GM and its impact on FIRST

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

I believe that Craig is very wrong, and GM will emerge from a re-organization as a much smaller company. There will be many changes along the way, making GM a different entity within 5 years.

Here's another way to look at this, from a FIRST perspective:

If any of us are in the market for a new or previously-owned vehicle, why don't we go out and purchase a car that is made by one of the companies who have supported FIRST programs for many years?

Let's see... Chrysler, GM, Ford... they have supported FIRST. Maybe we should support them, eh? I don't see Subaru, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes, BMW, or other non-US-based auto companies being major sponsors of FIRST events and foundations. In this tight economic times, I suggest we support the companies who are supporting what we are passionate about, instead of piling on and giving up on them.

Andy B.

I personally would buy a car for far different reasons than who they gave Charity too. It's all about reliability, efficiency, weight, and performance for me, in that exact order. GM seems to have the opposite order. Yes, they have a few models that are exceptions, but the bulk of their product is heavy cars with good highway power. Americans clearly don't want that type of car, or the sales would be much better. (And yes, I understand that I'm simplifying the issues here, but this is a sponsorship debate, not a Macroeconomics discussion)

Originally Posted by Tom Line

I suspect you are quite wrong.

Are you aware that portions of subaru applied for bankruptcy in 2000, and they also applied for some of the $25 billion on auto aid loans authorized by the DOE this year?

Yep, entirely aware. However, in direct comparison across every factor, Subaru is currently beating GM. Reliability: Win. Efficiency: Major win. Performance: HUGE win in handling, because America is the only one with an obsession for Drag.

I guess I'm plagued by having no customer loyalty to any brand. I'll buy the best out there for the best price, and currently no American car maker (other than Jeep) delivers what in my eyes constitutes as the best.

That being said, I in no way believe that consumers should give up on GM. If they release the volt for a reasonable price, you can bet I'd buy it if I had the money. When a company innovates, I'm all in favor. But that innovation has grown mainly stagnant due to the massive size of GM, and they're currently shedding dead weight. Once the shedding is complete, if anything emerges, the beast will be far different. I have a feeling the company that emerges will remember to cater to the consumer, rather than attempt to dictate what the consumer wants. This isn't the same type of times that Ford has gone through; and GM doesn't have a Crown Victoria to be bought in large enough quantities to keep them afloat. After all, Ford would be long gone had they not repackaged the Crown Vic as the Police Interceptor.

TL;DR - I hope GM recovers and gets back on track with sponsorship, but as things stand now I don't see them returning to the previous potency.