So it got me wondering….
Wondering what all falls under the GM brand name? How much will
shutting down Pontiac really accomplish?
This list doesn’t necessarily count all versions or sub-models of GM
products available, but it’s an impressive list.
84 models just in this list, and this doesn’t count their overseas
operations in Australia, Britain or the orient. Many of these simply
have different branding on the same basic design, but that list would be
limited. And it seems to me they’ve all become so expensive that there
really isn’t a big difference between buying a Cadillac and a Chevy
anymore. I imagine you still pay a little more, but even many of the
bottom of the line cars are as much as I paid for my first house.
84 models (not counting sub-models). I wonder how many of each they
make in a year (I’m not going to look that up), average it across all
models. How many new drivers are introduced each year? How many
drivers retire (too old or die (old or young)) each year? How many
older cars are retired each year (scrapped or otherwise unusable)? Does
the production of just this one manufacturer supply enough to cover all
those conditions? Oh yea… probably so, but I don’t know for certain.
Now multiple this by: Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan……. I
think you get the idea.
To me, rail against unions as I might in some circles… this smacks of
corporate and shareholder greed more than anything else…. too many
models, too much diversity, too much dilution of product lines, and
over-saturating the market. I don’t know how to fix it, but I tell you
what I think….. if GM ends up in Bankruptcy, I see a few gems in here
that a third party could probably pick up, and if trimmed right and
managed right… could become a strong brand on it’s own. Same story
for Chrysler. What I mean by trimming, is removing some models from a
lineup, not nuking the entire brand.
Here is the list:
Read the rest of this entry »
Entries (RSS)