Good Bye Rick

[payton]

Thank you for editing your post and removing the Hilter comment... I love that we live in a country that we can have what ever opinion we want... I am happy to be in the company of so many great people that have a true love for the Cadillac LeSalle brand. I may not agree with your political views but I love you taste in cars!!! To GM I say God speed and clean up your mess and never return to where you are today.

[Charles D. Barnette]

Reuters reported yesterday that General Motors is in "intense" and "earnest" preparations for a possible bankruptcy filing. This is sad to hear. Charles D. Barnette

[Otto Skorzeny]

Yes, it's sad but it beats the alternative: Being run by the government with politicians dictating what can be built, who can and cannot be employed and how much employees can be paid.

[Mike Simmons 938]

Hmmmm.... let's see....

If you just laid out a lot of cash in the name of the US in order to save a company whose stock value had dropped 95% since 2000, would you keep the man who ran the company during that stock drop in place??

I think not.

I'm surprised that the stockholders didn't want Rick's head on a stick.

A Chevrolet dealer in our region of Norcal, who had been in business since the 30s-possibly 20s-  had to close. His comments about Mr Wagoner-at least the printable ones- showed a pretty deeply felt anger toward the guy. He blamed him and his policies for the demise of his company. I think Ed Kenny is right!
Mike

[Brian Daum]

When I was in the States on vacation in 2000 we stopped at a huge Chevy dealer in Dothan, AL. They were just opened and they had a Classic Camaro Show that toured the country with all the classic Camaro`s. That was really the reason we stopped there, but a few other things struck me while I was there. There must have been hundreds of cars, 20 sales people all dressed nice with ties and all, and the nicest dealership probably in the world. But I did not see one single customer in the time we spent there looking at classic Camaro`s. It was really weird.

I remember we all remarked the less amount of GM products on the roads, at least compared to the 70`s when every other car was built by GM. These last few years I have been to the States one rarely sees a Cadillac anymore, and last month when we were to NYC I don`t think I saw a dozen Cadillacs, but hundreds of Lincolns.

Of course the guy on the top must be blamed, but GM has had this coming for quite a while. I am surprised that they didn`t sack him for a long time ago.

If GM ever is going to start selling cars again, they need to focus on one thing: Styling and Design. They need to stop building those Toyota look-alikes they are building now. Allright they need to build 40 mpg soapbars to please those who don`t care about cars.  They need to build excitement, the kind that keeps you awake at night trying to find ways to make ends meet so that you can buy just THAT car.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I'm with you Brian,

But the problem is that Computers design the cars, and once one inputs all the parameters that are required by the Federal Government for Fuel Consumption, Safety bits, etc, the end result is going to be virtually the same shape.

When they start using different computers, then there will be some differences,

But until the Designers are allowed to not worry about Pedestrian Safety in shaping the fronts, and Fuel Consumption requirements aren't as strict, then the backs will also change.   

Then, we might get back to cars that we can identify at 500 yards, and not reading the badge with a magnifying glass from up close.

Bruce.

[Charles D. Barnette]

I note Fox News and the Sun Sentinal have reported that GM is selling as I write this some 100 show cars at public auction. It makes me wonder what will be the ultimate fate of the Cadillac show cars now in the Heritage Center like the 53 LeMans, the 59 Cyclone, the Cien and the Sixteen. This to me is the ultimate insult to GM. I feel like those who care about GM are standing on the decks of the Titanic with all the lifeboats gone, and the only rescue ship on the horizon is the US Bankruptcy! Charles D. Barnette

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Charles,

There was some discussion on that matter some time ago, and GM is apparently getting rid of an excess of vehicles that are surplus to requirements.

One thing it will do is allow some people to purchase some vehicles that have been kept in the dark, and get them out in the open, where they can be driven, and enjoyed by more people in different areas, that cannot get to the Museums.

Bruce.

[Jim Salmi #21340]

Well, I guess we should be thankful that SOMETHING they make(made) will sell.

Bruce is right- the computers (and accountants) are designing the cars.  If you make a car as generic as a washing machine, then people will look at them as washing machines, and will gravitate to the cheapest alternative, and American cars will never be able to compete on that playing field.  Steak without the sizzle bears a sickening resemblance to dog food.

By the way, a great book on Detroit, with emphasis on GM, was written in the early eighties.  It is "The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry" by Brock Yates.  It is out of print, but if you can find it at your local library, it is very worthwhile.  You'll laugh out loud through the tears.

Jim

[Whit Otis, 1188]

Don't really know a thing about Rick Wagoner's management skills, but I find it difficult to believe anyone thinks GM's demise is all his fault.... this started back in the 70's and finally reached tidal wave proportions when the Japs rightfully took the market away.  Perhaps Wagoner was a lousy CEO, but if I were him and the president of the US came in to fire me, I would have raised my hand and stated the oft famous words of our current president Obama, "Hey man, I inherited this problem."
Whit Otis

[Otto Skorzeny]

Don't really know a thing about Rick Wagoner's management skills, but I find it difficult to believe anyone thinks GM's demise is all his fault.... this started back in the 70's and finally reached tidal wave proportions when the Japs rightfully took the market away.  Perhaps Wagoner was a lousy CEO, but if I were him and the president of the US came in to fire me, I would have raised my hand and stated the oft famous words of our current president Obama, "Hey man, I inherited this problem."
Whit Otis

I agree with you 100% Whit. I doubt anyone on this board could point to one decision Rick made that resulted in GM's current situation. 

I am not saying he didn't make such a decision(s), I'm just saying that I doubt anyone here has all the facts to make any pronouncement about Wagoner's competency at the helm. I should also point out that just because a company is losing  money, that doesn't necessarily mean those in charge are incompetent.

Perhaps under Wagoner's leadership GM was losing fewer billions of dollars than they otherwise would have under another CEO? It's quite possible that GM may have been hemmorhraging even more money if they'd had someone else making decisions. Obviously the shareholders and Board of Directors thought enough of his abilities to keep him around for 31 years.

As for what he should have told Obama, I would not have been so polite as you, Whit.