dthfsa wrote: If GM is number one, then why are we as American tax payers bailing them out?
Because they have been giving away cars to boost sales number and liquidate assets for the bankruptcy. All those employee pricing sales and huge money off sales look great until you see you hardly made any money on what was manufactured.
jim87vette wrote: I guess it makes no difference to me as I dont follow the masses on my purchases.I do my own comparison that fits what I need for my use.
Ding ding ding ding! We have a winner! I too don't give a rat's butt about anybody's review but my own; I'm the one who's gonna own and drive it. The only question that ever needs to be answered is "Does it work for me?"
I've been thinking that if you take all this talk about sales numbers and statistics, and add a buck fifty you could get a cup of coffee most places.
"ABOUT 8.5 million cars and light trucks were assembled in the United States last year, but only about five million of those were made by the automakers traditionally known as the Big Three. More than three million of the vehicles assembled in American plants were built by autoworkers employed by foreign brands like BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.
Add to those the familiar Detroit nameplates coming from plants in Canada and Mexico and it’s easy to see how confusing it can be for consumers leaning toward the purchase of an “American” car. Which is the more American product, a Honda Accord built by Ohioans for a company with its headquarters in Japan, or a Ford Fusion built in Mexico for a corporation that is based in Michigan?"
dthfsa wrote: If GM is number one, then why are we as American tax payers bailing them out?
Because they have been giving away cars to boost sales number and liquidate assets for the bankruptcy. All those employee pricing sales and huge money off sales look great until you see you hardly made any money on what was manufactured.
Additionally, they were paying a pension and providing healthcare to millions of americans. GM has spent hundreds of Billions (dollars) over the last 15 years on medical expenses for retirees. Now, the efficient Medicare system will cover this!
Dad of Four Girls
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2001 Yukon XL (8.1L, 4.10)
2002 Dutchmen 31BH4DSL
Keith99RS wrote: Hooray for them. The best selling manufacturer in America and they are bankrupt. That is a little telling about their business practices and what kind of deals they had to do to sell cars. The leaders of GM could screw up being a water salesman in the desert.
Yep better to be #2 or #3 and solvent than #1 and bankrupt ... I will never own another Chrysler or GM product and will go Ford or foreign.
Larry
I hope that you have pulled all investments from companies that received government funding, stopped banking at Citi and all others, and ensured that you buy no other product that receives government support.
You do not mind the Energy Department giving Ford Billions of Dollars to improve?
Keith99RS wrote: Hooray for them. The best selling manufacturer in America and they are bankrupt. That is a little telling about their business practices and what kind of deals they had to do to sell cars. The leaders of GM could screw up being a water salesman in the desert.
Yep better to be #2 or #3 and solvent than #1 and bankrupt ... I will never own another Chrysler or GM product and will go Ford or foreign.
Larry
I hope that you have pulled all investments from companies that received government funding, stopped banking at Citi and all others, and ensured that you buy no other product that receives government support.
You do not mind the Energy Department giving Ford Billions of Dollars to improve?
I don't own a Chrysler or GM product. I belong to a credit union and would not go near Citi or US Bank before the collapse.
Ford is making money and didn't waste billions only to go belly up anyways like GM. BTW the billions tyou refer to were offered to all manufacturers to pay for development of new fuel efficient vehicles. It was in no way a bailout.
Quote from the associated press:
"Dozens of auto companies, suppliers and battery makers have sought a total of $38 billion from the loan program, which was created last year to help car companies and suppliers retool their facilities to develop green vehicles and components such as advanced batteries.
The loans were designed to help the auto manufacturers meet new fuel-efficiency standards of at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase over current standards."
GM and Chrysler have not received any of this money as they are restructuring. It isn't beacuse they don't want it.
Keith99RS wrote: Hooray for them. The best selling manufacturer in America and they are bankrupt. That is a little telling about their business practices and what kind of deals they had to do to sell cars. The leaders of GM could screw up being a water salesman in the desert.
Yep better to be #2 or #3 and solvent than #1 and bankrupt ... I will never own another Chrysler or GM product and will go Ford or foreign.
Larry
I hope that you have pulled all investments from companies that received government funding, stopped banking at Citi and all others, and ensured that you buy no other product that receives government support.
You do not mind the Energy Department giving Ford Billions of Dollars to improve?
I don't own a Chrysler or GM product. I belong to a credit union and would not go near Citi or US Bank before the collapse.
Ford is making money and didn't waste billions only to go belly up anyways like GM. BTW the billions tyou refer to were offered to all manufacturers to pay for development of new fuel efficient vehicles. It was in no way a bailout.
Quote from the associated press:
"Dozens of auto companies, suppliers and battery makers have sought a total of $38 billion from the loan program, which was created last year to help car companies and suppliers retool their facilities to develop green vehicles and components such as advanced batteries.
The loans were designed to help the auto manufacturers meet new fuel-efficiency standards of at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase over current standards."
GM and Chrysler have not received any of this money as they are restructuring. It isn't beacuse they don't want it.
You must have a very short memory. Ford lost $1.43 Billion for the first quarter this year. They lost Billions last year. They did not go bankrupt because they leveraged all there assets in 2007(borrowed against them) to have cash. The credit market froze in 2008.
The money that GM received is also to "to pay for development of new fuel efficient vehicles".
I do know that no matter how much factual data that I provide, you will never see the point. Many follow the media hype, and do not research the facts.
Keith99RS wrote: Hooray for them. The best selling manufacturer in America and they are bankrupt. That is a little telling about their business practices and what kind of deals they had to do to sell cars. The leaders of GM could screw up being a water salesman in the desert.
Yep better to be #2 or #3 and solvent than #1 and bankrupt ... I will never own another Chrysler or GM product and will go Ford or foreign.
Larry
I hope that you have pulled all investments from companies that received government funding, stopped banking at Citi and all others, and ensured that you buy no other product that receives government support.
You do not mind the Energy Department giving Ford Billions of Dollars to improve?
I don't own a Chrysler or GM product. I belong to a credit union and would not go near Citi or US Bank before the collapse.
Ford is making money and didn't waste billions only to go belly up anyways like GM. BTW the billions tyou refer to were offered to all manufacturers to pay for development of new fuel efficient vehicles. It was in no way a bailout.
Quote from the associated press:
"Dozens of auto companies, suppliers and battery makers have sought a total of $38 billion from the loan program, which was created last year to help car companies and suppliers retool their facilities to develop green vehicles and components such as advanced batteries.
The loans were designed to help the auto manufacturers meet new fuel-efficiency standards of at least 35 mpg by 2020, a 40 percent increase over current standards."
GM and Chrysler have not received any of this money as they are restructuring. It isn't beacuse they don't want it.
You must have a very short memory. Ford lost $1.43 Billion for the first quarter this year. They lost Billions last year. They did not go bankrupt because they leveraged all there assets in 2007(borrowed against them) to have cash. The credit market froze in 2008.
The money that GM received is also to "to pay for development of new fuel efficient vehicles".
I do know that no matter how much factual data that I provide, you will never see the point. Many follow the media hype, and do not research the facts.
Ford also was smart enough to bail out on money eaters like Jaguar and Rover. They also sold shares back to Mazda. They have been much more proactive than GM in recent years at cutting costs under Mulally.
GM received money to survive, not develop new vehicles. There may have been some funds in there for that purpose but that was not the express reason for their loan. It is now irrelevant as that money is gone and GM is going through bankruptcy.
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... I will never own another Chrysler or GM product and will go Ford or foreign.
