hoffman23

Why American Car Manufacturers Fail

I am in GM dealerships every day due to my occupation. The author has never spent one day in an American dealership within the last month. If he had done REAL research, he would see a new desire by Americans to buy "American" again. How do I know? They say so to the salespersons. The only reason Toyota outsold the other brands had to do to an inventory "backlog". Their numbers this year were way down and they had their highest dealership inventories in years. GM ran out of cars and trucks otherwise we would have led the market. Leave your "ivory castle" once in a while.

Ford and the New 'Profitability'

Keep an eye on GM. The newly introduced 2010 Chevy Equinox ( only available for 1-2 weeks) is hotter than hot. The dealers can't keep them in stock. And a big player in that category is Ford Escape. Chevy is going to eat Ford's lunch and Ford is going to lose big in that profitable category. So watch that cash burn rate. It might be increasing sooner than one might think.

The Final Hours of GM?

How many of the bondholders bought the paper at 10-15 cents on the dollar? Yet, they want to look like they paid all the face value. Bondholders are bulls--t. You gambled and lost. That's what RISK is all about. I'm not defending the workers, but the UAW has bent over in their efforts to save GM. And yes, THEY VOTE!! I am white collar GM and have taken pay cuts, work harder than ever before, and STILL care about this company. Bondholders are BS.

Time to Look at Auto Stocks?

Don't be so quick to jump on the Ford bandwagon. Take a look at the Ford Credit lease portfolio. Lots of markdowns there that are not reaching to anyone's ears. So far, they have been lucky, not smart. Sometimes that works, sometimes not. It's your dice, not mine.

Time to Look at Auto Stocks?

As a veteran of the auto industry and as an investor, the only logic one could attribute to investing in auto stocks is that YOU CAN'T LOSE MORE THAN YOUR INVESTMENT !!!!! This industry is in freefall and NO ONE knows the answer. If they think they do, have I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Try CD's until this settles out. There will be plenty of time to buy in when the dust settles.

The 12 Most Important Cars of 2009

Maybe I'm biased, but the most exciting car in years, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro is going into production in March. And you think the Flex, Fusion hybrid, and Jetta deserve a higher place on the list? The word "Clueless" comes to mind.

Offer Ford a Bridge Loan to Buy GM Assets

Mr Eickholt, you're being way too kind. This man needs to be put away and not allowed to talk to the public again. If this blog keeps using idiots like this as "contributors", I will look elsewhere. I am a 30 year veteran of the auto industry, both on the retail and factory sides. Ford is only where they are because they were broke 2 years ago and had to go to the banks then. Their "brillance" is sheer luck. GM will become quickly what they needed to be 5 years ago, leaner and stronger. They spent too much time trying to be "everything to everyone". chrysler could disappear soon with someone buying their "Jeep" brand. Their big time hires like Meyer and Murtaugh have headed for the doors. If Jim Press goes, it's over for them. Stay tuned

Buy Ford, Short GM

Oliver Stone is just an idiot. Last I looked, it is not a crime to be dumb. Just don't go to his movies. No ticket buying, no film producing. And, BTW, how many of these analysts had money with Madoff?

Buy Ford, Short GM

Another 20/20 hindsight expert. When Mulally took over Ford, he looked at the books and said, "Where's the money?". Faced with certain bankruptcy TWO years ago, they put together a group of lenders to try to save the company. The entire company is hocked, including the "Blue Oval". They had no choice. Now, they are hailed for having the foresight to borrow before the credit crisis. I want you to listen carefully. There is something called the "internet". Check out Ford two years ago to verify the FACTS, not your hindsight. Scary !!!!!!

Aid for Chrysler: Why I'm Saying NO!

If those smart guys at Cerebus had spent $50 to buy me lunch one day and had asked the following question, " what do you think about buying Chrysler and half of GMAC?". I would have replied, " I'm a 30 year veteran of the auto industry. What the hell are you smoking?"

Say No to the Auto Industry Beggars

And, please don't let me forget. GM makes more models that get over 30 MPG than any other manufacturer. The Tahoe Hybrid gets better mileage than a Camry. America buys pickups, and GM gets better MPG than any of the others. One more rant. Richard Shelby, that idiot from Alabama, never mentions the Hyundai and Mercedes plants in his state, bought and paid for by the citizens of his state, who then passed that cost onto the Feds. And how about all the beneficial aid given to the foreign manufacurers in the way of health and pension benefits, not to mention "protectionism" by blocking import of our cars into their markets. It's time you did some research before you do some writing.

Say No to the Auto Industry Beggars

Did we really need to keep Citibank afloat? Wouldn't somebody take them over? How about that $200 million deal with the NY Mets for the sign on the new stadium? Do that taxpayers really need to own AIG? Where was that "private financing"? All you Wall Street morons who think that only your "industry" is the life blood of the country just really don't get it. If you idiots had stopped bundling all that bad loan paper and marked it up as "AAA", we wouldn't have this mess. If you Wall Street morons had stopped lending to all those 25 year old oil futures traders, the price of oil wouldn't have gone to $150/bbl. The ruination of the auto industry is because you finance morons screwed it up, then had Paulson bail out your sorry asses, and then blame GM for not making the cars you want. Who do you think makes those " limo's and big SUV's you take home from work every night at the taxpayers' expense. And by the way, Where were you a year or two ago, speaking these "golden words"? Another MBA who majored in "hindsight".

Driven to Bankruptcy

You are just clueless!! If any auto company declares bankruptcy, it will be the end of their business. No one is going to buy a car from a bankrupt company. They would be concerned with warranty issues. And doesn't the consumer want a company to stand behind their warranty? How about money for engineering and design? We cannot let GM or Ford go down. The repercussions will be felt in every town and city as all the suppliers to the comany, as well as the dealers, will lay off tens of thousands of people. WAKE UP!!!!

Ford Celebrates, GM Scratches Its Head

Why are you not accounting for the loan issues at Ford. Do you know that the "Blue Oval" is collateral for the bank loans? And how long did it take for the loan convenants take to unwind when they went to sell Land Rover and Jaguar? They have done a better job than Chrysler, but not better than GM. If there is federal help, you can easily expect Ford to be on that boat. Yes, they are optimistic about the new F series, but why are you ignoring two major issues? First, they held back this launch for 4 months due to 2008 inventory backlogs. And their dealers still have lots of stale products on their lots. And, of course, Who's lending their customers the money to buy this new vehicle? If you spent 5 minutes talking to a real "car guy" like me, you would know a lot more about this unique business.

GM, Ford: Big Mistakes Keep Piling Up

Any writer who lumps GM in with Ford and Chrysler is an idiot !!!! It's like comparing themselves to someone who has a brain. GM may be reeling, but they are in a far better position than the other two. Ford has hocked the "Blue Oval" logo to the banks. Chrysler is totally clueless. If Cerebus had talked to a " car guy" bbefore they bought Chrysler and 51% of GMAC, they would have told them to leave the money in their piggybank. GM will survive ( I'm in the know) but the other two are shaky, at best. Likely Ford will make the cut. Is that Fiat or Nissan I hear knocking at Chrysler's door?