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Alpha, OH Car Consumer Discussions

Re: Veritably nice dreams [dewey]

by jlbl on Mon Nov 17 14:19:51 PST 2008

My dream car is not a super exotic sports car that has a cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars :D Owning one of those cars is not my secret desire. Indeed is it driving one, or many. :cry: As I posted once I would had loved to be a professional pilot. Regarding exotic cars ownership I am much more modest. One of those classic Alphas or Jags of which LG has sometimes posted pics would have been enough for me. Or even an '49 MG TC Roadster. :) Regards, Jose

Re: just strangle 'em [xrunner2]

by circlew on Fri Nov 07 08:01:50 PST 2008

Here is my plan for the U.S. Auto industry, I am going to petition the U.S. Government for the C.E.O. position in the new company I proposed. GM and Chrysler would go away as we know it. All Executive management would be changed out and a government oversight position would be installed to track metrics under the pay back plan. Ford would be the second U.S. Company to survive if they follow my strategy. I will use the bailout money to buy out workers that can not be part of the new company so they will have enough funds to re-train, including supplier companies that are affected by the massive changes I propose. The U.A.W. would go away under my plan as well as guaranteed pension costs and health care for retired since B.O. will fix health care in the U.S. while I rebuild the Auto Industry and Chevy and Cadillac would emerge when the smoke cleared as the twin divisions. I do not expect any bonus to be paid until every cent of the loans from the Government are paid and profits EXCEED the industry benchmarks. Market share would drop as production is reduced to dry up all of the excess capacity in the new/used market. After 3 years, no old platforms would exist as they are know today. Minimum efficiency specifications for both divisions would be 20 MPG City fuel economy and average would be 35 MPG COMBINED target 2011. Chevy Corvette Camaro Malibu Caravan Jeep - 4 variants Tahoe WOW (my pet economy car beating Civic price and Economy) Cadillac Alpha (3-Series Fighter with Economy, Mid-Level and High Performance) Alpha CUV - Eldorado is the name for the alpha's CTS - Would be changed to Electra SRX - Changed to Park Avenue DTS - Changed to DeVille Escalade Regards, OW

Re: The 2010 BMW X1 [tagman]

by circlew on Fri Nov 07 07:58:10 PST 2008

As for the U.S. Auto industry, I am going to petition the U.S. Government for the C.E.O. position in the new company I proposed. GM and Chrysler would go away as we know it. All Executive management would be changed out and a government oversight position would be installed to track metrics under the pay back plan. I will use the bailout money to buy out workers that can not be part of the new company so they will have enough funds to re-train, including supplier companies that are affected by the massive changes I propose. The U.A.W. would go away under my plan as well as guaranteed pension costs and health care for retired since B.O. will fix health care in the U.S. While I rebuild the Auto Industry and Chevy and Cadillac would emerge when the smoke cleared as the twin divisions. I do not expect any bonus to be paid until every cent of the loans from the Government are paid and profits EXCEED the industry benchmarks. Market share would drop as production is reduced to dry up all of the excess capacity in the new/used market. After 3 years, no old platforms would exist as they are know today. Minimum efficiency specifications for both divisions would be 20 MPG City fuel economy and average would be 35 MPG COMBINED target 2011. Chevy Corvette Camaro Malibu Caravan Jeep - 4 variants Tahoe WOW (my pet economy car beating Civic price and Economy) Cadillac Alpha (3-Series Fighter with Economy, Mid-Level and High Performance) Alpha CUV - Eldorado is the name for the alpha's CTS - Would be changed to Electra SRX - Changed to Park Avenue DTS - Changed to DeVille Escalade Regards, OW

Re: What I would do. [georgecavalier]

by jae5 on Thu Nov 06 11:02:42 PST 2008

GC, This is similar to what I was thinking, and along with Lemko's thoughts on the Impala/Caprice/Bel Air/Biscayne (as well as the knowledge of the taillamps & trim). There was also mention of bringing the GN name back to Buick but since the GN was named for the NASCAR and local races, it really doesn't work. However if Buick is kept and it is felt a performance coupe is wanted / needed, I say GS (GSX) is the way to go. With Poncho, I wouldn't go with Sunfire - honestly haven't thought of names but I wouldn't do Sunfire. But if they are going BMW-hunting it may not be a bad idea to keep the alpha-numeric naming. This is a sticky. I didn't know V8s came in the Colorado, whose name I would change too as well as do a total redesign. And why GM decided to narrow / shrink the rails / engine compartment to not fit the 6-cyl is beyond me. No matter what the scenario, I think the marketing has to follow what the message is behind the brands / vehicle lineup. If they screw it up as they have in the past (most memorable was the Neo-GTO / Monaro) then the buying public once again may be turned off. They need to define the market for the vehicle and go after that main market, and then determine if any niches or sub-markets would also like the vehicle, then make a buzz about it in those circles too. I'd try to tap Wangers and other past sales / marketing persons for direction. I would also try to hold the line if possible on the dealership practices. I know dealers for the most part are their own agents, but they've help kill more than one model and repeat customers by their practices and pricing mark-ups. Lastly I would work on having complete models at introduction, no more of that "coming in a year, the drivetrain that should have been ready when the vehicle debuted will be installed". Or having the better interior fabric that should have been in place when the car intro'd coming two years later. I can see having the sporty version of the vehicle be delayed for a year or two so that the bread-n-butter model(s) grab hold. But to intro what essentially are vehicles lacking in equipment, also-rans if you will, right out the gate is inexcusable. It shows you are not ready to play the game. Falling back on the "wait till next year" doesn't cut it as next year your customer is already driving someone's else product. If your launch needs to be delayed for a week or two to ensure the product is right (quality, equipment, offerings), then so be it. It may hurt you a little up front due to dealers crying and a week of potentially lost sales, but in the long term it will work out as you will sell more models due to the total package being available up front, instead of playing catch-up. Perceived quality and readiness (or lack there of) can be more powerful than actual quality sometimes and a sub-par product is a death knell.

Re: What if you were in charge of GM? [georgecavalier]

by ehaase on Sun Nov 02 08:00:16 PST 2008

Declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy and eliminate all divisions except Chevrolet and Cadillac. Chevrolet's lineup would be Aveo, Volt, Cruze, Malibu, Silverado, Suburban, Traverse, Equinox, and a small Aveo based crossover. Cadillac's lineup would be Alpha based car, CTS, SRX, and Escalade.

h3

by okko1 on Wed Oct 22 15:43:51 PDT 2008

i have a H3 alpha and think it is just fine. i like the fender flares. :D