July '90 the first one came off the line. Well there won't be many more.
General Motors Co. said Wednesday it would shut down its Saturn brand after an agreement with Penske Automotive Group Inc. to acquire it fell apart.
It was interesting at first but you fucked it up and now look at you. Your products weren't good enough to compete. I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did.
A fish dies from the head.
ReplyDeleteThis is no surprise to me and it's not over yet regarding Chrysler and GM. Huge supplier [parts] problems will cripple them.
Their headstones will read...
Here Lies General Motors
We built good cars but were poor marketers
Here Lies Chrysler
we actually died along time ago
but the Caravan could only carry us so far and we made a snappy looking truck, but...
GM lost $83 billion from 2003 to 2007, the horse bolted years ago. What we are seeing is the death throes. Damn shame, once you lose your manufacturing base, the economy becomes service oriented and one dimensional.
ReplyDeleteIn the car business they say you only the true price of a product twice: The first is when you buy it and the second being when you sell it. Other than that it's all bullshit and conjecture. Saturn was very innovative in that they had One Price Selling and ALL decisions regarding used car pricing and payable commissions were made by the employees. This was revolutionary in the auto business and democratic in the best sense of employee empowerment. However, as soon as the computer and buying services came into play this and other innovations by GM went bye, bye. It became just another commodity with the resulting drop in value in the Used Car Market, et al. Saturn became just another doggie in the window even though for many years they built a highly regarded, though limited, product lineup. Once again the American consumer triumphed by turning a quality product into a hamburger and fries; they valued price over quality and taste, over service and loyalty. American consumers win every time when they stick to what they know: the price of every thing and the value of nothing. As someone who labored in the fields of selling transportation since he was born 50some years ago One Thing has remained constant in the sale and resale of autos: there is a seat built in Detroit for every asshole in America and eventually we'll fill every seat we make with one. Saturn died for a lot of reasons but again the American consumer reigns supreme. As H.L. Mencken said, " Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the average American." Saturn lost out because they overestimated the idea of building a quality product, by a democratically run organization which was fair to its' customers and employees. Americans, by and large, don't give a fucking shit about any of that "stuff". They want a Wal-Mart World when it comes to every facet of their interaction with commerce; except of course when it comes to the value of their own contribution to the whole. Then they want "top dollar" for the machinations and creations of their own small minds and there fucked up relationship with the orbit of their own energies in the universe we inhabit and share. After 30 years of serving the public I say," If you don't like it how about I fuck ya' in the ass and feed ya' oatmeal, would that work for ya'?" So long Saturn, you gave better than you got!
ReplyDeleteGreat comments guys and it sure ain't over. It still appears Ford is going to come out on top.
ReplyDelete