TTAC Contest: What Did Toyota Offer GM To Keep NUMMI Open?
When GM pulled out of its Fremont, CA NUMMI joint venture with Toyota during its bankruptcy-bailout, the UAW took the opportunity to bash the Japanese automaker, protesting its dealers based on the false accusation that it, rather than GM, had killed NUMMI. But in fact, despite suffering from overcapacity in the US, Toyota was anxious to keep NUMMI open, and according to interviews with Toyota executives that went into the book “Toyota Under Fire,” Toyota offered something to GM as incentive to keep the plant open. At the time, speculation ran rampant that Toyota offered to rebadge the Toyota Prius for GM, but that didn’t happen. Instead Toyota offered GM something else… and we want you to guess what.
Here’s how the contest works: surf over to TTAC’s Facebook page, find the wall post titled “TTAC Contest: What Did Toyota Offer GM?” and add your guess to the comments section there. The first person to post the correct answer will be contacted for their address, and we will send you a special prize: a Chevrolet Volt-branded pen that was used (briefly) by TTAC Editor-in-Chief to take notes at the Volt’s press launch. You know you want it… now go post your answer on Facebook!
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“TTAC Contest: What Did Toyota Offer GM?” Free floor mats.
If you want to talk about false, TTACs article about GM being the reason NUMMI was closed is false. Toyota's percentage of production was over 75% of the output of the facility. Toyota had too much capacity, but GM's production at NUMMI was peanuts. Instead of closing other plants, Toyota closed NUMMI. Their right to do so when GM didn't have a stake in it anymore. If Toyota did offer GM something to keep it up, I am guessing it was a Tacoma clone (as people have already stated).
Tacoma rebadge was the correct answer. Congratulations to Jacob Brown, and apologies to everyone who knew/guessed but didn't want to post on our Facebook page. In the future we'll be doing more contests over on Facebook, so get over your fears already and "like" us if you want to win all the awesome branded swag us big time "auto journalists" get while attending swanky junkets.
Ed: One of the few things GM actually needs.. is a C class hatch.. that they refuse to build. P.S I really wish ya wouldn't push people to go onto shitbook. Ya couldn't get me to log on or be a member of that site if ya had a gun to my head. Id rather take the bullet.