well for most of us this really aint news... but thought i let you read a bit of it anyway G.M. and Ford Lose Ground in Sales Again By DANNY HAKIM Published: March 2, 2005 DETROIT, March 1 - The gears of the domestic auto industry are grinding again, with shares of General Motors and the Ford Motor Company trading near one-year lows and the companies continuing to lose customers. Sales at G.M. fell 12.6 percent in February from the same month a year earlier, according to monthly sales reports released by automakers on Tuesday; Ford's sales fell 2.8 percent. Both companies scaled back the numbers of cars and trucks they planned to make as unsold models accumulate on dealer lots, though G.M.'s cut were deeper and it is showing few signs of a turnaround. "It's been a tough beginning," G.M.'s chief industry sales analyst, Paul Ballew, said. "There's not a magic solution to improving your competitive position. You have to do blocking and tackling."..... Analysts appear to be pessimistic about G.M. and Ford's prospects; heavy spending on rebates and financing deals has not stemmed a tide of customer defections to rivals like Toyota. On Monday, Ronald Tadross of Bank of America downgraded both companies to a sell rating.... But the biggest gainers are Asian automakers. Toyota's sales were up 11.1 percent, Nissan sales rose 10.2 percent and Hyundai's 19 percent. There are exceptions. Honda sales were down 7.2 percent and continue to show intermittent weakness, while Mitsubishi is in freefall, with sales down nearly 40 percent in February.... For both G.M. and Ford, increased competition in the S.U.V. and pickup markets from companies like Nissan has hurt; the two companies have become largely truck manufacturers that make their automotive profit from S.U.V.'s and pickups... yep can definitely tell that its still spin here. dont admit to the real problem, not a single mention of the hybrid revolution. both are still going for the horsepower, 0-60 in 5 sec hype... and now they dont know why it aint working??? free registration required http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/02/business.../02auto.html?th
I don't know how popular hybrids will become in the US, but they do show that Japanese companies are willing to be innovative in the marketplace and take a chance. There was an article in the paper here a week or two ago about some tiny little car (European I think), that the American companies passed on. Their reasoning: "Americans like big cars." They may have been right about the car in question, I don't know, but it's interesting how they're locked into one way of thinking and they absolutely will not change. I suspect that US auto execs in their sleep say over and over again, "Americans like big cars. Americans like big cars. Americans like big cars."
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA\";p=\"68757)</div> Hey Paul: As a guy who used to own a 2000 GMC Sierra, take my advice: Get off your a** and at least *try* to design something that isn't a POS. That might go a long way to "improving your competitive position." And while you're at it, maybe offer a product more appealing in the era of raising energy prices. The Clinton Glory Days of artificially cheap gasoline is OVER. I and a lot of other drivers are no longer interested in something that gets single-digit or low double-digit fuel economy. And quit whining about how you totally FUBAR'd your "prediction" of hybrid sales and popularity. Toyota didn't "steal" anything off you, they just out-engineered and outclassed you. Hey Paul this isn't the first time GM got caught with their pants down while holding an issue of Hustler. Maybe put that ... creative ... energy to better use. "Blocking and tackling" no wonder your sales are down. :roll: What next? Are they going to blame their workers? Maybe they'll hang the "patriotism" thing on their ads. Like the South Korean made Chevy Aveo or the Mexican made Chevy Suburban.
i think that "blocking and tackling" is their version of "rebates and discounts". the article does mention that even record rebates arent working this time
I have bought two brand new GM vehicles in my life. Neither was reliable at all. In the last instance, the tech at the local Chevy dealer said "well, it is a Chevy" when I complained about its inability to start (brand new 1997 Suburban). General Motors makes pure unadulterated junk, there is nothing there of merit in anything they build. I have NEVER owned something GM has built, either new or used, that wasn't a piece of junk. This is my third brand new Toyota. They run well, they are well made and they have high quality along with that well made engineering. Fords for me have been great vehicles when bought new, iffy when bought used. European cars I have owned have been uniform disasters. (except for the yellow Beetle in the '70s I had) GM builds junk, and they know it and more and more people are catching onto the fact that it is pure junk.
I traded in a '98 Buick Regal with nearly 100k miles. When cleaned up, you could not tell the age of the car. It drove, rode, and looked like a brand new car. I was truly bummed to trade it in with ONLY 100k miles. I know it will probably go that far again if the next owner treats it as well as I did. My wife drives a 2003 Regal. So while I will ding GM in general at nearly every opportunity for missing the boat on advanced technology and alternative fuel options, I will stand behind my Regal.
Tony: For some reason Buick appears to be the exception to the GM "rule" of s*** quality. A friend of mine has purchased a 2002 Lease Return Buick Century and it appears to be a good car. My folks have always had good luck with Buicks, dating back to the early 50's. What is odd is that Buick cars share many components with other GM-brand cars, yet the other names have horrible reliability. I can't explain it.
I'll do the same... GM's missed out on a lot of things, but my old Cavalier went 130K miles without dying, and considering what I did it to it (it was my primary car during college) that's pretty amazing. I'm fairly sure if I had a corolla I would have broken the thing in half with some of my... 'driving'. GM has missed the boat in a lot of areas... hybrids, airbags (anyone remember the motorized mouse runners?). But in other areas, they've been ahead of the curve (ABS, FI).
