If there was any doubt about auto ind troubles

[dlq04]

This report seems to cover all the base when it comes to areas of concern

http://www.autonews.com/article/2009...IDEO/303169940

[mlc]

If you think that is bad. I just watched some talking head on CNBC say that GM should NOT make the Camaro because it is such a gas guzzler. Here we go, Washington telling car companies what they can and can not make. It is only the beginning. The more money they take the more Washington will tell them what they can and cannot do. Not a good formula for success IMO.

Kevin

[bjurasz]

If you think that is bad. I just watched some talking head on CNBC say that GM should NOT make the Camaro because it is such a gas guzzler. Here we go, Washington telling car companies what they can and can not make.

Not sure that some talking head on CNBC is the government. What am I missing?

[Chris S]

Not sure that some talking head on CNBC is the government. What am I missing?

A conspiracy theory? The lack of logic?

GM would be stupid not to produce the Camaro now. The R&D was spent, I assume the tooling is in place, now they just have to crank up the prod. line (if they haven't already). If the economy was in decent shape, I'm sure it would be a big hit!

[mlc]

Not sure that some talking head on CNBC is the government. What am I missing?

Sorry I made my point badly. If that is what is being said and thought I am quite sure that there are a lot of people in Washington that think if they take the money then we should be able to tell them what to do.

A very slippery slope.

kevin

[Chris S]

I hear a lot of debate on CNBC from both sides of various issues - it makes their programming more interesting. Those politicians must get so confused, wondering which side of the various CNBC debates to adopt!

If I had a few billion $$$ to loan to a car company, you better believe it would come w/ strings attached and the ability to influence important decisions...esp. since the Big 3 didn't reach their current position via a series of brilliant decisions and execution!

[gomarlins3]

Well if they are doing so bad, the local Porsche dealer doesn't want to sell me a car. I made a reasonable offer and they came back WAY to high on their counter offer. I haven;t spoken to them since, but they have called me back.

[Skakum]

Well if they are doing so bad, the local Porsche dealer doesn't want to sell me a car. I made a reasonable offer and they came back WAY to high on their counter offer. I haven;t spoken to them since, but they have called me back.

Hmmm I would think logically that if it was at least above invoice (Dealer's cost to get the car on the lot) that they would actually take you up on your offer. Most of the import manufacturers aren't doing as bad as the big 3 too. Strictly curious, what where you looking at?

[bjurasz]

If I had a few billion $$$ to loan to a car company, you better believe it would come w/ strings attached and the ability to influence important decisions...esp. since the Big 3 didn't reach their current position via a series of brilliant decisions and execution!

I gotta agree with that. Sorry, its my taxpayer dollars bailing out all sorts of bad companies right now, between GM, Chrysler, various banks, and the big-daddy of them all, AIG. Sorry, you don't get my money without strings. You don't want the strings? Then find a way to save your company without my money.

AIG is just awful right now. I mean honestly how do they justify those bonuses? I don't CARE if it is contractually obligated to them. The UAW contract was a contract, but people demanded that contract be scrapped, why not the same with the AIG contract? Sorry, those guys have not shown they were worth their bonus. And they're not worth my dollars to save their butts.

[gomarlins3]

Hmmm I would think logically that if it was at least above invoice (Dealer's cost to get the car on the lot) that they would actually take you up on your offer. Most of the import manufacturers aren't doing as bad as the big 3 too. Strictly curious, what where you looking at?

They were used. A 911 and a Cayman S. He did call me the other day (2 months later) and left a message saying the price of the 911 had gone down.

[takeshi]

AIG is just awful right now. I mean honestly how do they justify those bonuses? I don't CARE if it is contractually obligated to them.

I don't even know what to say about AIG... Seems like they also need to axe whoever was involved in coming up with these "contractual obligations".

[Chris S]

My understanding is that many of these "bonuses" are retention-based. Normally these would be pretty critical for a company like AIG to keep all their best talent from leaving the company. I'm not sure when they were granted, but in the current environment they prob. wouldn't be so necessary since where would those employees go? It's not like there's a shortage of finance talent these days...

[dlq04]

Only in America. The former long time head of AIG, who left in '05, is now suing AIG since those who followed ran it in the the tank and he lost his fortune. Sounds ok, till you realize he is suing you and me, the taxpayers, who now own 80%.

[Geo02s2k]

After Jon Stewart got done with them, I'm not too sure I'm going to be trusting anything coming from CNBC.

[XLevel]

The whole argument about the Camaro is moot and the ship has sailed... literally.



edit: ok well it's not REALLY a ship.