The vehicles you mention were certainly heinous hooptees. I would also like to mention the forced gasoline to Diesel engine conversion disaster from the 80's. And then the whole midsized 1990's Oldsmobile, Pontiac mess... cars that looked like something Chevy Chase would drive on his vacation to Wollyworld. Easy to own, no money down, come on down!

They had well-earned my favorite nick-names Generic Motors or Geriatric Motors! GM - famous maker of rental cars!

And now, as the 'Heartbeat of America' is flat-lining, the dusty patient is getting a pace-maker!

I don't see anything so tragic about it. They did this to themselves by being sop greedy and giving oneself high pensions and salaries, then selling the same old krap and jacking up the price on a car to pay their salaries.

How is it that Honda and Toyota can give you better cars with better gas mileage at much lower prices. They aren't as greedy as the American people running businesses these days, and GM as well as Chrysler actually though\t people would continue buying these overpriced cars for 50K when you can get a better car for under 20K with Toyota or Honda.

No one to blame but their greedy selves for their demise. Ev en when they were having financial difficulties, they still continued making poor quality care, poor gas mileage for high prices, and gave themselves milin dollar bonuses for producing nothing!

adios... You wont be missed!

Why buy the overpriced garbage from Japan. Honda and Toyota are like 50 percent overpriced in regards to the Cobalt. Never had a problem, driving many miles, maybe I was just lucky. But I do know people seem to think dont buy America no matter what. I just dont believe in buying overpriced Japanese garbage. I would buy Mercedes and BMW, however those cars are now made in America. So its not American labor, its American management, then again one may look at the CEOs, and come to that same conclusion.

The media has spread a lot of distortions and lies about the U.S. auto industry.

Notice how the hacks in the corporate media have such hatred and contempt for the auto companies and in contrast are so forgiving of the banks, who caused the economic crisis and got bailed out for trillions tax payer dollars? You can tell they are really enjoying the auto companies and their workers being allowed to twist in the wind by the Obama Administration. (That's the thanks all those union people get for going door to door to get Barry elected)

To the corporate hacks in the media the auto companies represent the last remnants of a time they hate and fear, the 1950's and 60's when 30% of workers were unionized and as a result were payed well and had good benefits which created the large prosperous middle class the U.S. was famous for. The auto companies also represent the last large piece of our once world class manufacturing base, you know, back in the quaint olden days when America acquired most of it's wealth by actually making things, here in this country, rather than making money from semi-slave labor in foreign countries, ponzi schemes, junk mortgages and leveraging debt...con games that to the hacks in the media are cool and "New Economy".

These so called "reporters" take their cue from media hucksters like Thomas Friedman and hack economists like Robert Samuelson.

The bankers and their defenders and cheerleaders in the media have hurt our country more than any terrorist ever dreamed.

They're the ones who should be in Gitmo or super max.

So Long GM.. It as nice knowing you..

Japanese cars are not cheaper, nor do they get better gas mileage, nor are they more innovative. They get about the same mileage, cost more to purchase, cost more to repair (yes, they certainly do breakdown!), as American cars and they simply copy popular designs from the Euro cars Audi and BMW and "borrow" electronic innovations from Cadillac. Japan has always been and will continue to be great immitators.

My opinion, but based on many facts on many different levels.

I realize that nobody will agree with my opinion, but the USA has made alot of junk over the past15-20 years. They did do it to themselves thanks to the unions. Now they will have to suffer because of it. I feel bad for the affected workers and their families, but they had it too good for too long. "The Heartbrake of America"

Be careful of this particular article - many opinions are expressed as facts, with no supporting information to back those particular opinions. Especially notice that there is no byline to proudly identify the writer, as we would expect on an opinion column. I suspect a young writer here. This critique should not detract from the generally useful statistics gathered in other parts of the article.

For instance, the article says Oldsmobile buyers average age was 50, as if that were a problem. In fact Olds had generally targetted a those who had achieved financial independence, but were not quite ready for a Cadillac. Of course the average age was 50, and lots of people reach that age every year, and are looking to upscale from a Chevy. Olds had the sporty entry level Intrigue, which flew with the 3800 Engine, and the sporty high end Aurora with its "northstar-related" small V-8.

I have to admit they made a styling blunder by replacing the elegant simplicity of the 1987-1992( not sure of end year) with the rounded Delta88 in 50s-Retro styling - so sales in the middle-size dropped - but one styling error should not be enough to extinguish a whole brand. The buyers just shifted over to Bonnevilles and LeSabres ( or Volvos and Mercedes ? ). They were not "lost forever".

My opinion of GM's attempts to make Olds a full product line from rollerskate to SUV was a waste of money, as that merely stole customers from their other division - Chevy - no net gain in total GM sales. Few customers of any brand buy only that one brand for 60 years, people like to try a new brand once in a while.

Also it implies by vague date reference, that about 1979, Hondas did not rust. I saw a co-worker's Honda rust right through the TOP of his front fender in just 2 years. All the car makers, foreign and domestic, have slowed the rate of rusting since then, because the consumers have complained loudly, and even sued in Canada. And they all could do even better, if we demanded it.

I drive an Aurora - which has been trouble-free - knock on wood - as they closed all the dealers right after I bought it.

Eirík Þorvaldsson

Poor poor GM. Build another gas guzzler. They still havent learned, they are still shoving SUVs down our throats. The UAW is as much to blame as the Execs, the greed and lack of quality workmanship from the board to the plant has led to this. Maybe a Japanese company with some work ethic will take them over.

A lot of you have made good comments. I would add that all of the loose money over the past eight years made all of the buying possible, that is the past now reality has set in.

American cars were not what they should have been, but the image as younger buyers came along did not apeal to them and they went else where the demographics show just what happened. All I know is i cannot afford too many 40 or 50 K cars and iam not broke. But sadly think about this our system of retirement requires that people come along behind us to pay for our retirement as we paid for the people before us that is how it was supposed to work that has changed also and the system is falling apart.

When a large percentage of people are employed by the government and state employees do not pay into social security how can the system survive especially when so many of our jobs are going over seas. It is not just our car companys that are going under it is our whole system and the left leaning socialists are not helping.

No no no no no....GM has ripped off everything that others have innovated for the last 50 years. They have done nothing except be concerned with remaining No 1. They are the perfect example of lazy bureaucracy.

Hmmmm...Japanese cars don't get better gas mileage and are more expensive to repair. Spoken like someone who has never had a Honda or Toyota. GM builds cars and trucks that have a mile or two more MPG and expect everyone to bow down and think that is better. No. Sorry try your argument again. If GM built a car that was 10-15 MPG better than a Honda or a Toyota, then come see me. And since they have much tighter engineering tolerances, they don't have as many breakdowns.

I own a 2001 Hyundai that has never had to be in the shop for anything mechanical, my boss owns a 2008 Cadillac that he is constantly having to take to the dealer for some problem. Why would I want to buy any kind of GM car based on that kind of performance record?

Amen!! Bill Carson. And further - our Gov't and BigBiz have spent a decade PUSHING whole industries OffShore :: Consumer Appliances, Consumer Electronics, Telephone Customer Service & Transaction Posting, Computer Programming.... it is doubtful we will ever get those jobs back again.

If we had strong Labor Unions like they have in Europe, the politicians would have been forced to limit the percentage of work sent overseas. It shows a more favorable attitude toward the people who MAKE THINGS, that those countries chose to call their group the European Union - not "united europe" or some such.

The EU wil come out of the Recession stronger, while the US will all be on the dole.

Eirík Þorvaldsson

Eirik wrote:

"For instance, the article says Oldsmobile buyers average age was 50, as if that were a problem. In fact Olds had generally targetted a those who had achieved financial independence, but were not quite ready for a Cadillac. Of course the average age was 50, and lots of people reach that age every year, and are looking to upscale from a Chevy.... My opinion of GM's attempts to make Olds a full product line from rollerskate to SUV was a waste of money, as that merely stole customers from their other division - Chevy - no net gain in total GM sales."

I agree that GM made a huge mistake first diversifying, and then discontinuing, the Oldsmobile brand. The "Grandpa car" label that younger people saw as a stigma was actually a selling point for older (and some younger) drivers looking for comfortable passenger space, ability to carry a boatload of stuff, good road handling in all weather conditions, and the safety of a big metal frame.

Heck, I was nowhere near 50 when they axed the Olds line, and I was really upset about it. They were very dependable vehicles.

This article's reference to Don McLean's American Pie is just plain weird:

"Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry."

Calling BULL on this article. It is a bunch of after the fact, either already known or already fully propagandized, slogan like statements. This is what makes journalism useless. And by the way, the title of the article refers to a commercial series run at the hight of GM arrogance LONG AFTER they were failing. One good thing is at least it points that out. It is just that people don't want to deal with how long it has been failing. Billion dollar companies, even the banks, didn't fold overnight. It took years. And in GMs case, decades. If you want to buy American, buy 'American quality' not something that is 'American crap.' This is the fault of GM AND NOBODY ELSE. Not the customers, not the bondholders, not the government, not overseas competition. The blame fits squarely on ALL EMPLOYEES of GM, from the managers to the worker who held on for too long. I don't even blame the worker for not working hard. But if you work your bleeding fingers for a failed institution, you are only hurting yourself and the company that should die.

This sentiment I agree with:

AS HARD AS THIS IS TO ACCEPT, THE FACTS ARE ALL AROUND US. WE'RE JUST TOO LAZY TO ACCEPT THEM!!!!!!!

IT'S SHAMEFUL AND INSULTING TO OUR COUNTRIES GREATNESS THAT WE CAN NO LONGER BUILD A CAR OR A FU@%ING LAWNMOWER HERE ANY LONGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Said better than I could.

They need to return the money back to the Feds that was used to bail their azzes out. What happened to all those billions, did it go into the company, on into their pockets?

The feds need to go after their bank accounts, all their properties and assets. Then we will see why the GM company really failed.

GREED! Pay the money back GM!

Iconic GM was once 'Heartbeat of America'

Don't you mean "Demonic Icon"... they are a bunch of crooks and thieves. They got too greedy with their salaries and expect people to keep being charged ridiculous prices on cars that they themselves get cheap with salary discounts.

Let them sink!

Ivan, well, you circled all the way back to the bottom line here:

The legacy costs (costs of living for retirees) are simply too much for GM and Chrysler. They are probably too much for Ford also, so I'm worried also for Ford.

But then again, I'm worried for all Americans, not just the UAW folks. And I don't like the idea that Obama is shoring up UAW pensions, while most Americans have no pensions at all.

Yeah: Failure is not an option. Had the government not stepped in, GM would have been broken up and sold off in a garage sale. Literally. The effects on the economy would have been very bad. The idea that GM should just fail is just a conservative ideological premise that is not based on the real world. Republicans say that the market should just correct itself. And you know, that could actually be true. Except for one thing: In order for the market to correct itself, millions would have to lose their jobs, more home foreclosures, and on and on -- a cascading effect. No, this ideological stance is like some religion. Based strictly on faith with no connection to what is going on on Earth.

According to Joe the correction is coming soon. With Barney and Chris Dodd setting up the bank failures and foreclosures, and Obama taking over everything else we're getting our layoffs, etc. Maybe Obama and the liberals are right-happy days must surely be right around the corner.

So we should just keep putting up with all the GREED, and GOVT efFing BAILOUTS that WE essentially pay for then? Yeah, that's MUCH better. Anyway, as far as GM is concerned, what does it matter? Wheather it's now or later GM is a dying breed. Their products SU-K so it's just a matter of time - and a waste of $$ to try and "save" them. I would be happy to see them BKd.

Joe I understand what you are saying but when an industry is not competitive you have to let it fail or you will never get any progress. Imagine all the industries that were affected when the automobile first came on the scene, horses, blacksmiths, buggy whips,etc., what if government had subsidized all those and made Americans buy them, delaying the inevitable, how far back would that have set us? Now we are going to have a new GM, (Government Motors), what if the public does not like their product, which will probably be some type of micro-mini hybred, and it doesn't sell? will government ,which then has a vested interest, interfere? will gas prices be artificially jacked up, or taxes on others companies models be increased to try to make the government model profitable? and how much will that affect the innovation of new technologies such as hydrogen vehicles, again, government then has a vested interest in what fails and what succeeds, a very, very, bad idea.

The problem with all this is GM and Chrysler will come out of court with the gov't owning them and there is no over-site by Congress. The car czar only answers to the White House. Obama has gotten around going through Congress by adding all these czar's. He is quietly take power away from Congress therefore from the people and giving it to the Executive branch. Congress takes the political hits and Obama has the power.

Please tell me JOE, how does not letting GM fail any different than what is happening now? Thousands if not hundreds of thousands have already lost their jobs and many more will after the bankrupcy procedings. Parts manufacture Visteon is already filing bankrupcy and according to the article there are only 88,000 current employees. Yes GM would have been broken up. So What! They are already cutting Hummer, Saab, Saturn, Pontiac, and who knows what else. Apparently your idea of saving GM would be to pump BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars into it just for them to bleed off money left and right, still file for bankrupcy, and be government owned. Your right. We have no connection what's going on here on Earth. Liberal whack job!

I only hope that control of GM is handed over to the UAW. It would be humorous to watch them try to run the company under their own contracts and not go broke again.

The bailout money is just crooked politicians paying off prvate enterprise with tax payers dollars for assisting in getting the politician elected

True, then again so should have the investment banks, they should have been allowed to go under. Then shareholders could have enacted lawsuits and such against those guilty for the immense losses. And it is very obvious here, not many have an education in economics. Americans are going to need cars, why import them and create an even bigger trade deficit permanently, in the same way oil does. Saving the investment banks was a very big mistake, as there is no proper clean up and accountability happenning with banks and brokerages, so the same mistakes will be made again. Autos are a different type of product and for the most part some kind of government involvement is expected, even in the most freest enterprise model.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!!!!!

MtMike-571674: I wish I could believe as you have said, but I think there is more to it than that. As some have mentioned above.

It seems like the agenda is to let the American Car companies fail on purpose, so they can be remade in the Governments image as to what they want to sell. Or it could just be worse and more of the push by certain groups in this country to continue to move us away from a manufacturing economy and onto more and more of a service economy of SLAVES, backed up by this huge Socialist Government !!---just like many of the European Countries.

doubting thomas - we will need socialism,or worse, with 30% of those who used to work, now making zero income (the registered unemployed, the discouraged workers, the early retired [aka, the age discriminated], the "independent contractors" [like carpenters, painters, plumbers etc]. And with another 30% not making enough to buy healthcare, or pay their kids' VoTech tuition. Half the people who work in those "service" jobs in the USA are so underpaid they need gov't subsidies to survive.

Everyone needs a job that pays a living wage, so subsidized housing, etc, will only be needed by some of the elderly or disabled.

Eirík Þorvaldsson

It seems like the agenda is to let the American Car companies fail on purpose, so they can be remade in the Governments image as to what they want to sell. Or it could just be worse and more of the push by certain groups in this country to continue to move us away from a manufacturing economy and onto more and more of a service economy of SLAVES, backed up by this huge Socialist Government !!---just like many of the European Countries.

That's funny that you would say that the SOCIALIST Government would "let" GM fail. Talk about an OXYMORON.

Just remember, based on their conviction, the other side would have "let" them fail and did NOTHING else about it.

Would that have helped?

This is why the GOP has no answers. None at all.

independent: In those few words, you may have encapsulated what happened at GM. I think we can also add that it was teetering on the fence between success and failure. It could not survive a decrease in demand. It seems that Ford is in better shape. There must be some lessons in that fact.

Something does have to be done about the union problem, there are a lot of auto factories in the United States that are doing fairly well, and the cars are being made by Americans, but they are being made in the south, in non union shops.

Indy & Joe

Let me quote old Abe Lincoln here, "When we buy foreign goods, we get the goods and they get the money. When we buy domestic goods, we the goods AND the money". Plain and simple.

There ARE such things as tariffs to offset the trade imbalance we are now neck deep in. "Free Trade" ideologues (like most conservatives) put more stock in their ideology than in reality. The only way for America to compete in the so called global economy is for the lifestyles of working class people to be drastically reduced. And that is exactly what the economic fascists are now accomplishing.

Don't like the future that has been chosen for us? Remember, under unfettered capitalism, you get what your willing to fight for. The country still belongs to the people and so do our borders and ports. We all believe in fair trade, but free trade is not fair trade.

It may already be too late to avoid the total collapse, but out of it will come new opportunities to take back our country and establish economic policies that make sense, and is fair to all. The system now is anything but that.

Yes, it is amazing that the Big Three in Detroit managed to survive this long against car makers that had the full backing and support of their respective governments. And all the while surviving against all odds with their own government in opposition to them at every turn. Our government has been anti-business from the beginning, while the Japanese rallied behind their automakers and are proud of their accomplishments and nationality. It's no wonder that a population that hates its country, hates its government, and hates its businesses will eventually fail as a society. We're on that path...

Shareholder greed, upper management greed, UAW upper management greed, employee greed. All unchecked. Add that to the pathetic direction of the company taken by CEO's who were making millions in bonuses. Not sure about the bonuses, but if I had a paycheck I'd bet while the company was sinking over the last so many years the upper management was still receiving massive bonuses? Could someone check on that?

Good God, aint nobodies fault but their own that they sunk and now our dyfunctional government wants to keep them a float? I have to ask, if the Republican party were in full control would they have allowed this company to sink? I know everyone is down on Obama for all the spending and yes of course the Republican's would stand back at this time and say they would let it sink, but would they? Could they? Could someone give me a scenario of what the country looks like with 20% to 30% unemployment? Great depression? I dunno, but there's a lot more people around now than then and we all live in pretty tight quarters in these large cities. I certainly wouldn't venture out into the street after dark.

Also, can someone explain to me the purpose of unions? How can any company stay open that is paying employees $25 hourly to turn screws electronically, good insurance (any insurance is good insurance these days, ask those who don't have), Retirement and other perks most others can just dream of...? There's a good reason they can't compete with the rest of the world. To you auto workers who want to curse me at this time go ahead. I've done my time, I've worked twelve to eighteen hours a day since I was fifteen and I'm fifty one now. I had more duties during the day than anyone of you assembly line folks. What I'm trying to say is I worked, your sitting there electronically shoving a screw in a friggin door or something? I never came near $25 an hour so I have no sympathy for you what so ever.. You helped to destroy your own company, your own job. Oh yea and Union Dues.

Union Dues, isn't that where you pay someone to do your dirty work? $25 hourly and guess what, the union says you only have to tighten five screws an hour. Hopefully that's an exaggeration but you get the picture? I don't need a union to handle dealings with my employer. If it does come to the point where I need to hire some thugs to give me a hand with upper management then I'll hire my own thugs at a much cheaper cost. Unions are leaches that cling to workers and in the end they will suck the blood right out of your job.

If you really want to make a union useful let's get them more directly involved with government in a party role. They definately couldn't be any worse than the CEO/Gov connection we have at the moment. I mean look what they've given us. Just so ya know, I'm not a big fan of the Democratic party or the Republican party. I vote my conscious.

Wal-Mart doesnt have a union.  Where did you get that information.

Matt.S.

Wal-Mart doesnt have a union. What he is trying to say is that Wal-Mart is where the auto workers deseirve to work.

Rant rant rant against the union. Repetition does not make it true.

Those "legacy costs," GM is trying to wriggle out of, are the improperly funded pensions and un-funded retiree health benefits for 850,000 retirees - the legacy of having once been the worlds largest employer - as the article points out. Those retirees are both union and non-union - GM had a vast white-collar staff too.

70% of the cost of manufactured goods is purchased parts. It is even higher in the auto assembly business. The BLS says the suppliers' workers are paid $10 per hour less, and many are non-union.

10% of the cost of a car is assembly labor, so even if the workers were doubly overpaid, it is only 5% "extra cost". Far less than the $10,000 profit markup on that SUV. Far less than the fancy trim package the salesman conned you into accepting. In other words - not enough to convince you to buy a BMW or Lexus.

Actual wage difference between GM and Toyota assembly workers' wages - $2 or $3 depending on which study you read.

Eirík Þorvaldsson

Eirik,

You are right in the $2-$3 dollar an hour difference between Toyota and GM workers as far as hourly wage is concerned ($29 Toyota and $29-$32 GM). But when you factor in benifits (GM bumps up to $55) and pensions for former employees the number jumps up to $75 an hour per current employee. I don't care who you are, anybody with any kind of brain can see that it has to be pretty hard to compete with a company that doesn't have to pay another $46 per employee every working hour. I dare you to make any kind of business earn a profit if 88,000 employees are supporting 850,000 former employees. The math doesn't add up. Let the union run GM and see if they can make a profit by their current standards. They will FAIL if left to their own devices.

Realist : We are in agreement. If GM had fully funded those pensions and retirement benefits as those workers were building cars, all the money necessary would be in a secure trust, managed by a competent insurer, who would have insisted on funding.

GM is the only company that has reported legacy costs from prior employees as if they were current hourly workers. They have done this for a decade, and the number has soared everytime they close a plant or have an "early retirement buyout".

Poor accounting practice, it belongs with the plant closing. Great propaganda for an anti-union campaign.

GM chose to fund them partly from on-going revenue back when GM was huge. GM did not plan appropriately for the company shrinking in size, as they bought robots and closed factories and OffShored jobs.

GM did not plan for health trends (1) people live longer now - mostly due to not smoking, (2) medical care has gotten very expensive - but the expensive new technology helps people live a lot longer, meaning expensive nursing home stays are longer. Once they reach 65, Medicare subsidizes GM for part of it, but not all.

Once they are bankrupt, we may have to bail out the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, as they absorb the world's largest group of retirees. There is some money in GM's pension, but I have not seen analysis of how much is needed.

Eirík Þorvaldsson

If GM had fully funded those pensions and retirement benefits as those workers were building cars, all the money necessary would be in a secure trust, managed by a competent insurer, who would have insisted on funding.

Thank you, Eirick, for stating this so clearly. So few people understand that GM's management failed to plan for the contracted obligation to pay the costs of pensions and health care.

Bankers and stock traders (who caused this recession with their misleading and opaque "financial products" based on sub-prime mortgages and other shaky components, helping their own bottom lines while setting up a house of cards) still have to be paid yearly bonuses by their employers for moving imaginary dollars around on Wall Street--even if their company is bankrupt and taking bailouts from the government. Why is it that the contracts with those high-finance crooks are sacrosanct, but the contracts with people who worked with their hands, making tangible objects like cars, are now being called into question?

Those workers did the job they were asked to do, got paid a heck of a lot less than your typical stock trader, and accumulated wear and tear on their bodies while working. Retirement benefits are crucial for manual laborers, who cannot just go out and get a different blue-collar job at 55 or 65, after years of standing, twisting, and stooping all day performing repetitive tasks have caused carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, de Quervain's tenosynovitis, and other wear-and-tear ailments to limit their physical abilities. A stock trader is probably still in good physical condition at 55, and sitting on a huge nest egg from his years of million dollar bonuses. The blue collar auto worker got paid a living wage--and I'll admit this is better than what a lot of blue collar workers make--but unlike the stock broker, he never got the kind of overall compensation that would allow him to save huge amounts of cash in his own bank account during his working years.

Those retirement benefits were promised to the blue-collar worker in exchange for his labor, and he has been counting on them. Whether or not those contracts seem excessive in hindsight is not the issue; GM and other auto companies raked in cash during the good years, and the contracts they signed back then were reasonable in their eyes. These companies should have been plowing more of those profits back into the fund used to pay future contract obligations, and spent less of the money on their own financing division and other risky non-manufacturing endeavors.

The US President did not "fire" the CEO - he asked him to resign for the good of the company, and he resigned. This may spare us months of expensive Congressional Hearings with the CEO being interrogated by upwardly mobile legislators.

If the CEO's duty was to "maximize shareholder value", please note that a share of GM was 90 Dollars in 1999, and less than 2 Dollars when he resigned. How did he keep the job so long?

Eirík Þorvaldsson

What do you mean "got the chance to rebuild"???

The United States Government rebuilt Japan, plain and simple.

We should have done what Doug McArthur said.." Make it so that the only place Japanese will be spoken is in Hell"

Perfect! I retired from the Army in 1997 and was forced into a union by the Democrat machine in Washington State. Washington is not a right to work state.

The first company I worked for was Pony Express delivery services. The Teamsters Union wanted more than 20% of my gross pay for union dues. I quit just before the company sold all of its assets and moved out of state. They could not afford to do business there anymore because of union demands. I on the other hand could not afford to work for the Teamsters.

The company that I currently work for (Verizon Telecommunications) is about to sell out for the same reason. Our union makes more and more demands while politicians in the state support them in order to get cheap votes. At the same time our competitors simply under bid everything we do and take over market share. I wish Frontier Communications, my new boss, great success in the future.

You were "forced" into a union?

Now that is totally ridiculous in a country where you can work anywhere you want.

More socio-conservative BS.

It's greed... people aren't stupid as the American business people would like to believe. They overpriced and undersold themselves into the mess they are in.

Bailing them out was a waste of money and time, because here we are, they are still having to file for bankruptcy, so where the heII did all the money go that was given to them?

I think they need to return all that bailout money now, and at their expense, and not from the pockets of the people.

You don't get it. "Mc Crap" in any other language is spelled FORD, CHRYSLER, JEEP, AMC, DODGE and CHEVY and CADILLAC.

A122, you're a dipschitt

No it will be rewarded with a percentage of a company which will probably still fail.

I hear Toyota tanks get great gas mileage!

i think the writer was trying to say the first gm car to get a v-8 was a chevy. either way he/she did a poor job of saying it.

The GM designed tanks were called "Bronsons" after the most popular cigarette lighters of the time. According to the Germans they light up at the first strike every time!

The war was not won with American designed tanks. It was won with Russian infantry and American bombers.

Ford engines were very primitive compared to the Chevrolet designs. And Chevrolet was selling overhead valve V-8 engined cars in 1917...

Toyota tanks were horribly unreliable and could be put out of commission with rifle caliber ammunition...They burned quite well, too

A122... GM didn't design the M-4 Sherman tank, commonly referred to by the British as "Ronsons" because they "lit up every time."

Chrysler Corporation was the designers of the Sherman and the Grant.

GM's Buick division designed and built the M-18 "Hellcat" tank destroyer, which accounted for more German tanks than all of the Shermans during the war. One amazing feature of the "Hellcat" was it's ability to "shoot & scoot". The "Hellcat" was the fastest tracked vehicle manufactured during the war with speeds rivalling that of the M-1 Abrams tanks we have today.

AND... According to General George S.Patton, the M-1 Garand rifle and the GMC two-and-one-half-ton truck were the equipment the won the war in Europe.

Hey, buying a car now is easy! I just baught a new Jeep Wrangler for well under invoice, plus employee pricing. No haggling needed. And you know what? It came with a lifetime powertrain warranty. I hope Jeep is still around to honor that warranty if needed. And I've been getting 20mpg AVERAGE with this Wrangler, even though the sticker EPA estimate was 15 city 19 hwy. The dealer said he owns one too and gets 23 on the hwy. Not bad. Every Japanese truck I've owned in the past claimed HIGHER mileage than what the vehicle really got.

Yeah, Jack....Lifetime warranty...You bring it back, and they shoot you.

Typical Chrysler warranty

Unfortunately, we are watching a ship hit the rocks because the 2 captains in charge, the management and the union, were to busy arguing about how to split the shrinking profits. They have brought this on themselves. They have succeeded in sinking the company. If I was president of Toyota, every year I would send GM and the UAW a Christmas card, thanking them for being so stupid, and then I would make sure the UAW knew they were not invited to visit any Toyota plant in the US.

everyone is a sellout if it means money in their pocket. that's just the way it is. sad but true. most people conveniently forget the meaning of integrity when it comes to $$. most people are superficial takers and will step over or on anyone to make a buck or show up the next guy. that's the essence of America and this PURE GREED will be its downfall. It's just really starting show it's ugly face now. and just think it really didn't take long! the industrial revolution only came about pretty recently if you consider all of history and look how fast it's created all these environmental, economical and moral messes. everyone who says they "care" about being "green" or doing the right thing?? half of them just want their hands in your pockets and are just trying to sell you something. trying to make you think you're doing something GREAT for the "environment" when all they want is your hard earned $$$.

Good Observation Brother/I hope you got your breakdown planned because within that/my (reallity too) we/you will need to be ready for the ones who don't see this or is seriously trying to deny the Big Change That Is Coming.... Very Good - Repeat that often as I do/will continue as well. You got your eyes open!!!!

Gary, the Toyota Corolla and the Toyota Tacoma as well as the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Gallant, Mazda6, Mazda Tribute, and the Mitsubishi Endeavor, are all assembled by the UAW.

The VW Routan and the Suzuki XL7 are built by the CAW ( Canadian Auto Workers)

10% of the cost to build a car is labor and the vehicles made in Mexico with cheap labor and little or no envirenmental concerns sell for the same price as their American-built counterparts.

Zebo, Should we start planning for more buyouts?

Gary, you forgot about the 1-part government meddling and 2-parts government [mis]regulation!

The Japanese government runs itself as a business, for business. They are very pro-business. Our government runs itself as a regulator, to moderate business and keep the playing field level. See the difference? One helps business, the other muffles it.

Jeez! tstucker, Have you been living under a rock all of these years?

The Corvette is a world class sports car, recognized the world over as a super-car bargain.

Big block Corvettes have gone the way of the flathead V-8. Today's Corvette boasts a 7litre, 505 horsepower, all aluminum engine, Ferrari defeating handling and enormous brakes. And, it performs quite well on unleaded gas (EPA combined fuel economy of 25mpg). And is well mannered enough to be a daily driver of a middle-aged secretary.

For the money, nobody else makes a 3150lb roadster with over 500horsepower.

I believe it's been something like 25 years since any Corvette had less than 300 horsepower.

I can see where you're coming form, though. The Corvette of 1974 was a plastic bodied land yacht. Power was so strangled that 1982 models actually got economy car discounts on their insurance.

Maybe you should take another look at the Corvette and get rid of your overpriced Porsches, and rattletrap "Z" cars....Buy American, you're part of the problem.

The Japs and the Europeans didn't even have standards until the US car buyers almost drove them out of the country.

I have owned one ford.A 94 f150.It's the biggest piece of sh*t i have ever bought.My first ford and my last.