I’m under 40… Almost under 30. I’ll never buy a GM car, or a Ford, or even a Chrysler. I’ll admit that every GM car I’ve driven since the 90s when my older parents stopped buying American and went Japanese (tired of reliability/maintenance issues) was a rental car, but every single one of them has sucked. Every single one without exception.

GM could produce the next Honda Accord next year after this bailout (right) and I wouldn’t buy it, now. They are coming to us saying they have to steal our money to remain viable? NO – they need to make good products to remain viable. That’s not very likely to happen under the current regime now is it?

There is a clear solution: stop buying. Starve the incompetent, make way for the competent to take over.

As an artist my passion is to paint old cars. Restored, junked, pieces, just love the beauty of how they reflect the time in which they were built. Just occured to me last night as I was painting a Studebaker and a Packard

You painted a Studebaker and Packard last night? Wow that’s a lot of sanding and masking.

Oh wait, not that kind of painting.

Plus I find it REAL hard to believe that all THREE are in the same situation–somebody is lying…….

I do feel however that The US Automakers need to go it alone. The Founding Fathers would never approve of a bailout or The US Government being as big as it is today.

You dug yourself the hole… you need to get out yourself.

to head for the hills when the truth-squads show up.

Lastly the car line. Here I would merge the Pontiac division and the Chevrolet line. Make a small economical entry level car.

One problem with so many lines is that there are rivalries between them. Chevy makes a great engine, but the careerists didn’t want to work for Chevy, so it was the cheap and nasty division. Great engine in a plastic-feeling car, parts falling off, no power windows for like 20 years after every Japanese car had them….that sort of thing. For over a generation GM cars sucked compared to foreign cars, so no one under 40 even wants one now.

I have bought several cars in my life. In several different states.

There is little more in life more detestable than the treatment a person gets at most dealerships. Cadillac aside, in my experience, the majority of the salespeople and finance people I have dealt with were the lowest of the low.

I know this may not sound nice, but the corporations must take an active role in policing the goings on at the dealerships that sell their cars.

How many times have you not bought an automobile because of the salespeople? Or someone else at a particular dealership?

I know these are franchise dealerships, but that may also be a part of the problem.

They need to take responsibility of the entire process. The manufacture, the representations, the sales and the service.

Ownership and responsibility.

As for GM, here’s what they should be doing:

Discontinue the Saturn line, and sell off foreign companies they own like Opel and Vauxhall. And they should also stop making any sedan that guzzles too much gas, and just keep those that take decent amounts.

Until then, let’s hope that Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia, come back to the US, and that Iveco will follow with their trucks and buses.

There’s no way out of the hole until the UAW is busted. Chapter 11 will allow that. Until then, all these stupid bailout hearings can be summed up by one of those IBM television commercials, the one in which a consultant to King Arthur proposes building a catapult to slay a dragon with huge bags of coins:

Arthur: “Are you suggesting we throw money at the problem?!?”

Consultant: “Precisely!”

In my opinion there is no need to make as many models as the auto manufacturesers do make.

I like the new challenger, and know some folks like the hemi trucks. And so on. But I see no future for Chrysler. Prove me wrong.

That said.

GM should plan on being a smaller company.

Making as you said the Corvette. Shoot me I’m baised by the fact that I own 2. Also keep the Cadillac Line. As long as it is viable

Next the Suburban, both an economical 2 wheel drive and a 4 wheel drive version.

Next the pick-up line. This is the broadest line they should concentrate on.

Lastly the car line. Here I would merge the Pontiac division and the Chevrolet line. Make a small economical entry level car. Electric or whatever. I do not care. Make the Grand Prix. The Impala. The Camaro.

Anything above those basic choices is too much.

It dilutes the brand and drains resources.

Drop the legacy costs through bankruptcy.

If this is not viable, cut till it is or call the auctioneer.

Sink or Swim.

Otherwise I am buying Nissan, Toyota, or some other foreign label.