Introducing Mr. October
By Alicia Dorset
Blog Editor
We at GM blogs have been enjoying working with photo and car buffs at Flickr during the past few months. Starting with October, we’ll also have a monthly photo calendar for you to download. We’ve added some facts about GM’s history and some coming events on the calendar. This month’s calendar features Bob Lutz and the Chevy Sequel Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle at Camp Pendleton, California . Look for the calendars at Flickr.
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Sorry if this is off-topic, but GM really needs to reconsider working with Sean Hannity. See the link I provided. You’re going to alienate a lot of people like this. I don’t mind GM using patriotism and “Buy American” to promote their products, but loudmouths like Hannity are just going to make GM look bad and associate GM with the radical right in this country (the same ones that are OK with torture).
That’s pretty cool.
Now just tell me which month I can expect to see a GM car that gets 30+ mpg city, and which month I can expect to see an affordable GM RWD sedan with a V8 and a stick shift, and we’ll be all set.
I’m gonna say it now even though it really doesn’t apply to this space: BRING BACK THE FIREBIRD!!!
Well, Alicia, ok, a new calendar, great. But the big news about GM at the moment is that Sean Hannity is the new spokesperson for GM’s “You’re A Great American” Car Give-Away. Would you pls offer us some insights into chosing a partisan hack as representative for GM, a guy who repeatedly said nonsense like “if the Democrats win — if they win in November, is it a victory for the terrorists?”. Does GM think it’s a good idea to hire this guy who routinely offends about 50% of US voters? Does Mr. Lutz think liberals don’t buy cars?
Cool! Can we get printable sizes though?
I like the idea of a printable calendar; in fact, it’s approaching the time of year that I need to find a calendar for next year. I hope you can expand on this idea and offer an 18-month printable calendar, with each page showing a different GM vehicle. Perhaps it would be a good idea to use unique photos that can’t be found anywhere else?
Bob Lutz is famous enough. Don’t forget to shine the limelight on others involved in the car making process. Designers, engineers, assemblers, managers, marketers, accounting, janitors, and many others deserve to be on a company calendar.
And whatever you do, don’t forget the office babes!
That is a great looking vehicle that Bob Lutz is standing next to. With all of the models GM is building I do not see how they will fail in their quest to gain market share.
For you at the top of GM (Rick Wagoner, Bob Lutz, and all managers) it’s a very stressful position. Every final decision made, effects the company.
So for there to be a blog by GM where I can vent my ideas or criticisms without stress, is a magnanamous gesture on your part.
Thank you for this!
Who Cares????
This “blog” has wavered, and is increasingly nothing more then GM Spin.
Hey Dan-
Can do! I’m working on adding a larger size of the calendar right now, but Flickr is currently experiencing problems with uploading photos. Check back later today.
HOW DARE YOU want the US govt to force gas prices up. GM problems are YOUR fault, not the American taxpayers. I will never buy another GM vehicle while Lutz is at GM. I manage a huge vehicle fleet also and we will switch to another manufacturer. Lutz must go now.
Great innovation with the fuel cell vehicle; glad we have the lead. I do oppose the styling though, it looks like a cross between the Uplander/Venture and the Aztek; you should know what I mean.
I thought Mr. October was Reggie Jackson?
I like the idea of the calendar…I just wish that those responsible in the making of the vehicle were included in the photograph, and not just executive management.
Lutz is right, design is the last great differentiator. I looked at Forbes (or Fortune’s?) 500 list of the largest companies and the difference between Ford, GM and Toyota in revenues is razor thin.
Where can GM gain an advantage or even a monopoly? Well it can gain it in design. Here is how.
I told you about designing in five categories, of course you remember…
1. organic orb – Hyundai
2. family face – Toyota
3. heritage – Mustang, Mercedes
4. classic – HHR
5. retro – Morgan Roadster
The point of this was to explain GM lost all design leadership when all of its vehicles ended up in category #1 in the 80’s. Today GM still has about 95% of its vehicles in either #1 or #2. We are looking forward to GM entering more of its vehicles in the #3 category with the future Malibu, GTO and Camaro coming with heritage touches.
Still I think GM is missing the boat. The idea that classic vehicles have to be sub-compact to be appealing is wrong. That is like saying the next big fashion craze “hot pants” will only be successful if they all run small.
“Wait, wait, wait…You think we can sell hot pants in M, L, and XL and even XXL? No way! That’s too radical.”
I say, “Well of course Mr Jones in fact, if you offer hot pants in M, L, XL, XXL they will sell better than they ever did in just S. In fact, I say S may be the slowest selling category.”
Bottom Line (this is a business)
A medium, L or XL HHR will sell even better than the current and very successful model.
GM’s “monopoly” of great design leadership is well on its way apparant with the Chevy TLC small car in Paris, the FJ Efigy, the Aero X and others. Getting more cars into category 3 and 4 will harness GM’s great past and add depth. You will be going places others can’t go, or don’t know how to go.
Nutshell (this is the fastlane)
The next big thing is BIG RETRO. GM think BIG RETRO.
It’s really category 4 that we are talking about but you know, the press calls it all just retro.
Big retro? I’d like your bank account, Edward – maybe gas prices don’t affect you like they affect the rest of us working Americans.
GM is struggling to fit into *any* category right now. The Japanese have redefined quality and economy. The Europeans continue to lead in styling, refinement and performance. American cars have become something you buy when you can’t afford something better …
… add into that the devaluation of their own vehicles through deep discounting over the past few years, and you end up with the disasterous situation GM is in.
My wife and I went car shopping a few months ago for something sporty and economical to replace our Volkswagen GTI (an excellent car that has given us four trouble-free years of service). We look at everything, and I remember commenting to my wife that GM was so off-base in its offerings, it was almost laughable.
Needless to say, the next car in our driveway won’t be made by an American car company. It’s a pity, but we’re not in the business of spending our hard-earned on second rate junk.
Dear Absent
The US government has set aside 37 million acres of productive land, farm land to help prop up farm prices according to a Dec. 6, 2006 article by the DesMoinesregister.com There are 79 million acres producing corn right now it says. GM has led the way to an energy independent Brazil with flex fuel vehicles and it wants to do the same in the US.
Don’t think for one second that the ethanol market would be taking off without GM or Ford. We would be forced to pay Toyota $400 billion additional dollars to replace our transportation system with hybrids, and in the end we still would not be energy independant.
The technology already exists to turn cellulose and waist, everything from garbage to stalks grass to orange peels into ethanol, and these factories are being built faster growing industries the history of this country.
The lie that we have to drive Yarisis and Cubes is just that.
My God is a God of abundance and so is the nation in which I live. You can live any lifestyle you want, as for me I will believe the truth and live it.