The public plan is 19 percent and change. That is what everything is being based on
GM board member Steven Girsky repeats Fritz Henderson’s assumption that GM’s market share will be stable and predictable . Of course, if that’s the case, someone’s got some ‘splainin to do about the last 30 years. Luckily though, we’ve got some good news for Messrs Girsky and Henderson. According to Autoobserver:
Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, has preliminarily forecast General Motors (GM) retail market share for October to rise to 22.4 percent from the third-quarter retail average of 19.1 percent
Wait, Edmunds’ forecast is based on unique pageviews for GM models at Edmunds.com? Never mind then. Let’s go instead to TTAC’s unique sales forecasting and analysis department and see if GM will hit 22.4 percent market share in October. Forecasters? Shakes vigorously. What’s that? “Signs point to no?” Aw, too bad.
1. The Cadillac V16 Concept – If GM had dared take the brand way up market, where it belongs, things would have been different for the “standard of the world.” But the nettle was not grasped, and the brand continued—and continues—its long march downmarket, into extinction.
7tune is celebrating the shockingly unnecessary with a look into the world of Prius tuning. And AMS’s first-gen Prius “Terra” bodykit is by far the pick of the litter. But hold onto your comments until you see the front end…. Read More >
Enterprise Rent-A-Car CEO must have some German politician in him somewhere (not literally, of course). Speaking with Bloomberg, Andrew Taylor’s message comes through loud and clear: Ve must have order! How can you dumkopfs expect our nationalized manufacturers to build cars that save the planet without high gas prices! And so the reporter asks the obvious question (it’s what reporters do best): should we raise the gas tax? Check out Taylor’s eyebrow work at 1:23, and his subsequent journey into the bowels of Wiggles World. The CEO didn’t see that one coming? It gets better. When asked if American cars are any good (2:18), Taylor lauds Ford, Chrysler and “even” GM. With friends like that . . . Or is it a good thing that Enterprise fancies itself Detroit’s “petri dish,” looking to put the Volt into immediate rental service? We report, you deride.
Pickuptrucks.com sat down with the new Dodge Ram brand CEO Fred Diaz Jr. for a confused little conversation about Dodge, Ram and the difference between the two. The clearest statement coming out of the discussion is that Ram is about trucks. “It’s my responsibility to make sure that I nurture the brand so it’s distinct and all about trucks,” says Diaz. But it’s not even that simple. “At the end of the day, the Ram [pickup] will still have some Dodge DNA to it. Anything that’s a real, true truck is part of Ram and the Ram brand going forward.” And what of Dodge cars? How are they different from the Ram brand? “I don’t know. I can’t speculate but it’s one of my priorities to figure that out,” Diaz replies. “The car side is definitely going to be marketed and branded different than the Ram brand, which is all about trucks and their capabilities.” Rumors are flying around that Dodge cars are on their way out, but Diaz won’t confirm them. How can Ram have Dodge DNA if there is no Dodge? And hasn’t the past branding model been to put Ram DNA in every Dodge? Something has to change, but what?
Some of the speculation surrounding GM Daewoo’s woes centers around the possibility of GM’s Chinese partners buying The General’s Korean division. Whether those rumors hold up remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that GM’s largest Chinese partner, SAIC, is looking into taking a larger ownership in GM’s Asian operations. Automotive News [sub] reports that GM is in talks with SAIC on cooperation in the Indian market. One possible outcome could be SAIC taking a stake in GM India. “GM’s discussions with SAIC include business opportunities in India, but no final decision has been made on how they will cooperate,” say GM spokesfolks. But we can guess that it will involve SAIC taking a bigger ownership stake. The Shanghai-based firm has seen sales rise 47 percent, and net profit rise 70 percent in 2009 to-date. GM, in partnership with SAIC, has become one of the top automakers in China. Could that success be replicated in India, or is SAIC simply outgrowing its partner?
I especially appreciate the satellite dish on the roof . . .
Easyrod Kits are pre-engineered to be assembled inhoursnot years. Bolt, screw and glue the high quality hand laid fiberglass ’57 components to your ’93-’02 Camaro and be driving a cool, radical stylized hot rod. Simply remove the original hood, bumpers and front fenders. The fiberglass replacement hood bolts onto the stock hinges, struts, hood latch and safety catch and use the stock interior hood release. Front fenders bolt on using the stock factory bolt holes. Our trunk lid is an overlay. Door skin overlays, rear quarters and bumper cover snap on and are glued in place using 3M 8115 Panel Bonding adhesive. [thanks to FW for the link]
Yesterday’s New York Times published an article dissing Detroit in the Breakingviews.com bit of their Business Section. In a stunning if perhaps singular piece of journalism, the Gray Lady affirms TTAC’s nine-year rant record of castigating Chrysler, Ford and GM for refusing to remove their rose-colored glasses. In fact, Anthony Currie calls Motown’s mavens a bunch of deluded, delusional and/or deluding dunces—albeit in that gently chiding, hugely condescending, entirely arch way that typifies the Times. To wit: “It did not take long for Detroit’s carmakers to return to one of their favorite pastimes. As General Motors approaches 100 days since emerging from bankruptcy, each of the Big Three’s bosses has been indulging in painting rosy scenarios for their firms. But like pronouncements past, they’re a tad premature.” I used to play tennis with Tad Premature. Smashing fellow. A bit too cocky. Anywho, Currie starts his diatribe by taking Ford’s semi-canonized CEO to task for predicting a phantom sales revival for the end of 2009 (who saw that one not coming?). Followed by the usual FoMoCo fellating. Still, point taken. As for Chrysler and GM . . .
The number one operator of photo enforcement in the US, Redflex Traffic Systems, engaged in a public battle of words with its three largest shareholders this week. Thorney Holdings Ltd, Hunter Hall and Renaissance joined to force a shareholder vote to remove Redflex Chairman Chris Cooper and Directors Peter Lewinsky and Roger Sawley. The renegade investors, who hold 28 percent of the company stock, are upset with the mismanagement exemplified in the Redflex stock price and the “expensive failure” of the Arizona freeway photo radar contract. “We are concerned whether the present board is appropriately qualified, experienced and competent to manage Redflex’s affairs,” Thorney Holdings stated in a letter to shareholders Wednesday. “Due to what we perceive to be a lack of transparency in Redflex’s process for director appointments, we are concerned about the absence of information on these issues.”
After MG, Rover, and the iconic London taxi maker Mangenese Bronze, one of the last remnants of the British auto industry was bought by a Chinese. By a Chinese woman, to be exact. Dr. Qu Li, owner of Eco Concept Ltd., agreed Thursday to buy for an undisclosed amount LDV, a Birmingham-based van-manufacturing company that went “into administration” in June. The lady has a history. Read More >
Our friends at JamesList present a 1937 Bugatti Type 57/59 Roadster Supersport. GM’s ex-Director of Design penned the restomod’s basic shape and details in 1982, imagining a sports car that Jean Bugatti might have offered to the American market. You know; if he had. Clicking over to Deansgarage.com reveals that the realization of Dave Holls’ alternative universe owes its existence to deep-pocketed California collector Ron Kellogg. Aside from a slightly widened replica T59 frame, Palmer Coachworks built l’homage de Bug‘s major bits using genuine GM— I mean Bugatti parts, including a T57 powerplant (with an added blower and dry sump) and a 73C gearbox (no.6) with synchromesh. Even so, one wonders if Bugatti purists would be amused. That’s not an original thought. “The Kellogg project required climbing special challenges,” Deansgarage reports, using the adjective favored by people for whom “handicapped” is too pointed. “Not the least of which was getting the approval of the Bugatti Trust for permission to go ahead with the program. So the Kellogg Bugatti has a legitimate historical production chassis number. This is no small accomplishment. [It was] assigned the number #128, year 1937.” Needless to say, the new seller agrees: provenance is no biggie. Well they would say that, wouldn’t they . . .
In our Regal-welcoming thread, Martin Schwoerer noted that the Insignia is smaller inside than the Cruze. And guess what? He’s right (trust but verify). The German-market Cruze has 963 mm (37.9 inches) of rear kopffreiheit, while Insignia comes in at 910 cm (35.8 inches) according (PDF) to the guys at motor-talk.de (who cite sources ). These same resourceful forum denizens also dug up the range of distances between the rear and front seats on the Insignia and some competitors and by comparison, Insignia rear seating isn’t sitting pretty.
Officials in Winnipeg, Canada were caught this weekend defying a court ruling that outlawed the use of photo radar in work zones when workers are not present. A group of residents organized by the group WiseUp Winnipeg have decided to fight back, first by recording the automated ticketing van as it operated in a Route 90 “construction zone” on October 10 at 3:30pm with no workers in sight.
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