At the risk of sounding like FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Jason Gideon, Christian Nevell Bovee observed "No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities." If so, GM Car Czar Bob Lutz must be the happiest guy on earth. Maximum Bob was in London for the auto show. He reacted to questions about GM's layoffs, production cuts and the usual laundry list of woes with the statement above [via Just-Auto]. MB's clinging to his claim that his employer's problems are caused by the "unprecedented" rise in gas prices. What more, "we're quickly adjusting to meet the challenges of a changing market… Of course, we will adjust our product portfolio to meet the market where it's headed… We will continue to develop… our brands accordingly." And that's why they'll be keeping the Cobalt around (and unchanged) forever. And why Pontiac is being "nourished" with a lineup of rebadged cars from other GM divisions. And why GM still has no competitive subcompact car to offer the North American market. If all this indicates GM's doing "the right things," well, God help them if they're got it wrong.
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I hate to bring logic into this discussion but how can you believe that you are “doing the all the right things” when GM’s financial results would suggest the opposite…..?
The German/French Alpha Jet so becomes him.
+1 with Katie’s post.
“We’re [planning on someday soon, once management is trimmed and the UAW settled–or gone–and the economy turned around a little, in theory,] doing all the right things”
It doesn’t matter what the world or reality is. So long as Ricky & Bobby feel like they are doing a heck uva job – that’s all that matters.
Katie: Because Bob believes that everyone else is cheating. I’m serious.
Their stock has almost doubled since it’s historical low last week. Something is being done properly.
Their job is to make money.
Cars are only a sideline.
@ KatiePuckrick: “…how can you believe that you are doing the all the right things when GM’s financial results would suggest the opposite…..?”
There is a difference between doing the right things and doing things right…
Monkey, your sarcasm is almost too droll.
Let me get this right..I’m losing my healthcare so that GM can continue to overpay this visionless old macho-man so he can zoom around in a war surplus jet, totally wasting thousands of gallons of fuel? pathetic.
@JT: “There is a difference between doing the right things and doing things right…”
Wow JT… That is the most profound thing I’ve read all week. I think you hit the nail on the head.
It was said long ago by a GM wheel, “GM is here to make money, Cars are the only 1 method by which we do that.”
In the boom years GM was/is into tank turrets, satellites, railroad engines, military products, a soooo many other things. GMAC was where the real money was made. The car business gave them something to finance!
Losing your healthcare. Starting at 65. But they’re adding $300 to your pension. Right?
You are better taken care of than a high % of other Americans.
Performance does not equal final result. In other words we cannot control the outcome of our choices, only our choices. GM has a lot of challenges to deal with probably more than any other auto maker. Anything they may have had the power to do in the past few years did not mean they had the power to guarantee any success to being sustainable. They cannot control market conditions, people, economics or life. GM is not a failure, GM is a work in progress, perhaps nearly complete ie. done.
I wish GM did somethings different. Some of the things TTAC suggest, but the TTAC is harsh. Its simply not worth hearing some one whose speaks detrimentally of others. TTAC needs to respectfully disagree, not humiliate shame and judge folk. TTAC makes a point and points out issues but its often mean, separating, discounting, traumatizing and belittling.
Somebody out to make this dufus actually spend a month driving a damn Cobalt, and then maybe that’d get him to shut up about it….
thoots- because despite all the people who own a Cobalt and enjoy them it can’t possibly be a good car. Anyone who drives one will instantly hate the car, hate their lives and want to kill themselves.
monkeyboy,
“Losing your healthcare. Starting at 65. But they’re adding $300 to your pension. Right?
You are better taken care of than a high % of other Americans.”
WRONG. GM will renig on that promise of $300 too eventually. It’s just another promise that’s unenforceable. A high percentage? You’re confusing the salaried healthcare with the UAW gold plated healthcare. Everyone gets medicare at 65.
“And why GM still has no competitive subcompact car to offer the North American market” i’m certainly not a GM fan boi. But to completely and utterly discount the pontiac vibe is pure ignorance. It has great gas milage and very useable utility. Everyone keeps talking about the badly rebadged Korean cars and the awful Cobalt but the Vibe/Matrix are actually good affordable subcompacts with good gas mileage. Or is the vibe only offered in Canada? Sorry was a little off topic