GM CEO Henderson resigns after 8 turbulent months

[fdjizm]

[faninc]

Seems Govt may be forcing some moves given their large investment. Fritz was part of the OLD GM, scary when government wants to get into a business. Look what they have done with Fannie, Freddie, Post Office, Social security...be glad we have our Camaros now!

[zerolm]

Meanwhile, out in the real world, dealers are treating 37 year old potential customers like children. I have owned american trucks forever, but my wife has never owned an american car. Finally an american car maker presents a product that we are actually interested in however it seems as if some of the dealers I have been to act like they are in the drivers seat and are going to tell me what I am going to do rather than me telling them what I am WILLING to do.
I don't mean to rant, but it is frustrating because you would think they would be GRATEFULL in this day and age to have a serious sales lead on the lot. I hate to say it but we have looked at every manufacturer in the last few months and NO QUESTION the chevrolet dealers have insulted my intelligence and abilities more than any other HANDS DOWN.
That Lexus IS350 that my wife really wants as opposed to a Camaro is looking better every time I go to a Chevrolet dealership and get treated this way. I just left a dealership less than an hour ago, and it almost makes me root for the competition. Don't get me wrong, I have raced cars for almost 20 years (almost exclusively chevrolet) and am a fan of GM, and america. It just seems as if they don't care. If they don't care , I don't.
I acutally had to explain to the salesman tonight that I am the customer, and I expect to be treated as such, especially considering the economy we are experiencing, and the current state of the company he represented.
Sorry this was so long but it is truly painful to watch, all the way from the front line of the local dealership tonight to the oval office itself....

[Coldpants]

GM reminds me of IBM the the late 80's early 90's.
1) Too large, too many decision makers. IBM had five presidents at one point, things got so bad that if you get a PS2 and a random monitor from the same era they will not be compatible. The company also had years of tradition making it resistant to change.

Mabe the solution to GM's problems would be to..."ducks for cover"... dissolve. Break back up into separate companies with there own (completely new) administration. Anyone who worked in GM admin anytime in the last 50 years would not be eligible to work in any of the new companies. And I don't mean just the top brass but a general culling of the current admin.

This would free the resulting companies to act faster than even the "new" GM. The new companies would be able to create new contracts all around and would be free of the corporate tradition that can strangle a company.

It seems this is the best way to go, the guys who have been put in charge so far just seem to be the same recycled crap continuing its steady downward march thorough market share.

[Coldpants]

Originally Posted by zerolm

Meanwhile, out in the real world, dealers are treating 37 year old potential customers like children. I have owned american trucks forever, but my wife has never owned an american car. Finally an american car maker presents a product that we are actually interested in however it seems as if some of the dealers I have been to act like they are in the drivers seat and are going to tell me what I am going to do rather than me telling them what I am WILLING to do.
I don't mean to rant, but it is frustrating because you would think they would be GRATEFULL in this day and age to have a serious sales lead on the lot. I hate to say it but we have looked at every manufacturer in the last few months and NO QUESTION the chevrolet dealers have insulted my intelligence and abilities more than any other HANDS DOWN.
That Lexus IS350 that my wife really wants as opposed to a Camaro is looking better every time I go to a Chevrolet dealership and get treated this way. I just left a dealership less than an hour ago, and it almost makes me root for the competition. Don't get me wrong, I have raced cars for almost 20 years (almost exclusively chevrolet) and am a fan of GM, and america. It just seems as if they don't care. If they don't care , I don't.
I acutally had to explain to the salesman tonight that I am the customer, and I expect to be treated as such, especially considering the economy we are experiencing, and the current state of the company he represented.
Sorry this was so long but it is truly painful to watch, all the way from the front line of the local dealership tonight to the oval office itself....

Thats part of the corporate tradition I was talking about. I think it comes from there size and the fact that they were top dog with little competition and they behave like that's the case today.

[v6sonoma]

I thought it was pretty much understood that he wouldn't be around for long. He was only going to stick around till they could find someone new. I think having stayed with them through the stickier bits it's probably right for him to move on. Hopefully they can find someone to bring hope and confidence back into the company. To bad though.

[UCF w00t]

Originally Posted by Coldpants

Mabe the solution to GM's problems would be to..."ducks for cover"... dissolve. Break back up into separate companies with there own (completely new) administration. Anyone who worked in GM admin anytime in the last 50 years would not be eligible to work in any of the new companies. And I don't mean just the top brass but a general culling of the current admin.

This would free the resulting companies to act faster than even the "new" GM. The new companies would be able to create new contracts all around and would be free of the corporate tradition that can strangle a company.

It seems this is the best way to go, the guys who have been put in charge so far just seem to be the same recycled crap continuing its steady downward march thorough market share.

A mass production car manufacturer relies on it's size and economies of scale to make cars cheaper. For example, where did the platform that the Camaro is based on come from? What about that engine? A split up GM would lose these sorts of things. Smaller, OK (they've done a lot of that already) but splitting it up would just make all the pieces fail.

[v6sonoma]

Originally Posted by Coldpants

if you get a PS2 and a random monitor from the same era they will not be compatible.

Funny thought a lot of people might think you meant the video game system and not a crappy old DOS pc with a green screen. lol

[Coldpants]

Originally Posted by v6sonoma

Funny thought a lot of people might think you meant the video game system and not a crappy old DOS pc with a green screen. lol

Green screen? Fancy I had one with a monochrome screen.

[Coldpants]

Originally Posted by UCF w00t

A mass production car manufacturer relies on it's size and economies of scale to make cars cheaper. For example, where did the platform that the Camaro is based on come from? What about that engine? A split up GM would lose these sorts of things. Smaller, OK (they've done a lot of that already) but splitting it up would just make all the pieces fail.

I see your point, a possible solution would be a holding company or a private equity firm to act like a credit union that the group could draw funds and resources from. At least the current admin down to middle middle management needs to go. Mabe turn the company into a cooperative and let the employees run it, although as a whole I think GM is too large for that.

[bobscogin]

Originally Posted by Milk 1027

Yes he is serious. There is a reason why we don't allow politics on this forum. So you either abide by the rules or you won't last too long here.

Duly noted. I know I sometimes get too worked up over this whole GM thing. It's hard, having been a diehard GM fan for over 45 years, to watch this icon of American industry die a slow death.

Bob

[CAM MAN]

Here we go again !!!

[tradosaurus]

I wonder what golden parachute Henderson gets?

[Coldpants]

I think GM sha gone bankrupt 3 or 4 times. Twice before its first 20 years. They should come out with a Undead version of the Camaro. Mabe Hunter green with rendered flesh accents.