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Originally Posted by devarshi84
1) The sales are proof enough that customers buy their cars and like them too. Its the operations that need to be more efficient.
2) It's not an easy decision to change the complete line-up in a matter of days or months for that matter. eliminating the line-up and creating new cars just adds to the cost by millions. I have seen GM do the best they can with their current crop of platforms.
3) They werent sleeping and that's the reason they still hold 47% of the marketshare in US. GM and FORD are still in the top five largest car makers which is a no small feat in the largest dying economy. I have personally read the papers where GM was made the scapegoat of a recall while Toyota with the a similar number of recalls landed on the 3-4th page. who's to be blamed here?
4) Rick Wagoner has brought changes to GM which were very much needed. But it takes time for the implementation to work. The dude needs time and money and especially at the moment when they are almost about to kick back with newer cars.
5) The only trouble with the Big three is the way they handle the media and the image they have due to their lack of proper marketing.
6) And if we talk about the loan, the wall street people didnt even care to request for one. Who's to blame for the blunders they made in the real estate market? a 15-32 billion dollar loan for one of the largest employing sector compared to a whooping 700 billion dollar in my opinion is totally logical.
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1) IMO, reasonable amount of sales are coming from people who dont want to see them die. I know that American car buyers are not from those who would do this, but lately this is a possibility specially after GM lost the NO.1 manufacturer of cars.
Also take out the European division of Opel and sales from Ford Europe. They are also dependent of this.
2) This could have been faster in the first place. They were very late to initialize the new line up of cars. And now when they first went to ask for money, they went in their private jets. They were shown the door. Then government asked to prove that they will come out of the crises and the money would be well spent. The presentation turned the story towards a negative end. All three of them were not able to provide any plans through which they can be more secure. Ford said Electric vehicles were the way ahead, etc. But no one specifically mentioned any concrete data that they are in phase of developing some compact FE car or new engine technology or more refine petrol-electric hybrid. To impress others, GM CEO used Volt ( specially built ) and Ford CEO went in some SUV hybrid car. This was sufficient to stall the relief package.
3) With regard to sales, its upto some extent " I will buy American ". And yes Toyota had trouble. I don't remember how many times the entire engines were to replaced in trucks as recall. Tundra had to do this.
4) Again same as point 2, they were too late to even start the development. Ford was somewhat faster and hence it is the healthiest state out of the three.
5) More than that. Point 2.
6) Nobody is 100% correct. When demanded with concrete proof, the big three failed.
Other than this I feel that Ford could have been out of trouble and would still be no. 2 manufacturer if Ford, in a very timely fashion offered its European range to US. US has been drooling over the Focus, Fiesta and other cars sold there and even after n number of requests ford still has not put in the line. IMO, if the move was made earlier, Ford would be in much healthier condition. |