hotel company; however, he also managed to expand the overall film library and production system with the purchase of United Artists in 1981. In 1986 he sold the studios to Ted Turner.
Turner kept ownership of the combined MGM/UA for exactly 74 days. Both studios had huge debts and Turner simply could not afford to keep them under those circumstances; to recoup his investment, he sold all of United Artists and the MGM trademark back to Kerkorian. The studio lot was sold to Lorimar, which was later acquired by Warner Bros.; in 1990, the lot was sold to Columbia Pictures, in exchange for the half of Warner's lot they'd rented since the 1970s. Also in 1990, the MGM studio was purchased by Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti, but Parretti defaulted on the loans he'd used to buy the studio and sold the studio back to Kerkorian in 1996.
Family
Kerkorian married tennis pro Lisa Bonder . He was involved in a breach of privacy suit filed against him by Steve Bing. Kerkorian claimed Bing was the father of Lisa Bonder's daughter.
