Magic

[tracker7]

With a month to go in his term, President Bush finally does something right. Now, it's up to the manufacturers and the UAW to follow suit.

There are things that the manufacturers should do - GM, for starters, needs to consolidate.  Right off the bat, eliminate the GMC Truck division.  The last time that line produced anything that wasn't a gussied-up Chevrolet was 15 years ago with the Syclone/Typhoon sport trucks.  Roll Buick under Cadillac's umbrella, and likewise Saturn under Pontiac.  Saturn maintains its status as the import-fighter division (and the Saturn-badged SUVs go away), and Pontiac becomes a specialty marque. Hummer?  Already heading out the door, and thank goodness for that.

Ford, which is in the best shape of the Big Three, has to make a significant change, as well.  Mercury goes away - the make's line is nothing but rebadged Fords.  Lincoln stays around - the significantly lower production runs on Lincoln products make the line useful not only as a luxury division (and continuing to focus on younger buyers is a good idea) but as a testbed for technologies that will move into the Ford models as well.

Chrysler ... I just don't know.  I think the best option here is for the company to simply die with some dignity.  The Charger/300C have been successful, and the Jeep name still has some value, but the merger with Daimler-Benz was a failure, and the company's not recovered from that.  Its time as an innovator and creator of interesting vehicles is gone.

What's good, what's worth keeping these behemoths around for?  GM's R&D programs, for starters.  Look at the Chevrolet Volt, for example.  It's not perfect, but its leagues ahead of the old EV-1, and it's a vehicle that deserves a chance to make a real change in automotive design and production.  Ford CEO Alan Mulally has pushed his company forward, and barring further economic collapse, I expect that he'll easily achieve the goal of putting Ford back into the black in 2010.

Oh, and Mr. Mulally?  Work out an AWD system for the Fusion GT, please-please-please?

Comments

[specieszero.livejournal.com]

I'm glad Ford is in the best shape, as they're the ones that sign my paycheques. But reform is indeed drastically needed.

[tracker7.livejournal.com]

The industry let itself become very short-sighted (like most US industries, unfortunately), and the demands of the UAW certainly didn't help over the course of decades.

I'm sure as heck not advocating the elimination of organized labor, of course, but the UAW became entirely too powerful.

Recruiting Alan Mulally away from Boeing is one of the best things Ford's done in a while. He's smart and focused, and I think he tends to work with a much "bigger picture" perspective than his counterparts at GM and Chrysler.

[spoe.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I hold out lots of hope for GM, what with Wagoner saying things like the management at GM is "the best management team in the business.". To me, that carries a hint of, "It's not our fault. We're the victims. It's that darned economy and the greedy unions.".