I’ve certainly been wondering if caving early is part of Mulally’s master plan somehow. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who does things for no good reason.

If GM is to survive C11, the courts will have to install a CEO with Ghosn or Mulally’s capabilities to walk into the big office and ask “WTF is going on here?!” Kill products, brands, dealers and please, oh, please Bob Lutz (or at least demote him to PR chief).

Ford is the one company of the Big 3 that can’t really go C11 because the Ford family’s wealth and control of the company would be wiped out. As such, with their renewal program taking hold and looking to pick up steam in 2009/2010 with new product, why not see if they can add the dead-man bounce too?

Not crazy at all. This is a game of Last Man Standing. If Chrysler and then GM go belly-up, the dead cat bounce will be HUGE.

Only one problem: a resurgent, post-C11 Chrysler or GM. Hmmm. Nah.

Ford is the one company of the Big 3 that can’t really go C11 because the Ford family’s wealth and control of the company would be wiped out. As such, with their renewal program taking hold and looking to pick up steam in 2009/2010 with new product, why not see if they can add the dead-cat bounce too?

Crazy?

In my state (Indiana), Honda is building a new plant to build not union made Civics to start with. Everyone is excited to have them here, plus for the economic spin-offs and opportunities. Who doesn’t want a well made car manufacture? Kind of has that long term outlook!

Personally, I own two Jeeps after once owning two Hondas. I’m wanting to add a third new car, and guess what it’s going to be? If you guessed a Honda, you guessed right.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpposted/archive/2008/04/29/ontario-premier-confident-province-will-get-new-auto-plant.aspx

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080506.RFIAT06/TPStory/Business

PS: I’d like to propose a caption for the picture. “…and then I told them I wasn’t going to introduce any new taxes!”

BTW, thanks jthorner for the nice write-up. It’s nice to see readers taking the spirit of journalism upon themselves…I think it’s great.

We don’t need no de Lorenzo. Those self-important types make me nauseous anyway. I have to admit, I started off reading that yahoo on the web, but I cannot tolerate his GM apologist attitude. It’s sickening.

I’ll take native grown talent any day :) Keep it up.

They do seem a bit oblivious to what is happening with both of those manufacturers.

E-mail from a CAW official
You ought to know better! You were a representative at Pillette Road where we had three different investment commitments and the plant ultimately closed because of market share losses. Chrysler as well as Ford and GM continue to shrink so there is no such thing as “protection” if your reference is to jobs.

The recent economic agreement is a huge victory for Big Three workers because the changes we made were kept at a minimal. Why is that? Ford, Oakville is expected to launch their third shift – very important vehicle to their survival so it made sense to utilize that only pressure tactic we had and the timing is perfect. GM and Chrysler (as witnessed by the American Axle Strike) could go down and nobody would even care. We would have to call them to advise them we are on strike. Huge inventories, and slowing sales are getting worse by the minute. Buzz seized the moment – progressive thinking and took full advantage of the one card in the deck. I am involved in every strategic decision of the Union, so please feel comfortable in contacting me directly. The auto industry’s “historic domestic” is in serious, serious trouble and the market is huge reason for concern.