GM to merge (take over) with Chrysler?

[cruiser647]

BBC NEWS | Business | GM and Chrysler 'in merger talks'

Not sure this will really work. Lots of redundancies, lots of factories to close, lots of ugly cars, both companies loosing money hand over fist, no real direction........However, the choise of doing nothing might see both go under. Ford's probably not in such good health either.
But I suppose the US would not 'like' or 'allow' a foreign firm to buy GM. Chrysler? No euro firm would touch it after the mess it made of Merc's figures

GM would need to do a lot of scrapping of models. Like the Sebring, Avenger, Cruiser oh, the whole line-up!
Hope GM find out if Chrysler have any pensioner health money pits!

[Mook]

Excellent - that'll mean only one big feck off American company making sh*t cars, rather than two

[D1MAC]

Originally Posted by Mook

Excellent - that'll mean only one big feck off American company making sh*t cars, rather than two

Plus one company to go spectacularly bankrupt rather than 2!
Daimler got shut of Chrysler at least partly because it was dragging them down financially so what hope (apart from Bob's) have the ever so slightly less profitable GM got

[theduisbergkid]

I used to follow this very closely in my Automotive days, please indulge my minor rant...

The thing is, the major US car manufacturers are incapable of making bold, decisive decisions. The continue to do business the 'old way' and cross their fingers that the financial mire will go away, that they can suddenly create demand where there is none, and operate more profitbly that the japs etc. They should bite the bullet now, which means closing half of their plants globally (I'm referring to GM and Ford here) as they're all under capacity with no sign of demand improving, and cross their fingers that the US government will help with pensions and redundancies etc. Their hole is getting ever deeper. The timing is good to do this now. They need to inject some fresh blood higher up the tree while they're all it. I recall visiting the Hummer H2 plant when it newly opened, fancy opening a plant for a single 'fashion' model, never reached anything like capacity, never would. Its closed now by the way. They need to stop selling 'the American way', ie, lots of toys stuck on old technology, sold on credit and get some (pref US) designers in who can inspire the Yanks to drive something other than easily bettered thirsty trucks and wobbly fat saloons. Japs do it soo much better now. Sounds a tall order ? It ain't going to get any better working the way they do, time for a change. They like torquey cars right ? Get a decent diesels into Nascar or one of the other 'iconic' major US race series, encourage a few rednecks to try something different (and cheaper to run than the F150 et al). Think Audi at Le Mans... Stop putting 'Yank' badges on foreign cars in foreign markets, (Daewoo/Chevvy anyone ? Old Merc/Chrysler ? No ?), none of this is profitable. Instead take the best of non-US technology and slap a yank badge on it, sell it domestically. Saab 95 ? Right up their street with a 'GM' US badge on it. Signum ? Do the same. The Mustang showed the US can do things differently (and profitably), so they can do it, but I doubt they actually will.

Me ? I don't give a fig, there are enough 'good/interesting' manufacturers out there to give us Europeans plenty of choice without resorting to GM/Chrysler stuff. Oh, and it might do Saab some good in a roundabout fashion.

Bloody hell, did I just post in 'work mode' again ?

[Mook]

Agree, Rich, although my understanding is that the car companies can't just close down plants because of the ludicrous union hold over them.

Doubtless something to do with past corruption (shock horror, as if anyone could even suggest such a thing)...

[theduisbergkid]

Originally Posted by Mook

Agree, Rich, although my understanding is that the car companies can't just close down plants because of the ludicrous union hold over them.

Doubtless something to do with past corruption (shock horror, as if anyone could even suggest such a thing)...

This thing is bigger than the unions though. They need to 'do a Maggie' to sort it out, as unpopular as that might be. The corrupt Union thing is actually more prevalent over here (Think VW/Brazilian hookers) than the US.

[cruiser647]

Originally Posted by Mook

Agree, Rich, although my understanding is that the car companies can't just close down plants because of the ludicrous union hold over them.

Doubtless something to do with past corruption (shock horror, as if anyone could even suggest such a thing)...

It is a 'Change the company with us or the company dies' type thing. Most of the time, the unions and members elect to die thinking the company will survive and all will be OK. Think of BL..............
Depends upon the education of the workers I suppose........

[Mook]

But that was Govt intervention - (at the minute) the US Govt hasn't got much to do with ownership of the car companies - or has it...?

[Mook]

Originally Posted by cruiser647

I
Depends upon the education of the workers I suppose........

That'll be feck all then - it's the "we've got the right to have a job here forever, because we're from the land of the free" concept and all that bollox.

[theduisbergkid]

Originally Posted by cruiser647

It is a 'Change the company with us or the company dies' type thing. Most of the time, the unions and members elect to die thinking the company will survive and all will be OK. Think of BL..............
Depends upon the education of the workers I suppose........

Agree 100% Cruiser. And they will die.

Mook, what do you know about Unions, I thought you only employed Serfs on your sprawling estate