do some research drsmetal. gm took a lot of heat for putting the ev1 on the road and the auto industry as a WHOLE convinced california (which was were the ev1 was introduced) to change their emission regulations.. so dont blame gm for getting rid of it
I remember seeing a study by GM about how car buyers would ask about MPG of the cars they're looking at, but didn't really know what the numbers meant or what a good number was, hence that was not a factor for them to improve on. Guess they know now, all it took was ~$5 gallon for a few years to educate them
Well my 89 Toyota Corolla is going absolutely great here in the UK! I am sure it will until Peak Oil 2013 appears and we all move away from smelly, poluting, expensive, internal combustion engined cars to something more up to date to suit the age. But GM have never had a clue what they are doing ...
This was an awesome blog, Tom & I have favorited it. I am a MAJOR car nut & can really relate to what you were saying. Up until I was 5 years old in 1984, my parents owned a navy blue 1977 Chevrolet Concours which, if you remember, was basically a fancier version of the Nova. Well, I could write you a novel on the problems that we had with that piece of shit! Not the least of qhich was that it had some persistent bug in th electrical system or a bad alternator (cont'd)
That would cause the battery to die every 2 weeks or so. To this day, whenever I listen to "Car Talk", I can not help screaming at my radio whenever a listener will call in with a problem with an American car "It's a Chevy, Ford, Chrysler,etc. that's what wrong with it!" Thank goodness my father's 1980 Honda Civic 1500DX 5-Speed Hatchback saved the day every time. It was rusty as hell when he sold it but that motor would not die! By the way, that is a GORGEOUS A6 you have there!
Nice Blog Tom. It's really really simple at the core - make cool reliable vehicles that people WANT. FAIL.
I could never figure out why GM didn't have their GREAT European vehicles on sale in the US - Vauxhall, Opel, etc. We are JUST starting to see that now with the Saturn Astra which is a "Vauxhall/Opel" model in Europe. They should immediately bring in the Vauxhall Corsa (little car) to satisfy demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Will they?.....you can bet your life not! That's just too bad!
I'm a car-buff in my 20s and grew up seeing my family's japanese cars trouble-free while my fathers GM cars would choke. I drive an acura.
I doubt GM will go bankrupt. Their implementation of that new warranty is proof that they're serious about making huge gains in quality. On top of this, they've been so desperate that they've been taking "risks" by creating some very good looking cars.
I used to love TOY & Honda but, to me, they represent mediocrity in style and that's a shame.
Even if replacement was necessary (and I'll have to check with my many friends who have been driving a Prius for years, LOVE the car and never mentioned having to replace the batter pack yet)I'd STILL rather spend my money on a battery pack than giving anymore profit to the oil companies!
I had my Dad's first new car for my driving debut~ a '64 Ford Galaxie 500 that was converted to a manual stick. It won all the races ;) I know someone who bought a brand new Prius, and within the first month she had a tire blowout that caused it to roll off the highway on a bright sunny day. She walked away with only a scratch~ the car is totaled. (No drugs or alcohol involved) Amazingly sad~!
I am looking forward to picking up my 2009 Toyota Prius in a couple of months after owning nothing but Chryslers my entire adult life. It's sad, but in this economy, the money spent on a new vehicle has to be a carefully considered, long term investment. It is an end of an era - in many ways - for the American car industry. As always, great video Tom!
Right after I got my license to drive I went with my Grand Father and his brother to go see another brother that was like 100 miles away. He let me drive his new 1976 Cadillac. It was the first time I got to really drive a car. We came back at night had no idea what and where I was going. He just kept saying. "You can go faster" I was already speeding. All three are gone now. Thanks for bring up a fond memory...MIKMA WAS HERE
My husband is a designer for GM. For years he has tried to change the look of GM cars. There is a inside joke among many of the designers that GM only produces ugly cars.. Old man cars..
We only buy American Cars. We currently have 2 Chrysler cars.
Well, that's interesting. I came to know Jerry Hirschberg, head of US design for Nissan USA, fairly well. Stayed at his home. His design studio certainly wasn't interested in anything that had the whiff of "old man" to it. What do you think of your Chryslers?
Excellent video, Tom. Your walks through history I'm always especially fond of.
As a North American and as an engineer, I am very optimistic of the future though. What's happening to GM is disheartening and scary for those connected to the company but it's actually quite "normal" when such an evolutionary disruption occurs.
There will be American auto workers producing great products in the future. But they'll be working for Toyota et al.
All great civilizations eventually decline as we have learned from the past. The decline does not usually happen in the blink of an eye but gradually usually over many decades, which looking back can seem like overnight. Many are saying that America has had its greatness last century and contributed greatly to all of human kind. However the USA seems to be losing leadership in the world as can be seen through a variety of channels including economic, political, and moral influence.
I wrote a bunch and realized I don't really know anything beyond my own impressions. I feel strongly that domestic car companies sell cars by doing two things: inspiring false confidence in a large portion of the buyers, and being no worse than any other domestic automaker. A super-reliable design that's ok on gas seems the right choice. Decades later, they still re-package the same inferior stuff. I just don't understand why they think that's cheaper.
I was just reading this morning that Toyota, starting in 2010, is going to start making their Prius model here in the States. At the same time, they will be reducing production of the Tundra and an SUV model because, big surprise, the American people are starting to have a tremendous desire for fuel efficient cars.
Don't they say 'innovate or die'? For me that sums up why some car manufacturers are going strong and some are failing. However, Fiat have managed a dramatic turnaround so there is a chance for the Big 3 if they are prepared to make the tough choices necessary.
Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky plant is a beacon of modern manufacturing and management, Peter. The workers there are, by all reports, extremely happy. This just shows what smart people can do when they're led by enlightened leaders. Thanks.
LOL! Interesting nostalgia, Tom. I learned to drive in a 56 Caddy, a sedan Deville. And yeah, during that era, every make and every model were absolutely identifiable, even from a distance. Now, they all look the same, and at times you can't even identify an emblem.
That's a good take on GM, and the way they dropped the ball. Can they regain a bite on the market, or is it too late? Personally, if I were buying new today, it'd most likely be Japanese.
No doubt about it: boring cars killed both GM and Ford. Chrysler killed itself by other means. Those Toyota pickups last forever. In the 60s you'd have been shot for driving one of those in many parts of the US. Today, they're everywhere. Great vehicles.
When you compare GM's stock price today with the 1950s, is that adjusting for splits? I would expect there were some splits during 60s and 70s, when the price was still going up. Although if I had to guess, I would say that the effect of inflation probably outweighed the effect of stock splits, so maybe in real terms, GM stock is even cheaper today than in the 50s.
BTW my wife and I have a 1998 Saturn, which we're quite happy with, but I know Saturn is out of the mainstream for GM.
Several accounts call this lowest adjusted (inflation and splits) stock price since 1954. Saturn proves that GM could have done things differently, but didn't. Which makes current circumstances even sadder, imo. Thanks.
Personally Tom, I think the downfall of GM can be summed up to pure incompetence at the highest level. Instead of responding to market conditions, the company tried in vain to change the market which was a very stupid and pompous thing to do. They had 30 years to respond appropriately and massivly failed. The sad thing is that if they go bankrupt some of the a holes running the company will be handsomely rewarded for being fools.
Well, I tend to agree but the financial burdens of health care and pensions were huge. Losing market share was the coup de grace, however. Top execs always profit, regardless of performance. It's the way of the capitalist world. Thanks.
Sad isn't it? My first car was a 77' civic and it was bullet proof although it was rusted all to hell and the front fenders flapped when ya drove. I think GM has made a lot of major improvements and have learned.. Actually now might be a good time to buy stock should they go hydrogen. Guess I'm one fo the last with "I believe"
GM has certainly made impressive gains recently. Volt, etc. Too little too late? I'm afraid so. May not go bankrupt but will never be what it once was. Sad.
When I'm in Manhattan, so do I. Most of the US is spread out in ways that demand automobiles...we built our suburbs and exurbs around cars. Hard to change those patterns when they're baked into the geography.
Fascinating vlog today Tom. It really is sad to see the predicament that GM is in and they have only themselves to blame. I'm a big fan of Bob Lutz and like what he's done with the product lineup. In the end, I do think GM will survive and remake itself. I told someone just last week that you could probably buy GM stock sometime this year and get rich off it. I'm afraid I don't have the guts to buy it though. How about you? -Jim
I think it's very sad. Lutz is a great designer and an outstanding executive. Of course, he was out of GM for decades. As for buying that stock, I'm afraid I don't have that kind of faith in them right now. Probably dumb, but...
Is there really such a thing as an "American car" these days? What's more American, a Volvo (imported by a company owned by Ford) or a Toyota (built in California by a Japanese company)? Is it the ownership or the labor that makes it American? Even the most "Authentically American" cars (assembled in Detroit by American owned companies) include at least 10% components manufactured in Canada or Mexico.
All that southern CT helicopter traffic is finding it's way north... I love my VW Beetle, 196,600+ miles, plenty of torque, 43-52mpg, huge ammounts of front seat head room and it's really fun to drive. I could go on for hours about what the big three idiots have done to American trucks... Don't these people ever drive in the real world?
Tom, I really enjoy your videos. This one is another in a series of really good work. This perspective about ignoring customers is just so spot on. Great work.
I still joke about Saturn. A company GM started in order to produce cars of equal quality and price as the Japanese models. By the early 90's they actually did it - they produced cars of equal quality and price as the Japanese models - of the early 80's.
do some research drsmetal. gm took a lot of heat for putting the ev1 on the road and the auto industry as a WHOLE convinced california (which was were the ev1 was introduced) to change their emission regulations.. so dont blame gm for getting rid of it
SuperLauren1988 2 years ago
Just like when GM ignored the customers who owned the EV1 that wanted to keep them. Everyone you should check out: Who killed the electric?
DRSmetal 2 years ago
I remember seeing a study by GM about how car buyers would ask about MPG of the cars they're looking at, but didn't really know what the numbers meant or what a good number was, hence that was not a factor for them to improve on. Guess they know now, all it took was ~$5 gallon for a few years to educate them
realcrunchyfrog 3 years ago
Is that a tank behind you?
gonjamon99 3 years ago
Well my 89 Toyota Corolla is going absolutely great here in the UK! I am sure it will until Peak Oil 2013 appears and we all move away from smelly, poluting, expensive, internal combustion engined cars to something more up to date to suit the age. But GM have never had a clue what they are doing ...
gunsandroses1111 3 years ago
NICE CAR
xjw3789 3 years ago
Lesson number one GM: listen to the customers
Toopax 3 years ago
How are you doing the sound... have you gone hi-tech on us.
renetto 3 years ago
Ah, you caught that, eh? Well, I've had these lavaliere mics for a while and this was a perfect opportunity to use one!
tlg847 3 years ago
Love your car... I want one. Next... I want to see the house!
renetto 3 years ago
We'll need to get security clearance before showing the residence!
tlg847 3 years ago
Shiny Car Shinier Legs! lol
geezerart 3 years ago
Hey...missed this one, Freida! Yup, real shiny car! 8^) Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
This was an awesome blog, Tom & I have favorited it. I am a MAJOR car nut & can really relate to what you were saying. Up until I was 5 years old in 1984, my parents owned a navy blue 1977 Chevrolet Concours which, if you remember, was basically a fancier version of the Nova. Well, I could write you a novel on the problems that we had with that piece of shit! Not the least of qhich was that it had some persistent bug in th electrical system or a bad alternator (cont'd)
landyachtfan79 3 years ago
That would cause the battery to die every 2 weeks or so. To this day, whenever I listen to "Car Talk", I can not help screaming at my radio whenever a listener will call in with a problem with an American car "It's a Chevy, Ford, Chrysler,etc. that's what wrong with it!" Thank goodness my father's 1980 Honda Civic 1500DX 5-Speed Hatchback saved the day every time. It was rusty as hell when he sold it but that motor would not die! By the way, that is a GORGEOUS A6 you have there!
landyachtfan79 3 years ago
Thanks...I do love my A6!
tlg847 3 years ago
Sorry I missed this. Yes, in the 70s, I had a Nova too. What a disaster. Electrical system was, as you say, possessed.
tlg847 3 years ago
Nice Blog Tom. It's really really simple at the core - make cool reliable vehicles that people WANT. FAIL.
I could never figure out why GM didn't have their GREAT European vehicles on sale in the US - Vauxhall, Opel, etc. We are JUST starting to see that now with the Saturn Astra which is a "Vauxhall/Opel" model in Europe. They should immediately bring in the Vauxhall Corsa (little car) to satisfy demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Will they?.....you can bet your life not! That's just too bad!
morfeene2 3 years ago
Sorry I missed this, Steve. Yes, that always puzzled me as well. Terrific cars in Europe, junk over here. Something else I don't understand. Thanks!
tlg847 3 years ago
ps. too bad you didnt post this in autos & vehicles as i may have found it sooner.
JasonERF 3 years ago
I'm a car-buff in my 20s and grew up seeing my family's japanese cars trouble-free while my fathers GM cars would choke. I drive an acura.
I doubt GM will go bankrupt. Their implementation of that new warranty is proof that they're serious about making huge gains in quality. On top of this, they've been so desperate that they've been taking "risks" by creating some very good looking cars.
I used to love TOY & Honda but, to me, they represent mediocrity in style and that's a shame.
JasonERF 3 years ago
Great video as ever. The customer is King. Buck their desires at your peril.
periurban 3 years ago
30 years ago a President installed Solar Panels on the Whitehouse-a visionary who foresaw the seriousness of the energy crisis...
Just think how far technology would have progressed with a wiser energy policy; Electric and Solar power-less dependency on oil.
5 stars*****Time to look at the past to gain insight into the future...
question? " Who Killed The Electric Street Car? "
yorkiebell 3 years ago
It just goes to show that America is slipping down the tubes, and to that I say, good riddance.
Sparkanoid1 3 years ago
When a country becomes the most powerful on Earth the people of that country have a right to be a little bit cocky but the Yanks just make me sick.
Sparkanoid1 3 years ago
Just came around watching your video - very interesting as always!
PalpitatioCordis 3 years ago
Even if replacement was necessary (and I'll have to check with my many friends who have been driving a Prius for years, LOVE the car and never mentioned having to replace the batter pack yet)I'd STILL rather spend my money on a battery pack than giving anymore profit to the oil companies!
New2UToob 3 years ago
I had my Dad's first new car for my driving debut~ a '64 Ford Galaxie 500 that was converted to a manual stick. It won all the races ;) I know someone who bought a brand new Prius, and within the first month she had a tire blowout that caused it to roll off the highway on a bright sunny day. She walked away with only a scratch~ the car is totaled. (No drugs or alcohol involved) Amazingly sad~!
MomAngel7 3 years ago
My first car(in 1986)was a 1979 Chevy Vega - No good memories here.
dabbuhl 3 years ago
The last year for the Vega was '77. Are you sure it wasn't a Monza.
landyachtfan79 3 years ago
I learned to drive with a 1934 Chevrolet, and my first automobile was a 1950 Ford Convertible. I sold the Ford for $25.00 :-)
Frank
ockteby 3 years ago
I am looking forward to picking up my 2009 Toyota Prius in a couple of months after owning nothing but Chryslers my entire adult life. It's sad, but in this economy, the money spent on a new vehicle has to be a carefully considered, long term investment. It is an end of an era - in many ways - for the American car industry. As always, great video Tom!
New2UToob 3 years ago
Everyone I know who has a Prius loves them. Cars are a huge investment and people simply won't spend their money on junk anymore. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Once again another very interesting video. Nice car by the way! Cheers Tom.
longwayrounder 3 years ago
Thanks. Yes, it's a beauty.
tlg847 3 years ago
Right after I got my license to drive I went with my Grand Father and his brother to go see another brother that was like 100 miles away. He let me drive his new 1976 Cadillac. It was the first time I got to really drive a car. We came back at night had no idea what and where I was going. He just kept saying. "You can go faster" I was already speeding. All three are gone now. Thanks for bring up a fond memory...MIKMA WAS HERE
mikma 3 years ago
Great story, Mike. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Well said, Tom. Your videos are always well thought out and educational.
Mikerochip1 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Much appreciated. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Very good video. GM, the company, has always facinated me.
iLOVEsarrycrey 3 years ago
Thanks, Mike. Hi to Sarry.
tlg847 3 years ago
Well, oddly, we're going to be up in your neck of the woods (Cambridge? hope not Provincetown.) for a few days starting Sunday. Might work?
tlg847 3 years ago
My husband is a designer for GM. For years he has tried to change the look of GM cars. There is a inside joke among many of the designers that GM only produces ugly cars.. Old man cars..
We only buy American Cars. We currently have 2 Chrysler cars.
Cmkrug 3 years ago
Well, that's interesting. I came to know Jerry Hirschberg, head of US design for Nissan USA, fairly well. Stayed at his home. His design studio certainly wasn't interested in anything that had the whiff of "old man" to it. What do you think of your Chryslers?
tlg847 3 years ago
I really want to meet your sister! Karen and I LOL'd over your comment. xoxo
tlg847 3 years ago
Finally, the recognition I deserve! And long for...
tlg847 3 years ago
Excellent video, Tom. Your walks through history I'm always especially fond of.
As a North American and as an engineer, I am very optimistic of the future though. What's happening to GM is disheartening and scary for those connected to the company but it's actually quite "normal" when such an evolutionary disruption occurs.
There will be American auto workers producing great products in the future. But they'll be working for Toyota et al.
vancouver57 3 years ago
All great civilizations eventually decline as we have learned from the past. The decline does not usually happen in the blink of an eye but gradually usually over many decades, which looking back can seem like overnight. Many are saying that America has had its greatness last century and contributed greatly to all of human kind. However the USA seems to be losing leadership in the world as can be seen through a variety of channels including economic, political, and moral influence.
ks1212 3 years ago
I wrote a bunch and realized I don't really know anything beyond my own impressions. I feel strongly that domestic car companies sell cars by doing two things: inspiring false confidence in a large portion of the buyers, and being no worse than any other domestic automaker. A super-reliable design that's ok on gas seems the right choice. Decades later, they still re-package the same inferior stuff. I just don't understand why they think that's cheaper.
CanadianNinjaMonkey 3 years ago
I was just reading this morning that Toyota, starting in 2010, is going to start making their Prius model here in the States. At the same time, they will be reducing production of the Tundra and an SUV model because, big surprise, the American people are starting to have a tremendous desire for fuel efficient cars.
Ozzman500 3 years ago
Don't they say 'innovate or die'? For me that sums up why some car manufacturers are going strong and some are failing. However, Fiat have managed a dramatic turnaround so there is a chance for the Big 3 if they are prepared to make the tough choices necessary.
talk74 3 years ago
It happened because of arrogance and doing things the same way because we always have done it that way and why change?
UpDownMostly 3 years ago
Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky plant is a beacon of modern manufacturing and management, Peter. The workers there are, by all reports, extremely happy. This just shows what smart people can do when they're led by enlightened leaders. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
LOL! Interesting nostalgia, Tom. I learned to drive in a 56 Caddy, a sedan Deville. And yeah, during that era, every make and every model were absolutely identifiable, even from a distance. Now, they all look the same, and at times you can't even identify an emblem.
That's a good take on GM, and the way they dropped the ball. Can they regain a bite on the market, or is it too late? Personally, if I were buying new today, it'd most likely be Japanese.
Moosie
anmoose 3 years ago
No doubt about it: boring cars killed both GM and Ford. Chrysler killed itself by other means. Those Toyota pickups last forever. In the 60s you'd have been shot for driving one of those in many parts of the US. Today, they're everywhere. Great vehicles.
tlg847 3 years ago
I tried hard not to use that phrase but it was rattling around in my brain throughout. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Thanks, Liam.
tlg847 3 years ago
When you compare GM's stock price today with the 1950s, is that adjusting for splits? I would expect there were some splits during 60s and 70s, when the price was still going up. Although if I had to guess, I would say that the effect of inflation probably outweighed the effect of stock splits, so maybe in real terms, GM stock is even cheaper today than in the 50s.
BTW my wife and I have a 1998 Saturn, which we're quite happy with, but I know Saturn is out of the mainstream for GM.
DClaudeKatz 3 years ago
Several accounts call this lowest adjusted (inflation and splits) stock price since 1954. Saturn proves that GM could have done things differently, but didn't. Which makes current circumstances even sadder, imo. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Personally Tom, I think the downfall of GM can be summed up to pure incompetence at the highest level. Instead of responding to market conditions, the company tried in vain to change the market which was a very stupid and pompous thing to do. They had 30 years to respond appropriately and massivly failed. The sad thing is that if they go bankrupt some of the a holes running the company will be handsomely rewarded for being fools.
DoggBisket 3 years ago
Well, I tend to agree but the financial burdens of health care and pensions were huge. Losing market share was the coup de grace, however. Top execs always profit, regardless of performance. It's the way of the capitalist world. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Sad isn't it? My first car was a 77' civic and it was bullet proof although it was rusted all to hell and the front fenders flapped when ya drove. I think GM has made a lot of major improvements and have learned.. Actually now might be a good time to buy stock should they go hydrogen. Guess I'm one fo the last with "I believe"
oneiblind30 3 years ago
GM has certainly made impressive gains recently. Volt, etc. Too little too late? I'm afraid so. May not go bankrupt but will never be what it once was. Sad.
tlg847 3 years ago
I love walking and taking the bus.
evotelution 3 years ago
When I'm in Manhattan, so do I. Most of the US is spread out in ways that demand automobiles...we built our suburbs and exurbs around cars. Hard to change those patterns when they're baked into the geography.
tlg847 3 years ago
Fascinating vlog today Tom. It really is sad to see the predicament that GM is in and they have only themselves to blame. I'm a big fan of Bob Lutz and like what he's done with the product lineup. In the end, I do think GM will survive and remake itself. I told someone just last week that you could probably buy GM stock sometime this year and get rich off it. I'm afraid I don't have the guts to buy it though. How about you? -Jim
CountryComesToTown 3 years ago
I think it's very sad. Lutz is a great designer and an outstanding executive. Of course, he was out of GM for decades. As for buying that stock, I'm afraid I don't have that kind of faith in them right now. Probably dumb, but...
tlg847 3 years ago
don´t catch a falling knife!
The 5-year-chart is shocking.
The expectations not high eighter :-/
ogier1 3 years ago
Is there really such a thing as an "American car" these days? What's more American, a Volvo (imported by a company owned by Ford) or a Toyota (built in California by a Japanese company)? Is it the ownership or the labor that makes it American? Even the most "Authentically American" cars (assembled in Detroit by American owned companies) include at least 10% components manufactured in Canada or Mexico.
kenrg 3 years ago
Yes, most American-sold Toyotas are made in Kentucky. But a bankrupt GM is an American company, that's for sure. Thanks, Mr. rg.
tlg847 3 years ago
All that southern CT helicopter traffic is finding it's way north... I love my VW Beetle, 196,600+ miles, plenty of torque, 43-52mpg, huge ammounts of front seat head room and it's really fun to drive. I could go on for hours about what the big three idiots have done to American trucks... Don't these people ever drive in the real world?
TimberGeek 3 years ago
Your video response was a hoot! Thanks.
We know that great cars can be built...just not in Detroit for about 30 years. Recently, much, much better.
tlg847 3 years ago
I'm still waiting for a diesel Dakota and an on/off switch for the AC.
TimberGeek 3 years ago
Tom, I really enjoy your videos. This one is another in a series of really good work. This perspective about ignoring customers is just so spot on. Great work.
frankroche1 3 years ago
I appreciate the kind words, Frank. Ignoring customers is at the heart of so many business problems, and yet... Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
Great video, really liked hearing your thoughts. Nice car by the way:)
DTOlness2860 3 years ago
Thanks. Love my Audi.
tlg847 3 years ago
I still joke about Saturn. A company GM started in order to produce cars of equal quality and price as the Japanese models. By the early 90's they actually did it - they produced cars of equal quality and price as the Japanese models - of the early 80's.
DynaCatlovesme 3 years ago
I know. Saturn was what GM could have been if they'd had a different management mindset. Sad. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
As a magazine I get says, (Saturn) is for people who don't really like cars.
landyachtfan79 3 years ago
Awesome 5 stars. But I'm still irked that YouTube won't accept my partner program invitation.
Doommaster1994 3 years ago
Don't get discouraged. Keep trying. Thanks.
tlg847 3 years ago
No prob and I will thanks for the advice.
Doommaster1994 3 years ago