Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Alliance, Nebraska

Alliance, NE Car Consumer Discussions

Re: Cerberus and GM together is a dreadful idea! [fezo]

by circlew on Fri Nov 07 13:21:57 PST 2008

You are correct but if there is a meaningful and far reaching plan to close plants and buy out the affected workers and at the same time revamp the entire line up of products, then the investment would be worth it and the customers would see anew entity that would mean something again so no fear to buy their product. Dumping $50B into an industry that is so inefficient without drastic change is insanity. The merger seems dead now but there is some talk of an acquisition... DETROIT -(Dow Jones)- General Motors Corp. (GM) warned Friday that it risks running out of cash in the first half of next year without government intervention or a reversal of weakening market conditions. The largest U.S. auto maker also indicated that merger talks with No. 2 Chrysler LLC had ended and it was focused on boosting its precarious liquidity position through an extra $5 billion in cuts and savings. The warning is the starkest to date by GM as global auto makers struggle to align with collapsing sales in Europe and North America and softening emerging- market conditions. Without government intervention, a significant increase in auto sales or " substantial" proceeds from asset sales, GM said its liquidity will reach minimum levels required by the end of 2008 after burning through $6.9 billion in the September quarter. Rick Wagoner, chairman and chief executive, continued to shrug off speculation that the company may file for bankruptcy protection, telling CNBC it hoped Congress would act to support the industry during its lame-duck session. He said cash-burn during the fourth quarter would fall to levels seen in the first half of 2008. The prospect of a demand-led recovery look slim, focusing attention on industrywide efforts to secure government support on both sides of the Atlantic. The plan to merge GM and Chrysler had reportedly hit a stumbling block owing to the lack of financing. The end of any merger talks leaves the companies with one less option to deal with the current crisis. Chrysler Chief Executive Bob Nardelli in a statement Friday declined to confirm that merger talks had taken place. He said he continues to focus on returning Chrysler to profitability. "We are significantly challenged by today's economic environment and by the automotive industry's unprecedented downturn," Nardelli said in the statement Friday. "As an independent company, we will continue to explore multiple strategic alliances or partnerships as we investigate growth opportunities around the world that would aid in our return to profitability." Regards, OW

Re: Cerberus and GM together is a dreadful idea! [steve_]

by dtownfb on Sat Nov 01 16:02:56 PDT 2008

here's the article: DETROIT (Reuters) -- Talks on a deal to sell Chrysler LLC to Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA have halted because the No. 3 U.S. automaker's owner favors a deal with General Motors, The Detroit News reported today. Citing sources familiar with the situation, the newspaper said no further talks have been scheduled between private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, which sees a deal with No. 1 U.S. automaker GM as financially more advantageous and better for the struggling U.S. auto industry. In an earlier report, the newspaper said the Nissan-Renault alliance had proposed buying 20 percent of Chrysler. A spokesman for Cerberus declined to comment. Earlier this week Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn dismissed reports of merger talks with Chrysler as speculation, adding that it did not make sense to risk cash in the current economic environment to form a strategic alliance. GM and Chrysler have been in talks on a possible merger, but according to sources any deal will have to wait until after the U.S. presidential elections on Nov. 4 as the Bush administration ruled out providing government funding for it. Reading between the lines, Nissan-Renault only wants 20% of Chrysler. Cerebus wants completely out of the auto industry. A "merger" with GM accomplishes this. I hope the governement does not support this merger by financially backing it. No way tax dollars should be used to support a merger where potentially 40,000 jobs will be lost.

no title

by 62vetteefp on Thu Oct 30 14:11:32 PDT 2008

Private investors have shown interest in General Motors Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Chrysler LLC and may help finance the deal if the U.S. government agrees to provide funds, sources close to the negotiations said Wednesday. GM and Cerberus Capital Management LP, Chrysler's majority owner, seek as much as $10 billion in federal loans and other aid to finance a deal. Outside investors have expressed interest in the deal, but Cerberus is focusing on lining up crucial government aid, said one source familiar with the situation. In addition to lobbying top Bush administration officials, GM and Cerberus executives have reached out to both presidential candidates to seek support for a deal, sources say. The government signaled its responsiveness this week, with the U.S. Energy Department moving to speed up the release of $25 billion in low-cost loans that Congress authorized earlier this year for the auto industry. While a GM-Chrysler combination would lead to thousands more job cuts, the deal is increasingly being presented as the best alternative to the possible collapse of one or more of Detroit's automakers in a rapidly deteriorating environment. Industry analysts say the U.S. auto market's slump to its weakest levels since the 1980s is forcing the industry to consolidate. "A merger of some type is likely to occur because the economics now are not sustainable for three separate Detroit automakers," Patrick Anderson, CEO of the consulting firm Anderson Economic Group, said Wednesday. GM and Cerberus negotiators have made progress in the talks, reaching agreement on some key issues, said sources familiar with the situation. Cerberus also is in talks with the Renault-Nissan alliance, but the two sides have been unable to agree on a valuation for Chrysler. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., has said publicly that automakers are unlikely to take part in deals requiring cash investments during the global credit crunch. Last week, Daimler AG said it had written down the book value of its remaining 19.9 percent stake in Chrysler to zero. Cerberus purchased 80.1 percent of Chrysler in August 2007 from Daimler for $7.4 billion, with most of that money going into Chrysler.

Re: 2009 Mazda 6i vs. 2009 Nissan Altima 2.5 [dm1212]

by aviboy97 on Wed Oct 29 14:36:46 PDT 2008

They are not built in the same plant. The Fusion is built in Mexico! The Mazda6 is built at Auto Alliance International in Flat Rock, MI which was originally built by Mazda and called Mazda Motor USA Manufacturing. Ford then bought into it so it could build some of their cars. They do not share the same suspension either. The 4 cyl is a Mazda engine and the V6 WAS, is no longer, a Ford engine. Remember who developed the platform (GG/GY), Mazda! So, I say again, The Fusion was loosely based on the 1st gen Mazda6. I have a funny feeling you are about to get ripped by many here in regards to calling the Mazda6 "cheap and loose". greyghost, where are ya? All evidence points to the contrary. Again, if you didn't like it, just say so!

Re: Choose one from Column E, Column G, Column I, Column J, or Column U? [t

by Mr_Shiftright on Wed Oct 29 11:15:19 PDT 2008

A common misconception due to the current alliance of Alfa being owned by Fiat. But in days gone by, Alfa Romeos were always more expensive than, and better-made than Fiats, which were by and large entry-level cars built on the cheap. As time went on, Fiat corrupted both Alfa and Lancia. If say you took apart a 70s Alfa engine and a 70s Fiat engine, you'd see how the metal, the machining, the castings, etc. are all so much better in the Alfa. To say nothing of the upholstery, sheet metal thickness, and quality of sourced components.