Olds Guy

Hey! How about having a front page posting on board!? Usually when I repsond to posts 80% of the time its like the kiss of death to the thread. 17 Replies (Shocking) 487 Views (Awesome)

General Motors Responds to Editorial The Toledo Blade August 7, 2006 How ironic that The Blade's smugly ignorant editorial on General Motors ("D-Day near for GM," July 31) referred to D-Day. Both the D-Day invasion of Normandy and your editorial relied upon misinformation. The military used misinformation before the invasion to confuse the Germans and help end World War II. We're still puzzled why The Blade used misinformation against GM, which has helped support Toledo 's economy since 1916. One gets the sense after reading the editorial that The Blade, rather than bothering to do any research, based its assessment of GM on faded memories of the satirical film, Roger & Me. The editorial was woefully inaccurate, uninformed, and mean-spirited. Before The Blade dismisses GM's management by suggesting it's less talented than "a bunch of former Soviet collective farm managers," it should take its own advice and "look at the numbers." It would see the remarkable progress that GM, under Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner's leadership, has made in the past year to turn itself around. Here are the facts: * GM's second-quarter operating earnings - the adjusted number analysts and investors use to accurately measure a company's performance - totaled a better-than-expected $1.2 billion. That marked the second consecutive quarter that GM posted an operating profit. Wall Street was encouraged because the improved numbers showed that Mr. Wagoner's turnaround plan is working. * While GM reported an overall $3.4 billion loss in the second quarter, that was due to several one-time charges, including a $3.7 billion charge from our successful hourly employee attrition program. A total of 34,400 employees took advantage of the buyouts, which are intended to help them make the transition to another line of work or early retirement. * GM has far exceeded the aggressive structural cost-reduction targets we set earlier this year. We now expect to reduce our costs by $6 billion this year, and additional reductions are planned to boost the bottom line in 2007 and beyond. * We increased our revenue per vehicle in the second quarter by over $1,000, leading to record revenues of $54.4 billion. * We're seeing significant sales momentum in our newest models. The Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky are sold out for the year. The Buick Lucerne, Chevy HHR, and Pontiac G6 are grabbing consumers' attention. Even our new full-size SUVs, which lead the segment in fuel economy, have grown market share despite higher fuel prices. * GM's market share is not "almost in free fall." While our share did slip last year to 26 percent, and was softer in the first half of this year, it increased in June and July to nearly 27 percent. That came on the strength of our new cars and trucks, even as we reduced our incentive spending to levels substantially lower than that of our domestic competitors. * GM increased its average transaction price per vehicle in the first half. * Outside the United States , GM is performing very well. GM is the No. 1 automaker in the world's fastest-growing automotive market: China . Our sales in Europe are strong and earnings are on the rise, while our earnings in our Latin America-Africa-Mideast region more than quadrupled in the second quarter versus a year ago. The Blade accurately notes that GM once had half the new-car sales in the United States . That was in 1962, when we had just two major domestic competitors; foreign automakers were just entering the market. Today, the U.S. market is the world's most competitive, with 13 automakers marketing nearly 40 car and truck brands. It's natural that new entrants would mostly take share from the established leaders in any market over 44 years. Take daily newspapers, which in the 1960s had a far greater readership share of their local populations than they do today. Their lower share is largely due to more competition from today's many alternative sources of information on TV, radio, and the Internet. At GM, we remain the U.S. market leader by a significant margin despite our smaller market share. GM today employs 2,700 people at our Toledo transmission plant. Earlier this year, we announced plans to invest $500 million to expand that plant for a new, state-of-the-art, six-speed transmission. Perhaps your former Soviet collective farm managers would have invested elsewhere, but we think putting it into Toledo made a lot of sense. Unlike your editorial. GM has had its challenges and made its mistakes in nearly a century of doing business, and we appreciate criticism where it is warranted and constructive. Your editorial was neither. Your readers and GM deserve better.

Eh, take the easy way out and superglue on one of the little emblems. Enough people are taking them off their cars that there should be plenty to go around.

If I can figure out how to get over there, I have an item or two you may be interested in taking back to IL. One is the item I have been meaning to send, btu havent gotten around to because I hesitate to send it in the mail.

Hmmm, Pontiac Spring & Wagon Works? 1926 Pontiac had a six cylinder at a good price.

More new finds in the Classics and Ultra Hots lines. Some of the pics aren't the best, because they are quick auto-focus.

Eh. I'd drive that over an Element or xB.

But several have hinted at it so....

I was going to post this as a hint:

Tried to post this reply the other day, but locked up on me. The T/A will be in the Classics line so expect about $3.

What are we looking at here?

An update to the earlier post... And one of the cooler re-releases I have seen in a long time...

A 1991 Turnip Special. No. And how sad is it that I forgot the ZR1 didnt have the LT1. I should be ashamed. Havent thought about a ZR1 in years.

My first instinct was a ZR1 Corvette, but that is too much money. A Lingenfelter Vette, maybe?

Both the Carerra & 430 have been released in two colors so far. The Ferrari comes in both Red and Black. The Porsche in Silver & Yellow.

As a former owner of a first gen W-car (2 in fact), I must have been the minority, since I bought two coupes, and have only had sedans for my last three cars because Olds & Pontiac stopped selling W coupes. I think the first gen sedans were not good looking at all. The Lumina may have been the least offensive. I also think this would have sold well, given the opoprtunity.

bunk bed

OK, I do. I have been listening to rap since the 80s. It has been cyclical as far as quality goes. I like a lot of the old school stuff, and some new stuff. Mostly since the 90s though artists rarely interest me more than one song or CD. There are exceptions to that. I just picked up the new Ice Cube CD and like it very much. Laugh Now Cry Later cracks me up. I only wish that most of the people listening to it would realize the fact that Cube is making fun of the lifestyle he is rapping about, not endorsing it.

Side Marker Lamps

Like most of the ones I didnt include, Yokohama is their own company. This list also leaves out all of the tiny brand names that are actually made by larger companies. Those are much harder to keep track of.

psychiatrist

I'm sure a lot of you might know this, but some may not so here goes... Goodyear (US): Goodyear, Dunlop, Kelly, Fulda, Sava Continental (Germany): Continental, Uniroyal (in Europe), Semperit, Barum, General Tire, Euzkadi, Viking, Gislaved and Mabor Bridgestone (Japan): Bridgestone, Firestone, Dayton, Duralon, Lemans Cooper (US): Cooper, Avon, Dean, Kenda, Mastercraft, Oliver, Starfire Pirelli (Italy): Pirelli Michelin (France): Michelin, Uniroyal (US), BF Goodrich Sumitomo (Japan): Sumitomo

I've never been a big fan of Goodyear. I have had cars with Goodyear, Michelin, BFG, and now Bridgestone Potenzas on the GXP. A lot of it depends on how much you spend. I think Goodyears are overpriced for what you get. Disclaimer: I at one time worked for a tire company, so maybe I am a bit biased (no pun intended).

This French '54 Citroen Traction Avant, powered by a 15-hp six, was a taxicab in Paris when it was purchased by General Motors. GM engineers took it apart to help in their design of the Oldsmobile Toronado, GM's first front-drive car. GM Vice President Bud Goodman drove the car for a while, then sold it in 1970-71 to Gilliam Clark, Matthew Clark's father. Note the front suicide doors.

When I had my Cutlass, I always wanted to swap the high beams and turn signals, so it would be like a '67 or '68.