OT- New CEO for General Motors

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: OT- New CEO for General Motors
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 07:14 am:

The new CEO for General Motors was announced yesterday She is one of only 23 women who hold top positions in a major 500 company. She started as an electrical engineer and worked her way to the top management job.
My question is will GM cars now have fender skirts and side curtains?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Dufault on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 08:12 am:

What goes around comes around....

Fender skirts were de rigueur not that long ago!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 08:36 am:

Was the new CEO for GM the big news or was it that we as taxpayers lost?
The really big news is the government sold off "OUR" stock of GM. We the taxpayer lost 10.5 BILLION dollars on the deal. It will be interesting to see who buys up that low priced stock. Screwed by GM again.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 08:59 am:

NBC news stated that she began at GM as an intern. Will be interesting to see how it plays out. Glad I buy nothing BUT Fords.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tyrone Thomas - Topeka KS on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 09:05 am:

yeah great, why did she want to take over a company that screwed We The People? Talk about a greety rich person with NO morals. I personally lost stock in that outfit. I will never buy a chevy product. I believe i have given them more than a pound of flesh already.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Borland. Bathurst. NSW. Australia. on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 09:09 am:

They are shutting down operations in Australia in 2017. A few thousand out of work as well as other suppliers going under. Going to become importers here. If there is no work, how can they expect people to buy their cars?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 11:14 am:

A positive note is that Mary Barra, an electrical engineer with 33 years with GM is a "car guy", not an accountant or stock analyst. That holds promise that GM under her reign will increase the value of the company by making cars, their core business, and not by financial shenanigans.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Weir on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 01:11 pm:

That was 10.5 Billion they will admit to. It is so easy to wave the Magic Wand over a string of numbers and make them say any thing that they want them to say. Especially after 5 years has passed to dim our remembrance of the details.

Then there was the Stock holders whose stock value was given to the unions. That incident reminds me of the words of George Mason IV (1725-1792). "When the same man or set of men holds the sword and the purse, there is an end of Liberty." Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which Jefferson adapted for the Declaration of Independence. He reluctantly took Washington's seat in the House of Burgesses and when time came to create the Constitution he was Virginia's delegate to that assembly. The lack of a statement of rights caused him to refuse to sign the document and campaign against ratification. The campaign worked, in the first Congress, Madison introduced what we now know as the Bill of Rights, largely paraphrased from Mason's original.

Sincerely

Jim Weir


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Stokes on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 03:31 pm:

My five cents worth, in just a few words...

Ford Australia and GM-Holden have been making a fine product in Falcon/Territory and Commodore. Those should be designs acceptable to the US market, and possibly elsewhere.

The Japanese (and now Korean) car makers build smaller cars - indeed, building small cars allowed them to grow to where they are now. So do the European makers make small cars. They all export worldwide are surviving handsomely.

The US carmakers make big cars. And they make unnecessarily-huge pickup trucks. Whilst they still have a large domestic market that will buy those products right now, there ends their market (save for a few exports while the currency exchange favours it).

I hope Ford and GM in Detroit, following the end of their Aussie products, are not going to expect us to buy US products. Ford in NZ (I don't know about Australia) have said we will be getting the new Mustang here in NZ, suggesting it will replace the Falcon for those wanting a grunt machine. How incredibly naive.

I'm pretty grumpy about what's happened to the Australian auto industry - almost certainly Toyota will now be forced out of there now as, with the loss of Ford and GM-H, the component suppliers will no longer have the volume quantities to remain competitive.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Wells on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 09:39 pm:

I will never buy another GM because they all come with the creepy On star system.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 10:46 pm:

My 2000 Chevy, has 300,000 miles plus, I plan to drive it until its not dependable. I do keep it maintained and have made quite an investment doing so. I think any pickup you take care of will last. Mine is full size as I haul some heavy trailer loads from time to time.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 10:46 pm:

You care that the taxpayers lost $10.5 billion on the bailout deal? What, were you expecting to get a check in the mail if they made a profit?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Mc Ginnis Dearborn, MI on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 12:43 am:

I don't get the prejudice against a female CEO for GM. Bill Ford Jr. almost destroyed Ford Motor Company and if it wasn't for a loan that caused the company to hawk everything they own, Ford would be non-existant. The new GM CEO is more of a car-guy than any of the current Ford family members will ever be. And if Mark Fields becomes the new CEO of Ford Motor Company (as predicted) after Mullaly leaves, I can assure you the company will sink faster than fast. Mullaly wasn't a car guy by any stretch but was the best thing that ever happened to Ford.
PS-My comments come from personal dealings with the above mentioned.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 04:54 am:

I don't think any of the comments were against any female. Yes I was trying to be funny and tie female clothing to car parts but no mention of her ability to run the company. In fact I gave a very brief statement about her working her way to the top and being one of only 23 women to do so. I believe most of the comments deal with products not people.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 07:26 am:

You make fun of a white guy, it's because you don't like him or something he's done or any number of reasons. You make fun of a minority.....well it MUST BE because they are a minority.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By G.R.Cheshire on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 08:44 am:

Female or not she has the helm, Bravo for her! I will never buy another GM for 3 reasons
1. OnStar (the system has the ability to spy on you)
2. Poor Construction, I was hit by a Honda accord while driving my new 2003 1500 totaled the truck !
3. Price, It is cheaper to get say a 196? and do a Restoration and repower! AS an alternative get one someone else has done the work on for about 25-30,000


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Derek Kiefer - Mantorville, MN on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 11:10 am:

I'm saddened about GM ceasing operations in Australia.

We have a 2008 Pontiac G8 GT (361hp 6.0L V8 very fast and fun RWD family-hauler) built by Holden in Australia. They are just bringing this platform back to the US as the "Chevy SS" for 2014, and we plan to get one of those in a few years after used ones depreciate a bit. 415hp in those. :-)

The G8 is the best sedan I've ever driven. Rides like a Cadillac, corners like a sports car, and I ran 14.02 at 102.8mph in the quarter mile 2 days after we bought it off the lot. The only thing "wrong" with it, is that it has an automatic transmission. (5-year old used ones with manual transmission are STILL selling for what they MSRP'd for new)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 11:25 am:

Some bodies got to take the job and whose going to turn it down? And why.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tyrone Thomas - Topeka KS on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 12:46 pm:

gm ought to be sold off and the what monies they can get ought to be sent back to The People in the form of a christmas bonus check. just more crooked business/government dealings.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 01:17 pm:

GM will never get any of my money. At least not in the form of me ever buying one of their vehicles.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Stokes on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 03:23 pm:

Derek you are so right about the Pontiac (rebadged Commodore). The Aussies have been making some wonderful cars that, had Detroit been more open-minded about the market possibilities in the US, could have been built and sold there.
Another example is the XR6 Falcon. I had an XR6 manual a while ago which was as quick as the V-8 automatic, and handled better!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Sims on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 05:40 pm:

Have any of you thought about how many thousands of people would be without income if G.M. would close? Remember it would also affect the part suppliers and all the stores these people shop at. I am sure that these people were thankful the government did what they did to keep these factorys open.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 05:46 pm:

I'm sure they are too but that kind of thinking is what takes us right down the path to socialism. There's some harsh things that come with a free market, but I'll take those over the government deciding who gets to keep their job and who doesn't.

Besides - if GM closed tomorrow, there'd be a big hole in the vehicle supply system and the other automakers would have to expand to fill it - thus needing to hire some workers. Those people would get hired again, especially the folks with real skills and abilities. Some of the fluff might have to work at McDonalds, but that wouldn't really hurt my feelings anyway.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 07:47 pm:

I wish i could aford a new car with On Star as i think it is a great idea! I read the other day a older Friend was found in the Lake St Claire area lost who i diddn't know had dimentia!! Yup,Lost for about 30 hours 100 miles from home and On Star could have found the car in a instant! I guess at my age 68 im not doing anything to be ashamed of?? Yup,Im old and i would to get even older so i think!! Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 08:14 pm:

Jim - Have YOU thought about the millions of taxpayers who have already lost THEIR job?

It's amazing and ironic how many ways unions continue to destroy this country.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Schrope - Upland, IN on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 09:30 pm:

Seth from NC and Dan B hit the nail on the head.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 09:55 pm:

If the Model T forum is all about history why is the fact that one of the first things hittler did was to destory the trade unions missing?? Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Timothy Kelly on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 10:06 pm:

The GM bailout was simply another form of wealth redistribution, principally from the shareholders of GM who lost it all, but also from the taxpayers, to union employees. What made them so deserving, their on the job performance? Sadly, this was but one of many steps this country has taken and is taking towards socialism.

Today GM management thinks that now that the U.S. Government is out of the picture people will stop referring to GM as "Government Motors." I am not sure that happen. At least not in the foreseeable future.

I too am among the ranks of those no longer willing to purchase a Government Motors vehicle. In late 2008 while looking for a new tow vehicle I switched from GMC Suburban, of which I owned nothing but for the prior 20 plus years, to a Ford pickup.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenneth W DeLong on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 10:19 pm:

Is everyone at GM Union?? If i rember in my 30 years there were many salaried employees?? Bud.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Thursday, December 12, 2013 - 11:00 pm:

Bud - Labor union membership is currently at its lowest level in 97 years. And it wasn't because of a dictator.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 07:09 am:

I started this thread trying to have a little fun tying a new female CEO to automotive fender skirts. Now it has turned into GM bashing. While I do not favor one manufacture over the other I do not believe that all the countries economic problems are GM's fault. Some folks made the statement that they won't buy GM because they were bailed out. Well are you going to stop using U.S. currency? Several banks were bailed out? Are you going to stop eating? Several food suppliers were bailed out, grain farms are subsidised as well as milk,chicken,and egg producers. You guys talk about socialism, well then don't forget to mention the fact that the government regulates health care, cigarette and tobacco sales, liquor advertising, where you can and can't smoke etc, etc, etc. I guess next time I'll be more careful about trying to be funny but it not proper to pick on just one company and blame them for our national problem. If you want to change things then set term limits for our senators and congressmen and other offices.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 07:31 am:

I don't blame GM for taking free money from our government. I give credit to Alan Mulally for not taking it. Mulally saw the deal for what it was, utter destruction of the company's ability to manage its own affairs in a financially prudent manner.

Ford is a company on much more secure financial footing than Generic Motors. Ford's products are better than Generic Motors.

Generic Motors has a union agreement that will cause the company to implode in the next few years. Hopefully when that happens there will be a more intelligent leader in charge in Washington DC.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Seth from NC on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 07:49 am:

I didn't think it was anything other than silly fun Dennis. But hey, I can get in on some GM bashing! Lol.

As for stopping using anything and everything that has been bailed out: it's a matter of being realistic. I can't stop using US currency. And depending on which company owns which other company it's hard to trace who is making what food and isn't worth my time to figure out who all I should boycott. However, it's pretty simple and straightforward to not buy a GM car. Honestly, as a genuine Ford guy (been in the same '98 F-150 since it was new), I wouldn't have bought one anyway if I could help it.

Quick side note: just because he was Hitler doesn't mean by extension everything he ever did was only evil or stupid. Thanks to countless lawsuits and OSHA - for the most part unions have outlived their purpose. If I got to be king for a day one of the first things I would do is get rid of all the unions. They are a vehicle for people with an agenda that doesn't line up with the company and a haven for lazy people who should and would be fired were it not for the union.

But this isn't about unions. Just because I can't particularly do something about an issue doesn't mean that I like it or am ok with it. Yeah, the government regulates health care. Obama made it a lot easier for my sister-in-law to have a baby - coincidentally my health insurance rates have doubled. Hmmm. Seems an awful lot to me like I'm paying for that baby. But I can't do much about it other than hope desperately someone with a conservative approach makes it far enough for me to vote for them. Really wish we could have had Mike Huckabee, but but oh well.

And HECK yes to term limits! And no more collecting the same benefits even after you're out of office. I don't think you should get paid to be that level of government official at all - politics shouldn't be a viable career choice. Heck I would have voted for Donald Trump, even if he is a little crazy. Somebody, anybody with some real life experience who has done something other than be a politician would be a breath of fresh air.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will Copeland - Trenton, New Jersey on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 07:59 am:

All politics aside, I'm very happy for her, It must have taken a lot of hard work to get where she is today.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan B on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 08:11 am:

I think the same feelings would result if you posted about Ford on a GM forum.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 06:07 pm:

Dan, you're probably right, there has always been a Ford vs GM controversy. It always revolves around which one is the best. That was pretty much settled with the Government bailout. Both GM and Chrysler went belly up. If it wasn't for the government bailout, they would no longer exist. So, Ford is the clear winner. I still run into this controversy at a local garage. I have to remind them of this every once in awhile. Also, I remind them that my 20 Touring (my wife's car) has always been from our town. I ask them that if Chevy is so great, "Where are they"? For a small town that we live in, there are many Model T's, A's, and Ford V-8's. Their are no original GM or Chrysler cars in this area, other then later model hot rod's. Again, if GM cars are so great, where are they, certainly not around here.
When you think back to the thirties, for the most part GM and Chrysler out sold Ford. Ford's were the number one car to be used as Hot Rods and for stock car racing from the thirties on, right up until today. Given the destruction of Fords: because of this, their shouldn't be any left, but yet they are the number one survivor from that era.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 06:10 pm:

The town I live in is too small to have any car dealerships, but the next town south used to have dealerships for each of the US big three. The only one left operating today is the Ford dealership.

Just sayin'.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 09:25 pm:

According to friends who knew him at Boeing, Alan Mulally really is the smartest guy in the room. He just introduced the new Mustang, and said they will sell the same cars all over the world, instead of different designs for UK, EU, OZ, Latam and Asia. Microsoft just tried to hire him, unsuccessfully.

Now they've just announced an unprecedented 23 new models for this/next year. I hope they can bring the quality up, while taking advantage of more commonality between factories.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, December 13, 2013 - 09:38 pm:

Yes, good luck to her. Apparently she's a real car person who worked her way up. But I won't be buying a new car from GM. Of course, I won't be buying a new car from anybody else, either. The only new car I've ever bought was a '68 beetle.

Ford vs Chebby: I've seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of Model T Fords. I saw my first 490 this summer. As Dan says, where are they?

Term limits: If you think that's the answer to anything I have two words for you: California; Mexico.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 07:34 am:

I'll believe corporations are people when they begin hanging CEOs for crimes - like the ChiComs do.

Fascism is the merging of corporations and government, which is what we have now. Lobbyists and CONgress critters just trade places once in awhile. It would happen more often with term limits.

The USAF didn't even want the $1.5 Trillion F-35, which is 10% of our national debt.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Killecut on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 08:21 am:

Steve, you are correct on the chebby 490. This time lets give the chebby's an advantage. In May of 1927, Ford ended Model T production. This was the first time chebby out sold Ford, because there weren't any Model T's produced from May-on. Given this, there should be a lot more 27 chebby's around, right? Well, there isn't! I have been going to Hershey since 1970, and many other large car meets. I have seen very, very few 27 chebby's, and have seen hundreds of 27 T's. The chebby people will tell you that the chebby's were better. I again ask my question "If they were where are they"?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Derek Kiefer - Mantorville, MN on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 08:56 am:

Ford outsold Chevy in 1957.
Which do you see more of today? One year, or one model isn't necessarily an indicator of the Company's entire lineup for the past 100+ years.

Both companies have built some fantastic cars, and some real losers in the past 100 years. Both had a lot of problems in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and both have really stepped up their quality in the last 10-15 years.

I do know that I've never had to take the heads off to change spark plugs in my Chevy 5.3. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 09:09 am:

'27 - '28 Chevrolets were great cars when new. Problem is, they had bodies made by nailing metal panels to a wood structure, and roofs that leaked after a few years. The Model T's of 1927 had superior design in the bodies, as did the '28 Model A.

So you see very few pre - 1937 Chevys because the bodies rotted and they were scrapped before WWII.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 11:52 am:

"...they had bodies made by nailing metal panels to a wood structure..."

This is something I've never understood about the usual reason given for the Chevies' lack of lasting power. The Model T's had the same type of construction pre-'26, and there are lots of them still around. I can see that argument for cars in the 30's, but it doesn't explain why there are so many T's left and so few Chevies from the 'teens and twenties. As Dan K. said, if they were better cars, why aren't they around now?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 03:30 pm:

I don't know if they were "better" cars or not, but Durant made sure everyone wanted the newest styling and such. Apparently, the public back then wanted sizzle over substance - just like now.

Also, weren't the Chevy axles particularly weak?


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