Chart Of The Day: GM's Monthly Retail Market Share, 2008-2011

doctor olds, I hope you are right. But your posts are always so optimistic that they remind of posts I read prior to carmageddon, where the authors outlined all the factors that would drive both GM and Chrysler to have to declare bankruptcy (among them their inability to pay their operating expenses). It turned out, those guys were prophetic in their visions and predictions. First and foremost I want to see GM and Chrysler pay back every cent that the tax payers gave them. I doubt that will happen. Oh, we'll see numbers being bandied about but they will be meaningless because in the end the tax payers will still lose money. As to GM being profitable, I think you fail to consider that they are not making their mandatory contributions to the UAW nor are they paying their expenses or repaying any of the principal indebtedness. Most of that was written off when GM declared bankruptcy. However, let's hope that time will prove you right and me wrong. If that happens it will mean that the tax payers will get back a little of the money they poured into Detroit and the UAW. A little is better than nothing. But it still fails to address market share. When there were only three auto manufacturers in the US and GM had a 30% or 40% market share, that was one thing. Now that there are multitudes of auto manufacturers all vying to sell their wares in the US, if GM can make money with only a 15.6% market share...... (I just don't see GM being around in 2014/2015. I think it will be GM-China, GM-India, GM-Brazil, and GM-Russia). I hope I'm wrong.

@doctor olds Actually Doc I have, pre-bancruptcy. GMs month to month performance has been very erratic when compared with others, and it has corresponded very well with incentives and sales events. What I see today looks very similar. It easy to be profitable when your debts are wiped out, you get a big pile of others money and get to carry over tax breaks that are normally not carried through BK. We will see how that goes long term with sinking market share and $3k on the hood of every car (average) to move what they do. They may make it, hope they do. But I remain skeptical that there has been a fundamental change in the way they do buisness-and the old way failed. Until I see evidense of change I will stand by my assesment. Respectfully yours, Bunter

The key to survivability is whether or not they can pay their operations costs, on their own. If they can, then maybe they can pay the tax payers back. That's really all I care about. The American auto industry is not like Wall Street or the Investment Bankers. The Finance industry can juggle the funds on a global scale and make money by following the sun with their investment, shifting from the US to Asia, then to Europe and back to the US. Do this long enough, and careful enough, and they'll have their bail out funds repaid. They sure made a lot of money for me when I was investing. Enough for me never to have to be employed again. But I pulled out all my stakes when the US Congress decided that NINJA loans and the CRA were a good thing even for people, regardless of race, who could never repay their mortgages, credit cards or car loans. Yep, I'm a little skeptical about pronouncements about how good the US auto industry is doing. Let's see the color of their repayment cash.