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Sad day in Australia GM killing off Holden

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  • #31
    In this time of change and talking about how times are changing a friend told me to watch a documentary called American Factory, It's about a Chinese automotive glass company reopening a closed GM plant in Ohio. It really shows the differences between the cultures and has you wondering where we are all going into the future.
    Tim
    Melbourne Australia

    65 Hardtop Impala, 70 GTS Monaro, 93 "80" Landcruiser

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    • #32
      Originally posted by cstmwgn View Post

      Thank god - I will be in advanced decay by then!
      suspect I'll be bench racing you then
      nom de guerre - arrowhead from joysey

      "They're no good for you. all they ever think about are cars" (GTO/Warren Oates) - Two Lane Blacktop

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      • #33
        Originally posted by 65RHDEER View Post
        In this time of change and talking about how times are changing a friend told me to watch a documentary called American Factory, It's about a Chinese automotive glass company reopening a closed GM plant in Ohio. It really shows the differences between the cultures and has you wondering where we are all going into the future.
        my - aunt mary ain't no Alfred Sloan having been gifted the company by Dan Akerson the legendary carpetbagging tool who was named CEO at the 2008 bankruptcy. His experience was running AT&T - a surely customer focused company. A more appropriate name change would be "Lil General Motors" as there does not appear to be any senior leaders with the cajones to take on challenges (no return on RHD vehicles really - I doubt SAIC Motors is pausing on that one).

        Comments from a GM fleet owner - all 5 in fact
        nom de guerre - arrowhead from joysey

        "They're no good for you. all they ever think about are cars" (GTO/Warren Oates) - Two Lane Blacktop

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        • #34
          Originally posted by Monster View Post
          Exactly.
          I think electric vehicles have their place, but at the end of the day it's about what does which device does the job more efficiently. Right now electric is hip and 'new' ... but there is not yet a good enough storage device to make electric vehicles good enough to replace the ICE. Add to the issue of power generation and electric is cute, but it's not a solution.
          Doing it all wrong since 1966

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          • #35
            Originally posted by >>>>head View Post

            my - aunt mary ain't no Alfred Sloan having been gifted the company by Dan Akerson the legendary carpetbagging tool who was named CEO at the 2008 bankruptcy. His experience was running AT&T - a surely customer focused company. A more appropriate name change would be "Lil General Motors" as there does not appear to be any senior leaders with the cajones to take on challenges (no return on RHD vehicles really - I doubt SAIC Motors is pausing on that one).

            Comments from a GM fleet owner - all 5 in fact
            politics in vehicle manufacturing.... doesn't belong. I'm a fan of Mary, she's make cars not headlines, not getting a donation payback, nor using it as a launch board for a political career....

            never lose sight of this - the government did nothing but save its own tail - it was 'save yourself from your stupid guarantee corp all while making the naive think you're saving jobs'... it was never about jobs, it was about getting a free auto company with purchase of the Guarantee Corp guaranty.

            to remind. Union pensions were guaranteed 100% by the US government. When GM, Ford and Chrysler were failing - it wasn't because they weren't profitable; it's they weren't profitable enough to cover the pensions. But the automakers had a plan, go bankrupt, then saddle the US taxpayer to pay those now-insolvent pensions. They come out the otherside without the profit drain. The only thing that kept that from happening was the government offered the manufacturers an out from ever increasing labor prices (and cheap loans) - GM and the rest (including Ford) got to drop the expensive workers, and fill those positions with cheaper labor... the unions got paid off because they got an ownership interest in the manufacturer..... but under all of that is that the US taxpayer would get nothing paying the pensions and instead got a talking point and ownership of the assets. The only people who really got screwed in all of this was the stockholder - which, in most minds, was a clever way of saying Wall Street... which was going under and had the hatred of US taxpayer....

            which brings us back to politics.... and the saddest part which is those who don't want to be informed....

            I still don't think that GM needed Holden - especially given how tightly GM and Toyota (are still) intertwined. Why make money building cars if you can make money selling patent uses? Best part is, with patents, you don't have the Prime Minister crying on TV .... and you don't have people yelling at you that somehow you owe the people a car with a specific badge. You drive a Toyota, and you might be surprised at how much GM is in that car.... all without the animosity.
            Doing it all wrong since 1966

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            • #36
              Originally posted by 65RHDEER View Post
              In this time of change and talking about how times are changing a friend told me to watch a documentary called American Factory, It's about a Chinese automotive glass company reopening a closed GM plant in Ohio. It really shows the differences between the cultures and has you wondering where we are all going into the future.
              there's a great video on YouTube about the Chinese buying a German steel mill, disassembling it, then reassembling that steel mill in China. I think it should be required watching for anyone who talks about how great cheap Chinese parts are.... that cheap comes at the health, environment and safety of the Chinese. I don't mind other countries coming to the US and giving it a go - because I know that no matter how 'cheap' they make it, there are fundamental requirements regarding health, environment and safety.

              Sometime if you want a fun watch - watch the history of the ownership of the Empire State Building in NY. The Japanese learned a very valuable lesson about arrogance in that deal - and its history is well known in Japan as a cautionary tale. (the tl;dr - the Japanese bought the empire state building for 300 million and sold it for 60 - not sure the numbers but it was that kind of loss - they wanted a trophy, to show the world how great they were, didn't quite work out that way)....
              Doing it all wrong since 1966

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              • #37
                I have fond memories of cheering the Holden's on at Supercars on Mount Panorama.

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by Monster View Post
                  I have fond memories of cheering the Holden's on at Supercars on Mount Panorama.

                  I've never been to see the race live but this was the first one I watched start to finish with a group of mates when I was a young teenager.



                  Tim
                  Melbourne Australia

                  65 Hardtop Impala, 70 GTS Monaro, 93 "80" Landcruiser

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                  • #39
                    Great stuff ... my first was 1990 and Holden won with their VL Commodore SS. Peter Brock came fourth in a Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth.

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                    • #40
                      That VL was a sharp looking car. a few memories for you...



                      I'm a Larry Perkins fan, he finished 3rd in 90 also in a Holden. He was the team owner, hands on engineered/built and drove this car.

                      Tim
                      Melbourne Australia

                      65 Hardtop Impala, 70 GTS Monaro, 93 "80" Landcruiser

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Originally posted by SuperBuickGuy View Post

                        I think electric vehicles have their place, but at the end of the day it's about what does which device does the job more efficiently. Right now electric is hip and 'new' ... but there is not yet a good enough storage device to make electric vehicles good enough to replace the ICE. Add to the issue of power generation and electric is cute, but it's not a solution.
                        I agree. And oddly enough the same thing that I have always said about round-a-bouts. They have their place. But not in the middle of a highway that has a 60mph speed limit crossing a very lightly traveled access road.
                        ...when you got a fast car, you think you've got everything.

                        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpvfmSL6WkM

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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by 67 Malibu View Post

                          I agree. And oddly enough the same thing that I have always said about round-a-bouts. They have their place. But not in the middle of a highway that has a 60mph speed limit crossing a very lightly traveled access road.
                          was just watching something on YouTube where he's touring a farm in Western Australia - the farm is 117 square MILES... electric has no business out there -either as personal transport or as farm machinery.
                          Doing it all wrong since 1966

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                          • #43
                            City cars are different from country cars, particularly since airline prices, gas prices and rental prices have made road trip vacations obsolete. When I first came to L.A. and was car shopping I asked an owner about cruise control. He said "I guess it has it. I've never used it.". Like people most cars live in or near cities. The time for electric is here.
                            My hobby is needing a hobby.

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