Other Editorials

Numbers Don't Lie

Jim Dollinger
Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The GM publicity spin artists would have you believe things are going according to plan. I'm not quite sure exactly what their "Plan" is except to eliminate North American unionized production. Some analysts look at expense reduction, some at revenue generation, some at market share. For a true understanding of the underlying ineptitude exhibited by Red Ink Rick and his band of acountants, lawyers, and public relations experts, consider the following:

Trend: GM total sales in USA

1999: 5.02 million
2000: 4.95 million
2001: 4.91 million
2002: 4.86 million
2003: 4.76 million
2004: 4.71 million
2005: 4.52 million
2006: tracking between 4.1 and 4.2 million

And this when Toyota/Honda sales have soared in the same time frame.

Meanwhile GM continues to starve it's Buick division of product, leaving them to die a death more painful than Oldsmobile, simultaneously reducing legal liability by combining franchises with other in house brands.

Time to wake up Buick dealers while you still have a chance! GM doesn't care about you. It is obvious that single point Buick stores are an endangered species. Yet GM props up a never profitable Saturn and looks to offer more Hummer models. As the baby boomers move through the Buick demographic, we suffer a horrible fate at the hands of our own manufacturer. Write to me if you are interested in ideas by which to combat this torture and make the most of your limited opportunity to survive.

Buickman