Oracle of Delphi

When the Maharaja of Orchha desired bespoke bodywork for his new Cadillac V-16 chassis, he did what most fashion-conscious royal family members do: He went shopping in Europe. It was 1931, and France was in its heyday as the provider of haute couture bodywork for the bare running chassis one could purchase from the likes of Duesenberg, Bugatti, and yes, Cadillac. But instead of sampling the goods at Figoni et Falaschi or Franay, the Maharaja chose to engage the talents of a young Italian designer/coachbuilder named Battista Farina. Carrozzeria Farina was founded just a year earlier, but already, Farina's talents were being spoken of in glowing terms. The one-off Cadillac he created and built for the Maharaja was elegant and of good proportion. It had the appearance of a coupe, with racy, cut-down front doors, a low windscreen, and boat-inspired tail, although it had four doors and room for as many. Farina was a handsome, compact, intense gentleman, and his nickname was "Pinin." But it wasn't until 1960 that his nickname and last name were blended to become his legal family name and also the official moniker of the company we now know as Pininfarina. Today, the Turin-based automotive and industrial design giant boasts a global client list. For example, Pininfarina is the designer of every Ferrari and Maserati model currently in production. It's not uncommon for American (and other) car companies to consult with or engage the services of outside design consultants in order to augment the efforts of their in-house styling teams. These tend to be short-term contracts for a single car, or at most a few. In some cases, the ideas and sketches remain that and are never built. But Cadillac and Pininfarina have engaged each other numerous times over the last 50 years -- unique as these partnerships go. It's believed GM's first chief designer, Harley Earl, and Battista Farina met in 1934, when Earl was traveling around Europe in a LaSalle, a lower cost, sportier companion brand to Cadillac. The two companies didn't begin conceiving and building cars until the 1950s. Several were concept cars; those shiny, turntable dream machines you see at the auto shows, which are often used to gain press and public reaction to possible future design ideas. A few others were limited production models. Battista died in 1966, although his son, Sergio Pininfarina had taken the reins of the company some years prior and is still very much involved today. Sergio and then Cadillac general manager John Smith most recently continued the connection with the Allante roadster, on the market from 1987 through the 1993 model year. Will this most American carmaker and the deeply Italian design house collaborate again in the future? Considering that Cadillac is again becoming competitive as a luxury automotive brand, and Pininfarina is as capable as it's ever been, the results could be compelling. Here's a look at several of their previous efforts. Article Continues: http://www.motortrend.com/features/consume...tion/index.html

For those living close to the U.S.-Mexico border, buying gas down south could prove a plausible way to beat the current fuel price hikes felt across the nation. With the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas topping out at $4.08, the practice of travelling down south is quickly gaining popularity among drivers near the border. By living near one of the largest border cities in the U.S., residents of San Diego are now willing to wait upward of three hours to cross in and out of Mexico to purchase their share of gasoline at significantly cheaper prices. Currently a gallon of regular unleaded in San Diego costs on average $4.61, while in Tijuana, Mexico, the same gas costs $2.54. Generally speaking, an owner of a two-year-old Ford F-150 pickup with a 26-gallon tank could theoretically save upwards of $54 dollars by filling up in Baja California, Mexico. Diesel, too, is cheaper down south compared with the U.S. A gallon of diesel from Mexico costs $2.20, while in San Diego it runs slightly over $5. Some Mexican gas stations even offer the gas cheaper if buyers purchase fuel using pesos. Gas stations are able to sell fuel at much lower prices due to a federal subsidy provided to the government-owned Pemex stations -- the only gas stations allowed in Mexico. The government funding effectively keeps the prices in check during times of rapid fluctuation. Though buying gas in Mexico seems like a bright idea, it does come with its fair share of disadvantages. At face value, consumers are in fact getting gas at a reduce cost, but according to some opponents to the idea, Mexican fuel is said to be less refined and inferior in overall quality. Higher amounts of sulfur within the gasoline could damage catalytic convertors with extended usage and can prevent the car from passing future smog checks in California. There is also the hurdle of crossing the border back into the states once your tank is topped off. A regular-sized car is said to consume one gallon of fuel per hour at idle, while an average border crossing can take well over two hours during peak times, thus nixing some of the cost benefits. Article: http://wot.motortrend.com/6256802/auto-new...xico/index.html

Well, I have my moments! :AH-HA_wink:

What a shame for the poor people there!

If I had the power to save GMNA from itself, this is what I would do. 1. Make Chevrolet the value leader brand in price and function. Give them small cars (GMDAT) (Delta II), midsize cars (ep II), one large car, all FWD and Chevy Trucks, I also would give them and entry level CUV (Theta). They will retain the Camaro, no matter what platform it rides on. All platforms able to run off more than one type of Fuel, which I do think is a Federal law by 2010. 2. Make Pontiac the Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) of North America. Allow Pontiac to take any platform within GMNA (including Alpha) and infuse it with Pontiac DNA with RWD being it's focus, however every now and then allow Pontiac to take a FWD platform and do the same thing. I would also give the Corvette to Pontiac, since outside of North America it is not sold at Chevy, it is a brand unto itself. 3. Kill the Saturn brand name and change it to Opel/Saab, sell GM's European brands in North America through this outlet. Using GME's technology and Green initiatives. 4. As for Buick, they would get a small FWD (Delta II) car and a new Kappa(RWD) in 2012, EP II midsize, a large RWD sedan and of course the Enclave (Lambda). All Buicks will be designed by GM Chinese engineers since Buick's largest market is/will be China, however the platforms will be the same in China and North America, there will be no differences between a Chinese or American Buick, no matter where they are assembled. GMC would also be sold in the same Buick outlets in North America. 5. Cadillac would simply be GM's world Luxury brand, with all platforms being RWD and sold wherever in the world, the market will support it. 6. I would also have GM acquire a Motorcycle division or build it from the ground up, with fuel prices going up this would be an ideal addition to GM now, Hmmm, what name to use Oldsmobile or perhaps just GM Cycles. These stores would be stand alone stores, much like Honda and BMW motorcycles are. 7. I would jettison Hummer and perhaps make an offer to Chrysler for Jeep to fill that void. Jeep has a better environmental cache than Hummer does. Well there are my ideas, I guess you are all glad I'm not the CEO now!

Actually you know me least of all, all you know is a persona on a forum. :AH-HA_wink: And no, I am not GM old skool as you put it. No one hated Roger Smith and Bob Stemple more than I did, when I joined GM in 1989 at the Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas.

Nice to see you back Fly, you have been missed at least by me.

No, not what I said at all, and don't pretend to think that you know me, because you don't.

No, GM's headquarters is in North America, at least for now. However GM is a global company, just ask Bob Lutz. :AH-HA_wink:

Bob here is what I am suggesting. Look at GM as if it were a patient that had bone cancer of the leg. The doctors will evaluate the condition of the patient, then after the test come back in, they will recommend a course of action. If it's not to bad they will treat it with radiation and chemotherapy. If that doesn't work and the cancer threatens the life of the patient, then drastic measures may need to be taken, such as amputation up to the knee or perhaps the whole leg might need to be removed to stop the spread of the disease. GMNA has had the radiation and chemotherapy treatments and the disease in North America is getting worse not better. Perhaps now is the time GM has to look at what is better for GM as a whole, should it risk death with a diseased limb, or amputate the affected limb and move on with it's life.

Who's talking about Europe or Korea? We are talking about GMNA, as in North America. Did you even read the article?

If that were the case, he would be 5 or under, the other way he would have to be 60+. :AH-HA_wink:

If you dad wore hats like that, you're way older than I thought!

I also favor splitting off the troubled North American business from the profitable overseas units and issuing stock in the latter. That way GM could either sell that business without affecting the profitable portions of GM or close it altogether and take a tax write-off from the U.S. government, if things get worse there. I need to ramp up this message in GME.

Well, well, well, caddycruiser, you should email me your price, @ [email protected] I will consider it. Now I have something for you. I am going to give you a link that will allow any College Grad to get a GM Supplier discount, along with any other offers or incentives that GM is offering. I hope this helps you decide in favor of GM, instead of any other car maker. :AH-HA_wink: Link: https://www.exclusivegmoffer.com/ip-gmpop/i....do?program=cgp Please register when you get there!

On September 15, 2008, Automotive News will publish a special edition on the 100th Anniversary of General Motors. The cost of this special issue will be $24.95 US, more if you want overnight shipping. If you want to reserve a copy here is the link. Hopefully you won't have to be a subscriber to order it. Link: http://sectest.crain.com/survey/an/cgi-bin/gm100.pl

Saturn - Astra Pontiac - Vibe Chevy - Colbalt Pontiac - G5 Edit - Also if you want AWD, then get the Vibe.

Well many of you know I am a low carb fanatic, but tonight, I loaded up the family, even the beagle and we went to Bruster's Ice Cream. I got a double waffle cone with 1 scope of banana, and 1 scope of chocolate ice cream. That's how I beat the heat tonight. Link: http://www.brusters.com/

Kinder

Very, very nice find.

I'm with moltar, all this whine and no cheese. :rotflmao:

DETROIT - Asked recently how the U.S. minivan market has been faring, Nissan's Dominique Thormann had a concise answer. "It collapsed," said Thormann, a senior vice president of Nissan North America. While the rapid decline in pickup and sport utility sales has been grabbing the headlines, minivan sales have also taken a tumble, falling 20 percent in the first five months of this year. And unlike trucks, which could rebound once the construction industry picks up, it's unclear if minivans have a future in the U.S. market or if they're being killed off by crossovers and the stodgy taint of the soccer mom image. "The future of the segment is up in the air," said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis for the Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates. Libby said the advantages of minivans — the sliding doors and height — has been eroded by the negative image of minivans and consumer preference for SUV-like styling. The slump reflects what's going on in the wider U.S. market. Overall auto sales were down 8 percent through May, and big vehicles like minivans took the brunt of it because of high gas prices. Large pickup truck sales fell 21 percent, while large SUVs were down 32 percent. It doesn't help that families — minivans' target audience — have been particularly impacted by rising gas and food prices, falling home values and more difficulty in borrowing money, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst for the Waltham, Mass.-based consulting company Global Insight. "Everything that a family needs is more expensive right now, and so the last thing they're looking at is do they need to replace their Honda Odyssey," she said. But even before the economy took its toll, families were migrating away from minivans. U.S. minivan sales peaked at 1.37 million in 2000, 17 years after Chrysler introduced them. They've been falling at a steady rate since then, to 793,335 last year. This year, sales are expected to fall below 650,000 for the first time since 1986. One reason is the rise of crossovers, which offer similar space but more car-like handling. In March through May of 2004, 12 percent of minivan owners trading in their vehicles bought a crossover. That rose to 26 percent in the same period this year, according to the Power Information Network. Crossovers accounted for just 4 percent of the U.S. market in 2000; they now account for 19 percent. Another reason for minivans' decline is that some players have left the market. General Motors Corp. will stop making minivans by the end of this year, while Ford Motor Co. quit producing the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey in 2006. Thormann said Nissan has no plans to exit the market for now, despite a 34 percent drop in sales of the Nissan Quest so far this year. Thormann said that first, Nissan needs to figure out where large SUV buyers are going and whether they will choose to downsize to minivans. "The fact is that the minivan hit a particular need. Then, that same need was satisfied — because fuel was cheap, because affordability was high — with an SUV," he said. "But once you're stuck up there and you're thinking, 'Oh, wait a minute, do I need to be a little bit more rational and do I need to come down a notch without sacrificing much utility?' Does the minivan become an alternative to that or is it the crossover?" Story Continues on page 2: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25046105/

A 1919 Stanley Steamer, this is the 2nd time in a year I saw this car, someone must own it near where I live, well at least it doesn't need gasoline. Sorry for the poor pic quality, blame my cellphone.

This is already happening, hence the rise of GM Europe, within GM itself.

I wouldn't hold my breath on a 5-6 year min run, especially if gas hits 5 or 6 bucks a gallon. The GM Board seems to be in a foul mood these days, and as they say, nothing in this life is guaranteed, so if you want one, I would buy one ASAP.