Govt. Motors: FAIL
Here are last months numbers in US sales for the major auto companies:
Notice anything? GM and Chrysler are both down over 40% vs. sept 2008. This is far worse than the competition, in particular the only non-nationalized US automaker: Ford.
And why is it? GM has just come out with some great cars, and Chrysler... well.. you might be able to get one of those "buy one get one free" offers they were having a while ago. However, everyone is avoiding these two companies. Why? Because no one wants to buy from a weak rotten hulk of a company with terrible publicity. "We just went bankrupt and got bought with your tax dollars" is not an endearment to purchase a new car.
GM and Chrysler should never have been bailed out. It was done to protect the UAW above all else, the decision to nationalize was wrong and the way the government went about it was in violation of the laws and principles of this country.
It was just announced that Saturn will die, instead of being bought by Penske. And perhaps if GM had been allowed to fail, more brands would have fallen also. But now, GM has the same albatross around its neck that lead to British Leyland fighting a 30 year loosing battle. The main point of BL was protection of the British economy, protection of British automobile manufacturing, and protection of unionized factory jobs. Sound familiar? Now, 40 years after BL was formed and 10 years after it died, what is left? Tata motors owns a couple Land Rover and Jaguar plants in England, but has announced another will close shortly, MG is owned by a Chinese manufacturer, Mini is a brand-name for BMW, and Rover, Austin, Morris, Vanden Plas, Alvis, MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey are all dead.
Expect the same from GM, unless it can be quickly taken private again.
| COMPANIES | Volume % | Sep 09 | Sep08 | DSR*% | DSR 9/09 | DSR 9/08 |
| BMW Group | 3.62 | 19,175 | 18,506 | -0.53 | 767 | 771 |
| Ford Motor Company | -5.08 | 114,655 | 120,788 | -8.87 | 4,586 | 5,033 |
| Nissan North America | -7 | 55,393 | 59,565 | -10.72 | 2,216 | 2,482 |
| Toyota Mo Co | -12.65 | 126,015 | 144,260 | -16.14 | 5,041 | 6,011 |
| Honda America | -20.07 | 77,229 | 96,626 | -23.27 | 3,089 | 4,026 |
| Chrysler Group LLC | -42.06 | 62,197 | 107,349 | -44.38 | 2,488 | 4,473 |
| General Motors | -44.89 | 156,673 | 284,300 | -47.1 | 6,267 | 11,846 |
Notice anything? GM and Chrysler are both down over 40% vs. sept 2008. This is far worse than the competition, in particular the only non-nationalized US automaker: Ford.
And why is it? GM has just come out with some great cars, and Chrysler... well.. you might be able to get one of those "buy one get one free" offers they were having a while ago. However, everyone is avoiding these two companies. Why? Because no one wants to buy from a weak rotten hulk of a company with terrible publicity. "We just went bankrupt and got bought with your tax dollars" is not an endearment to purchase a new car.
GM and Chrysler should never have been bailed out. It was done to protect the UAW above all else, the decision to nationalize was wrong and the way the government went about it was in violation of the laws and principles of this country.
It was just announced that Saturn will die, instead of being bought by Penske. And perhaps if GM had been allowed to fail, more brands would have fallen also. But now, GM has the same albatross around its neck that lead to British Leyland fighting a 30 year loosing battle. The main point of BL was protection of the British economy, protection of British automobile manufacturing, and protection of unionized factory jobs. Sound familiar? Now, 40 years after BL was formed and 10 years after it died, what is left? Tata motors owns a couple Land Rover and Jaguar plants in England, but has announced another will close shortly, MG is owned by a Chinese manufacturer, Mini is a brand-name for BMW, and Rover, Austin, Morris, Vanden Plas, Alvis, MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey are all dead.
Expect the same from GM, unless it can be quickly taken private again.
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