It probably seems like I pick on GM a lot. It’s not because they’re the Big Dog or that I don’t like them. I’ve been a fan of GM since I was a toddler and I have agonized for them as their market share has slipped over the years to a historical new low.
During the late sixties and seventies, I drove Chevys and Pontiacs. During the eighties I drove nothing but Oldsmobiles. I currently drive a Cadillac STS and I don’t think I’ve ever driven a car that I liked as much as this one.
However, I do get frustrated with GM. I heard last month that Cadillac would be bringing out a four banger vehicle in 2010. I saw this as a knee-jerk reaction to the “gas crisis” and I was sure this turkey would never fly. But now, it looks like they may actually go ahead with it.
In today’s Automotive News, there was a great article by senior editor John K. Teahen, Jr., who is old and may even know more stuff than me. To sum up his article, he says, “Get real, GM. Nobody’s gonna buy it”! He reminds us of the Cimarron that Cadillac brought out in the early eighties. Jim suggests that they call it the Cimarron II.
You do remember the Cimarron don’t you? Oh, you don’t? That’s OK. It was quite forgettable. It was a previous knee-jerk reaction to the fuel-efficient imports that were flooding our shores. The Cimarron was basically a Chevy sub-compact with Cadillac stickers on it. I remember watching people’s reaction the first time they saw one. They would walk up to it, give it a quick glance, look at the window sticker, and laugh out loud. I was embarrassed for GM.
One thing I do know is that Cadillac has always been about “image”. Image sells and image needs to be protected. Lose it and it’s hard to get back.
I recently had dinner with a GM executive who I’ve known for about thirty years. I asked him about GM’s tenuous future. He told me, “Not to worry! We’ve got some great products in the pipeline and I’m feeling very optimistic about our future”! I smiled and said, “That is good news”.
During the late sixties and seventies, I drove Chevys and Pontiacs. During the eighties I drove nothing but Oldsmobiles. I currently drive a Cadillac STS and I don’t think I’ve ever driven a car that I liked as much as this one.
However, I do get frustrated with GM. I heard last month that Cadillac would be bringing out a four banger vehicle in 2010. I saw this as a knee-jerk reaction to the “gas crisis” and I was sure this turkey would never fly. But now, it looks like they may actually go ahead with it.
In today’s Automotive News, there was a great article by senior editor John K. Teahen, Jr., who is old and may even know more stuff than me. To sum up his article, he says, “Get real, GM. Nobody’s gonna buy it”! He reminds us of the Cimarron that Cadillac brought out in the early eighties. Jim suggests that they call it the Cimarron II.
You do remember the Cimarron don’t you? Oh, you don’t? That’s OK. It was quite forgettable. It was a previous knee-jerk reaction to the fuel-efficient imports that were flooding our shores. The Cimarron was basically a Chevy sub-compact with Cadillac stickers on it. I remember watching people’s reaction the first time they saw one. They would walk up to it, give it a quick glance, look at the window sticker, and laugh out loud. I was embarrassed for GM.
One thing I do know is that Cadillac has always been about “image”. Image sells and image needs to be protected. Lose it and it’s hard to get back.
I recently had dinner with a GM executive who I’ve known for about thirty years. I asked him about GM’s tenuous future. He told me, “Not to worry! We’ve got some great products in the pipeline and I’m feeling very optimistic about our future”! I smiled and said, “That is good news”.
I considered giving him the link to my blog, but I do value his friendship and besides his parting words were, “Hey John, when you’re ready for an ’09 STS, let me know and I’ll get you another executive plan discount”.
OK, So who am I to make trouble?
OK, So who am I to make trouble?
0 comments:
Post a Comment