GM Delays Nearly All New Product Development For 2009/2010

[Sprint XR8]

Multiple sources familiar with GM's product plans have said that in order to save cash at the struggling auto giant, nearly all new product development activities slated for 2009 and 2010 have been postponed.
The only exceptions are vehicles that are seen as critical to the company's image (the Chevrolet Volt and Camaro) and products whose development work is basically complete already.
http://www.autosavant.com/2008/10/29...2009-and-2010/

[Cobra]

I wonder where this leaves the next Commodore mdoel?

[BigAL_250]

Hopefully two more years behind Ford.

[Fairlane]

The death of GM. Every car company in its deathroes need to have on last throw of the dice and produce brilliant models (or atleast borrow someone elses) and come back from the edge and it does happen.

Companies that try to buy time and build next years model on the one from 3 years ago die- I can see GM being the next Studebaker.

[ZC001]

So what do they do with all the employees that would have been doing the cancelled development work ? I doubt they'll pay them to sit around and do nothing for a year....

[mik]

it`s sort of ironic is`nt it the greedy oil giants have basicly, put the car companies on the verge of bankruptcy with their exorbitant prices, now most car companies that are still sovent are building econo cars and hybrids mostly , and it looks like in the not too distant future we will be seeing lots of electric cars, they will be selling not much oil in 20 year`s time i reckon, their own greed will bite them on the kyber pass .

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by mik

it`s sort of ironic is`nt it the greedy oil giants have basicly, put the car companies on the verge of bankruptcy with their exorbitant prices, now most car companies that are still sovent are building econo cars and hybrids mostly , and it looks like in the not too distant future we will be seeing lots of electric cars, they will be selling not much oil in 20 year`s time i reckon, their own greed will bite them on the kyber pass .

So what's the definition of irony? :

[outback_ute]

Originally Posted by ZC001

So what do they do with all the employees that would have been doing the cancelled development work ? I doubt they'll pay them to sit around and do nothing for a year....

The majority would be employed on contracts

[Nikked]

So what does this mean? GM is going under? Or is it leading to a reshuffle within the brand. (Selling off names, triming line ups etc)?

[Sprint XR8]

It looks like GM sales have crashed in october.
In october 2007 GM sold 229,294 vehicles, the sales target for october 2008 was 175,989 vehicles,with only one day left in the month sales had only reached 89,961 vehicles.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aml9V5H0x0Zw

[Jayden]

Ouch. snookered themselves.

Cant see them pulling themselves out of ground zero to be honest, unless the volt is spectacular and puts all the other euro and japanese hybrids to shame for a long time.

But im sure it wont stay ahead long.

I wish I was the CEO of Ford US or GM US. Unlike them I could appoint my employees to make a proper and consistent line up of cars without compulsively recycling old parts that have become inferior.

[OzJavelin]

I'll save some room for you Ford and GM guys at the "orphans" section of car shows - you can hang out with long dead likes of AMC, Studebaker, Packard, DeSoto, Plymouth, etc. Sounds like GM, Ford and Chrysler probably won't be long for this world the way they are going ..

I wonder who owns the rights to the name "American Motors Corporation" (AMC) now? Maybe GM + Ford + Chrysler should combine to become AMC?

[ltd]

Was on a layover last week in the USA, and the story making the news is that GM and Chrysler are after 11 billion from the US government to help them merge. Further, it was reported by industry sources that it was a bit rich considering that the US government had already given 10 billion to help US auto makers make more economical cars. The holding company of chrysler is apparently cashed up though, so a refusal from the senate will still not hold it back. I don't think it will be too long before we see GM Chrysler.