Rebuttal Letter from Ed Wellburn regarding GM's design direction

[trm0002]

Originally Posted by McGruff

I know GM makes good cars...I'm buying one of them. Most people here know that. I just don't think words from GM will change public opinion, the cars and reviews will have to do the talking. That is just my opinion though. It would have been a one-time post had I not been insulted.



Stuff like that is just immature, especially as a mod, which made me defend myself. I voiced my opinion but did not make fun of any particular person when doing so. Please do not single people out in the future for having different opinions by calling them trolls and laughing at them if you're going to be a neutral moderator for the forum, it sets a bad example.

Please... GTAHVIT being immature? He did add a in case you didn't notice. You need thicker skin around these parts. We ALL play around IN JEST here. As far as your opinion, of course you are welcome to it.

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by McGruff

I know GM makes good cars...I'm buying one of them. Most people here know that. I just don't think words from GM will change public opinion, the cars and reviews will have to do the talking. That is just my opinion though. It would have been a one-time post had I not been insulted.



Stuff like that is just immature, especially as a mod, which made me defend myself. I voiced my opinion but did not make fun of any particular person when doing so. Please do not single people out in the future for having different opinions by calling them trolls and laughing at them if you're going to be a neutral moderator for the forum, it sets a bad example.

Try looking at the rebuttal from a different perspective. GM isn't trying to change opinions by arguing. Design is far too personal and subjective to argue superiority in that field for the most part. Instead, GM is reinforcing opinions of its core enthusiast community. By rallying us, the enthusiasts, GM draws attention to its base, the community that ever-presently supports its products for function as well as form. In the field of design, like performance, GM has traditions. The logos have barely changed in nearly every brand. The cars have signatures: Cadillac fins that have returned in the CTS tail lights, Pontiac split grills, the muscular lines of a RWD Chevrolet that exhibit themselves over the rear wheels of our beloved Camaro.

It isn't that GM feels compelled to prove the blogger wrong in order to convince others that he is wrong. How many will even read this? Enthusiasts like us at Camaro5 will read it. We'll buzz about it for pages. Someone will notice us talking in a random search engine result, and that someone may find reason to think that GM may have changed since the bad old days of their dying Geo Prizm. That 1 person might consider GM over someone else, not because some executive angrily posted, "You're wrong!" in response to some biased article but rather because some executive in charge of design felt compelled to take pride in his work. How dare he take pride in the world's automotive champion!

I digress.

GTAHVIT felt that you were trolling. I'm sure he meant little or no harm except to encourage you not to post negatively. There's been plenty of that lately, and he probably didn't enjoy seeing it in this thread, a thread with such positive roots. While I'm sure he didn't mean to single you out, I want to point out that rules on this site do not forbid us from being held accountable for our posts. If I say something commendable, I hope to be held in respect for it. If I post nonsense, I'm sure the opposite is true. I'm sure he meant no harm.

Fbodfather, can you get Ed Wellburn on here to so that he can read our support? I'm sure he'd like to know that we're all behind him.

[Gentry78]

[Shifty 6]

Umm If I say bad things about GM can I have a personal tour from Ed?

[trm0002]

Originally Posted by trm0002

"...I would be happy to take you, Mr. Sindell, on a personal tour

of GM Design Headquarters in Warren, MI. I implore you to see what we’re

working on; and then let folks know what you think..."



So, if I say the Buick Lacrosse sucks can I get the personal tour?

Originally Posted by Shifty 6

Umm If I say bad things about GM can I have a personal tour from Ed?

Brilliant minds think alike.

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by McGruff

I know GM makes good cars...I'm buying one of them. Most people here know that. I just don't think words from GM will change public opinion, the cars and reviews will have to do the talking. That is just my opinion though. It would have been a one-time post had I not been insulted.



Stuff like that is just immature, especially as a mod, which made me defend myself. I voiced my opinion but did not make fun of any particular person when doing so. Please do not single people out in the future for having different opinions by calling them trolls and laughing at them if you're going to be a neutral moderator for the forum, it sets a bad example.

I didn't insult you. Nor have I deleted or edited any of your posts. And you knew that your original post was going against the grain of this thread and therefore you knew it was going to upset some of us.

I was being honest about how difficult it is at times to be patient and honor that you posted your honest feelings whether they pissed me off or not. I'm not perfect and so I felt like expressing how difficult it is at times to lay off the edit or delete button... Just as you expressed how difficult it is to see the value in Mr. Welburn's letter.

You and I can argue what a troll is all day long. Just as you say that Mr. Welburn's letter will do little to change public opinion, I say I won't convince you that you were trolling.

And I think if you you'd take a deep breath and calm down for a minute you'd see that I was trying to be funny with the other members that attacked you to diffuse the situation that you caused with your original post. My hope was that it wouldn't get out of hand. What you are failing to realize is you ruined a perfectly good and positive thread. And you knew you were doing it. Maybe you should have been the bigger man and just left without posting your feelings which were obviously contradictory to the intent of this thread...

If you'd like to continue this conversation send me a PM, we can finish it there.

Back on topic folks.

Thanks,

Chris

[PieNsky]

In his rebuttal, his words about how feelings arise from a design ring true.
My first car was a matador red 1968 Camaro with Cragars S/S. I truly loved that car. I see those same lines in the 2010 and await its arrival. And yes, its a Victory red Camaro.

[z06invb]

You have to assume that morale at GM is not exactly at an all time high right now. A lot of folks have been beating up on them. Sometimes deserved and sometimes not. But a good leader has to look out for his people. This was probably written as much for his own people and to show the support he has for them as much as it was to respond to this tools rant. He send the message loud and clear that he supports his team and he has confidence and pride in what they do. The side effect is the fact that we are talking about it. His rebuttal will make the rounds and keep GM in conversation in a positive light.

There was no downside to what he did here.

[Shifty 6]

Originally Posted by trm0002

Brilliant minds think alike.

Amen to that!

[dragon22]

Originally Posted by CWIweldace

His letter was anything but a waste of time. He is standing up for GM and his own department and design team. He is making an attempt at educating a moron. You would sit back an make no rebuttal? Allow a ignorant person to continue to sway public opinion based on his perdeption of GM?

I could not have said this any better myself. It had to be done and it was done VERY well.