Gas Prices: Who's to Blame?

[elSicomoro]

Originally Posted by tw

All I have done is repost facts and numbers long ago published by others that everyone should know. Nothing new is posted. However it does contradict popular myths. Well, is that not what I do often?

From what I've seen over the past 7 years, you post some things that are well-known or enlightening in tandem with a large amount of information that may or may not be facts. It's all topped with personal commentary, and you claim to post without emotion. When you are asked to provide sources, you refuse to do so, claiming that "everyone should know" what you're talking about. You also cycle a lot of the same information--Lord knows how many times we've heard about how bad GM is, the dichead Sharon, etc. And when you are called out or your facts are refuted, you either ignore the information or try to twist the information to make it suit your stances. I have never once seen you admit that you might be wrong. Amazingly, I did get you to apologize once (not long ago) for not properly reading a post I made.

I have no doubt that you are an intelligent person, tw. But you use your intelligence in a manner that strips you of your credibility and makes you unbelievable. You've particularly stumbled a lot recently.

Now, you can reply by saying that I don't understand what you've been talking about, or that I'm unintelligent, or that I'm posting with emotion or that I'm attacking you because I disagree with you. Or you can conveniently ignore this. Whatever.

I enjoy a good spirited debate...I do not enjoy half-assed exchanges that show the ignorance and asinine nature of an individual. I have let you get to me recently...I will work hard to make sure it does not happen anymore. Because you're a troublemaker and a fraud...and those are the last types of people that should get to me.

[TheMercenary]

<~~~~Tips glass to sycamore.

[classicman]

[TheMercenary]

And now this:

[BigV]

Originally Posted by lookout123

They've probably already done the work that is necessary for it, but they are smart enough to only bring an auto to market when the consumer is ready to buy enough units of the product to achieve profitability.

If you feel that is stupid or unamerican more power to you. you're just one man who is only responsible for your own purchases. until more people agree with you that it is all about the technology, car companies will continue cranking out cars they think people will buy. That usually starts with outward appearance as a top priority. "what do engineers think of my car?" falls pretty low on the list.

Toyota to suspend production of Tundra pickup in some plants and cancel production of Tundra in one plant, which will then produce the Prius.

From here.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by sycamore

From what I've seen over the past 7 years, you post some things that are well-known or enlightening in tandem with a large amount of information that may or may not be facts. It's all topped with personal commentary, and you claim to post without emotion. When you are asked to provide sources, you refuse to do so, claiming that "everyone should know" what you're talking about. You also cycle a lot of the same information--Lord knows how many times we've heard about how bad GM is, the dichead Sharon, etc. And when you are called out or your facts are refuted, you either ignore the information or try to twist the information to make it suit your stances. I have never once seen you admit that you might be wrong. Amazingly, I did get you to apologize once (not long ago) for not properly reading a post I made.

I have no doubt that you are an intelligent person, tw. But you use your intelligence in a manner that strips you of your credibility and makes you unbelievable. You've particularly stumbled a lot recently.

Now, you can reply by saying that I don't understand what you've been talking about, or that I'm unintelligent, or that I'm posting with emotion or that I'm attacking you because I disagree with you. Or you can conveniently ignore this. Whatever.

I enjoy a good spirited debate...I do not enjoy half-assed exchanges that show the ignorance and asinine nature of an individual. I have let you get to me recently...I will work hard to make sure it does not happen anymore. Because you're a troublemaker and a fraud...and those are the last types of people that should get to me.

Well said.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by BigV

Toyota to suspend production of Tundra pickup in some plants and cancel production of Tundra in one plant, which will then produce the Prius.

From here.

Looks like damn good marketing to me. Toyota was well accepted in the cities but had a hard time cracking the more rugged rural markets in the US. They had tried several times with trucks and SUV's only to be rebuffed. Then they decided to put the factories for their new larger more powerful trucks in the US. In rural, rugged parts of the US where men are men, so are the women, and the sheep run scared. Ford and Chevy country to be more precise. What do you know? After a little while Toyota trucks gained some credibility as a viable work truck for the tough guys. People who work in the factories realize they aren't "jap crap" and they buy them. Then their friends do. And their wives liked the SUVs and cars. Success. Toyota overtakes GM for number of units sold and still remains profitable.

In other parts of the country smaller more gas efficient cars are doing quite well. Not a lot is spent on marketing them but word of mouth works wonders. Scion and the Prius get a foothold. What's this? A fuel crisis? Who could have seen that coming? There is no part of the US that a toyota seems out of place now. Markets that were cracked by big tough trucks now will be more open to smaller, more efficient vehicles. Sounds pretty smart to me.

[TheMercenary]

I love my Toyota Tundra.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Toyota sales down 21% last month.

[classicman]

How does that relate to the other manufacturers? That better, worse or about the same?

[xoxoxoBruce]

The newspaper chart I saw that in said GM was less, something like 18%, and Chrysler in the 30s. Don't remember Ford.

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

How does that relate to the other manufacturers? That better, worse or about the same?

Last month, GM instituted more sales promotion including the 0% financing. This is how GM can claim a profit on this years sale while diverting losses to the financial operations. Those losses from 0% financing will not be felt for many years. IOW to keep sales figures up - an 18% sales drop in June. GM is again mortgaging its future. GM's May sales dropped 27%.

Ford dropped 28% in June compared to only 15% in May. Chrysler 36% compared to a 25% drop in May. Honda sales increased 1% compared to a 12% increase in May. Toyota went from a 4% sales decrease to a 21% decrease.

GM's 18% sales drop would have been in the 30 or 40 percentile without sales gimmicks and money games. The industry averaged a June 18% drop. (May's drop was 6% when GM had no sales incentives and a 27% sales drop.) Using 0% financing, et al, GM managed an average sales drop.

GM was recently hyping their increased quality. IOW GM was doing what others were doing 10 and more years ago. Others had moved 20 years ago to other innovations. One innovation is flex manufacture ring. Toyota plant in IN(?) that builds Tundra’s will be switched over to building Camry’s. No massive retooling. Same machines can build both vehicles because management comes from where the work gets done.

GM has no such abilities. Four SUV and pickup plants must shut down. GM cannot convert any plants to making Cobalts. That required planning in the engineering department - not in the accounting department. Flex manufacturing means cost increases when analysis is performed by bean counters - people who stifle innovation.

GM must mortgage precious capital; use money games to maintain sales of bad products. Last month was the exception. GM sales did not drop anywhere near what market analyst expected.

Few remember that GM was only 4 hours away from bankruptcy in 1991(?). How did GM 'fix' itself? Pension funds were shorted by about $7billion. Pension funds are supposed to be fully funded when the employee retires. Instead, GM played money games so that GM now has legacy costs. How does GM find $7billion for the pension fund when GM is only worth $6.5billion? No problem. PBGC. GM can dump those costs on the US Government.

More money games because GM products have been so crappy for so many decades. GM is estimate to have $20billion in cash reserves - and is eating that up at $1billion per month.

Also unknown is Chrysler. Since Chrysler is not public, then Chrysler's financial state is unknown. Nardelli who was running Home Depot under is now running Chrysler. Chrysler recently had to tap a credit line for $2billion implying that Chrysler had burned through its reserve cash. Well, when AT&T was in this position, nobody noticed. And AT&T was publically traded - its spread sheets were public record. If Chrysler is on the verge of bankruptcy, would anyone notice before the crash?

[classicman]

Originally Posted by tw

Chrysler recently had to tap a credit line for $2billion implying that Chrysler had burned through its reserve cash. Well, when AT&T was in this position, nobody noticed. And AT&T was publically traded - its spread sheets were public record. If Chrysler is on the verge of bankruptcy, would anyone notice before the crash?

I found the word "had" to be an interesting choice of yours. One would think that "chose" would be more appropriate for one who does not make assumptions.
Perhaps the "chose" to borrow money because of the lower interest rates.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Not to worry, we'll be in clover.

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by sycamore

I love my Cobalt...it has everything I want, and is perfect for me.
...

The Cobalt, which is made in Lordstown, Ohio, is ranked number 2 in most-American vehicle in a survey by Cars.com.