Well now that Billy Durant's General Motors has filed for bankrupcy, does anyone think 'the Wizard of Flint' could have saved his prized company? Where do you guys think GM got it so wrong? Roscoe

Where Are You From? orygun

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1930 6-14 coupe

I think Billy's turning in his grave..
And then some auto historian on NPR radio today
stated it was Alfred P Sloan who started GM!?
Kn What The........

Do You own a car built by Durant? yes

Basically GM got old. Fossilized management and unions. In the early 70's, GM had a 55% market share but was making junk. Meanwhile, the foreign newcomers really gave the consumer a lot for the money. GM, Ford and Chrysler never regained the consumer confidence or the image of technical leadership they previously had.

On the labor side, union leadership and company mgmt. kept pushing costs forward by increasing retirement benefits. At this point, each current worker is supporting something like 3 retired ones. The result are legacy costs that leave U.S. mfrs. non-competitive on costs. (This argues for a federaly run pension plan that all employers pay in to equally and stays with the employee if he/she changes jobs. That way, Toyota can't build cars cheaper in the U.S. than GM.)

Interestingly, Detroit can still make cars that are exciting but they haven't scored with a bread and butter sedan like Honda and Toyota have. (By the way, the economy is hurting them too.)

GM should have declared bankruptcy a long time ago. They will emerge much stronger and leaner now. Now Ford has to figure out how to get rid of its legacy costs.

Billy would have gotten himself into the same pickle but with even more inventory. After all, he did it twice way back then. He was a great promoter but a poor businessman.

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1925 Star

Ross:
Drop me an email. Your address that I have keeps bouncing back. We hope to be out your way in July

Gord.

Where Are You From? Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Frontenac

Without getting into politics, it seems that every business expects a government to run a stable system, and to benefit domestic businesses over the foreign ones. The housing bubble bursting meant: no more home-equity loans to buy new cars; banking implosion meant no source of operating credit. Doubling cost of gas meant fewer miles of wear. Doubling the insurance burden; weakening the 401k funds, etc.

Starting in the 1980's we saw the future with all the leveraged buyouts, putting formerly conservatively-run companies into deep debt. I remember a book called "On a Clear Day, You can see General Motors", but I've forgotten what it said.

Now it seems that for the near future we will have a choice of a Trabant or a golf cart. If we want to keep our "nice cars", it looks like we will become the new Cubans.

It would be interesting to see what our members think they'd buy if it would have to last 50 years. I almost bought a 79 Fiesta last weekend. It was Ford's little car, and the name is still in production in Europe. In fact the original Kent engine is still in production,[for industrial use] from way back. How about a Jeep Wrangler? A classic VW Beetle? The Peugeot 504 has been a "World Car" for the past 40 years. The Citroen 2CV for 60 years.

Do You own a car built by Durant? yes

I think Vince is right in that GM just got old. From their financial picture they should have gone bankrupt several years ago. Was it the 'culture' of the company? I remember stories of workers in Lordstown Ohio assembling Vegas hanging bolts from wires inside door panels before they closed them off, obviously causing rattles. To get back at management. Meanwhile the Japanese Toyota worker was doing his morning exercises at the plant and singing to the Toyota corporate flag, because they loved their company so much. The British auto industry failed because of the same us vs them mentality(amoung other reasons). To answer cdmn about what car to have for the next 50 years(well realistically a hearse), but will we have petro burning cars? I know there is a huge amount of oil left in the world,but we're not making any more. I think our far off desendants will be mad at us, when they think how valuable petro is, "and they just burnt it?"

Where Are You From? orygun

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1930 6-14 coupe

Ross:
Drop me an email. Your address that I have keeps bouncing back. We hope to be out your way in July

Gord.

Where Are You From? Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Frontenac

With GM in the spotlight I couldn't resist posting a picture of Chevrolet's first V/8 automobile...No it is not a '55 Chevy but rather Chevrolets first attempt in 1918...This car also had a 120" wheel base and remains the longest wheel based Chevrolet car through today...I believe that Durant consolidated Chevrolet with General Motors in that year.

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA / Yuma, AZ

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1923 A-22 Touring, 1929 Durant model 40 Coupe