BioInvestor

The US Auto Crisis

Thanks for the post, but I'd respectively discount the article as personal opinion.


On Jul 24 12:32 PM Gino Lattarulo wrote:

> Bio Investor, "Factual Documented Information" as released by the
> media is just that. I am giving you information based on 15 years
> of working inside these companies. Take from it what you do or do
> not wish to believe. In any case, I applaud your convictions.

The US Auto Crisis

Not really a valid argument. Women are fired in all companies; that's not news. Men are too--no news then.

As for the discussion about people in women's dresses, what a minimalist argument to make. State something substantive; something meaningful; something relevant! Please. This is a site for investors.


On Jul 24 11:09 PM Joey wrote:

> BioInvester, women were fired. Check your records. It was several
> contractors in the advertising field across the country that were
> fired or demoted. The RDMMs made the recommendations. Also, if women
> do not make a difference, then why did you have the engineers at
> GM be forced to dress up in women's dresses to experience the Acadia
> from a woman's point of view?

The US Auto Crisis

Gino Lattarulo, I am not sure why you wrote the article. It has, at best, only moderate benefit to investors.

The article also contains serious factual errors. The failure rates among different brands--and consumer preferences--are well documented. Companies like Honda and Toyota have consistently manufactured cars that perform better. You actually talk about the quality problems in US cars in your article; I don't see how you can conclude that there is no difference in quality among the different brands.

The US Auto Crisis

paulk8756, a lot more than your case seems to be resting--or not functioning.

Your comments don't reflect women, they reflect who you are and what you attract.


On July 21, paulk8756 wrote:

Let's see...

If you were a woman being polled, you'd say you were in charge of the buying decisions. And if you were a man, and your wife and/or girlfriend was in earshot, you'd say the same thing, wouldn't you?

My former wife and present girlfriend don't know where to check the oil in a vehicle, much less make a sensible decision on which to buy or how to finance one.

I rest my case.

The US Auto Crisis

Joey, your argument lacks logic. People don't buy cars based on the management team!

I don't buy your argument that getting rid of women has had an adverse affect on sales. In fact, I don't believe what you wrote about GM firing women.

Finally, the problems at GM aren't related to gender, they're more related to fenders. GM doesn't make cars that people want to buy. It doesn't matter who is in management, on the board, on the production line, or in sales in market: GM doesn't have a product that people want to buy.


On July 21, Joey wrote:

Well written analysis by the author. Women do represent 65% of new car buying decisions yet GM's management is over 90% men. GM should have started to change its employee makeup to accomodate for targeting their new buyer to the industry - women (this should have occurred 20+ years ago). I remember in 2006, GM took its advertising contractors and fired and demoted almost every women in the advertising field and replaced them with men. GM's men wanted to work with male advertising executives. The result, GM's sales for the brands affected by the switch dropped by more than 40%. So why are these men who made this terrible business decision still there? Is this fair to GM stockholders, especially since so many women who own GM stock? If getting rid of women decreases sales, what would getting rid of the men and adding women to GM do for sales? Would GM finally see a positively changing sales track? Would GM's stock that dropped so much so quickly finally turn around because their target market is being taken care of and their needs met?

SUV Makers Feel the Heat of Higher Oil Prices

johndough110, your abusive comment is out of place on this site. If you can't be civil, stop posting.

Is Anything Worth Owning in the Auto Industry?

I think that value depends on your time horizon. If you believe that Ford and GM will survive and thrive, one could argue that there is good value today.

I'd be careful of citing a PE of 9 as signaling compelling value. In a cyclical industry, a low PE ratio doesn't necessarily signal value.

Hybrid Cars: It Finally Makes Economic Sense to Buy One

I agree that the big assumption is gas prices staying at $4 or rising even further.

It would be interesting to get a breakdown of hybrid car sales by region--for example, gas is always more expensive in California; some parts of LA county have gas stations quoting a price close to $5 a gallon. It would be interesting to see if hybrid sales are brisker in regions where gasoline is more expensive.