Oracle of Delphi

I'm with you my brother from another mother!

8 brands, way to many! Let's buy Chrysler and add 3 more! Soon we'll have 11.

My newest creation. Taken from earlier in the day.

James B. Treece Automotive News November 3, 2008 - 1:59 pm ET Dear Mr. President: Please raise the gasoline tax. The country needs to keep moving toward using less imported oil, which means less use of oil -- period. The federal government has mandated higher fuel economy standards. That's a first step. But we tried that before in an era of cheap gasoline, and it failed. You can take fuel-efficient cars to the consumers, but you can't make shoppers open their wallets. They need a reason to want those cars. For a while this year, we had that. With gasoline prices up around $4 a gallon (still a bargain by world standards), consumers wanted fuel-efficient cars. But now gasoline prices are back at, or below, $2 a gallon. If it stays at that level, folks will go back to commuting in half-ton pickups, and we'll keep sending container boats full of cash to Saudi Arabia. But if Americans know that fuel prices will keep rising, they'll shop for cars differently, and all the efforts that the Detroit 3 and other carmakers are putting into engineering high-mileage vehicles won't go to waste. Congress may fight you on this. The folks on Capitol Hill may say that a recession is a bad time to impose extra fuel costs on a weary nation. And they're right. So here's what you do. Impose a 10-cent surcharge on the fuel price -- effective in 2010. That's when a wave of fuel-efficient cars and trucks will begin to appear in the Detroit 3's showrooms. No need to create demand before the supply is there, right? And we can cross our fingers that by 2010 we'll be past the worst of this recession. Then up the ante. Raise the surcharge another 10 cents a year for each of the following four years, so that by 2014 it is 50 cents. Car shoppers can shake off a one-time price increase. They'll behave differently if they know that prices are going to keep rising. Also, do not promise to use the added fuel taxes on roads and highways. That just encourages more driving. Oh, you can use it to repair some bridges, if you want. But mostly, use it elsewhere. Pay down the federal debt. Buy better armor for our men and women in uniform. Invest in those alternative fuels we need. Personally, I'd spend it improving the railroad track for medium-distance travel. You know, the trips that used to be a one- to two-hour flight: say, Detroit to Chicago, Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, San Antonio to Dallas. Today, with all the hassles of airport security, flights between those cities take three to five hours -- the same as driving. If high-speed rail service could make the trip in less than two hours, people would get on board. The government doesn't have to run the trains, but it does have to maintain the track, same as it makes sure the skies are safe with air traffic controllers. But that's just one idea. The main point is to give the American public a reason to want the fuel-efficient cars that are coming. They're going to be great vehicles. It will be a shame if Americans shun them in favor of more Hummer 3s. Yours truly, James B. Treece Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20081103/A...paign_id=alerts

Jamie LaReau Automotive News November 3, 2008 - 12:22 pm ET UPDATED: 11/3/08 3:13 p.m. EST DETROIT -- General Motors said today it is starting its annual Red Tag sale early this year. The sale, which typically begins just before Thanksgiving weekend, will start tomorrow and run until Jan. 5. GM also has launched a pair of direct-mail incentives programs, dealers said. In a sales call to analysts and the media, GM marketing chief, Mark LaNeve confirmed GM would be starting the Red Tag sale Nov. 4. "To get things going we're going to move up our traditional Red Tag sale," says LaNeve, GM's vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing. "We typically start it Thanksgiving weekend, we're going to start it tomorrow. It'll be a net price play much like Employee Discount. We're going to have a very aggressive ad campaign a across all of our divisions." LaNeve says GM will be more aggressive overall in its marketing. "We're going to attack the market with as much media weight as we can throw against it," he adds. Dealers said that in previous years the dealer council had requested moving the sale up to the first week of November to be on par with competitors' programs. "It's a stronger play than what they had last month," said Lynn Thompson, president of Thompson Motor Sales in Springfield, Mo. "They want to make sure they are out there and competitive from day one." The sale will encompass all GM brands, including Saab, but exclude some GM products, such as the Cadillac CTS-V, dealers say. The Red Tag sale means customers will get almost the GM supplier price on most GM products, including some hot-selling products such as the Buick Enclave. Rebates on top of sale price The supplier price is 4 percent more than the employee price. That means a new Buick Enclave -- usually priced at $36,530 including shipping -- would be priced at $34,608 less an applicable incentive, says one Buick-GMC dealer. And there will be rebates on top of the supplier price up to $8,500 (including dealer cash) on select 2008 and 2009 models, the dealer said. GM is offering up to $7,250 in customer cash under the plan, GM said. One example, the GMC 2008 Yukon XL now has $8,500 on it, says one dealer. One other good deal is the Cadillac Escalade, Thompson says. That vehicle is part of the Red Tag sale at the supplier price, plus there is $6,750 cash on the hood and some dealer cash on top of that discount. "This is really the first time that Cadillac, Hummer and Saab went in on this with Buick-Pontiac-GMC and Chevrolet on the Red Tag event," Thompson says. "So this is big." As part of the sale, GM will offer a lease pull ahead of up to two monthly payments for those who are in a lease that expires if your lease expires between Nov. 4 and June 30, 2009. Direct-mail incentives launched GM is also launching two new incentives on most models, but they are targeted at select customers. In a program dubbed "Garage Mate," GM is mailing an unspecificed number of $2,000-off coupons for "most" 2008 and 2009 models, according to a memo to dealers obtained by Automotive News. Those coupons will go to customers who own at least one GM vehicle and a competitive vehicle that is "modeled to be in-market for repurchase," the memo said. The second incentive plan also is a direct mailing. GM will offer $1,500 direct-mail cash on most 2008 and 2009 models to a select list of non-GMAC loan holders who do not own a GM vehicle. Both direct-mail programs are planned to run through Jan. 5, the memo said. GM spokesman Johnn McDonald had no comment on the two direct-mail incentive offerings, saying: "It's a private direct-mail piece only available to people who receive it." FACT SHEET: GM's 2008 Red Tag sales "The Price On The Tag Is The Price You Pay" GM is launching its Red Tag Event, where participating dealers will use red tags on vehicles to advertise their prices so customers can see at a glance the price they'll pay (including all cash back incentives) on the exciting lineup of new GM vehicles. The Red Tag Event runs from Tuesday, November 4, 2008 through Monday, January 5, 2009. Here are the details: • The Red Tag Event provides special pricing and Customer Cash from $0 up to $7,250 to customers purchasing an eligible new 2008 or 2009MY vehicle, while supplies last. (Excludes Cadillac CTS-V series, Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 and Medium-Duty trucks) See examples below. • Dealers are instructed to write a price on the Red Tag, and to make it the price the customer will pay. This makes it simple for consumers to find great year-end deals on an outstanding GM vehicle. Dealers have been asked to be sure that the price on the Red Tag includes all applicable incentives and other fees, and excludes only tax, title and registration fees. • While GM will create special pricing on each eligible vehicle, dealers will also use factory-to-dealer incentives and their own price reductions to create even lower prices on many vehicles in inventory for the Red Tag Event. Dealers will place Red Tags on the specially-priced units. • All GM divisions are participating in the Red Tag Event. The limited-time offer runs Tuesday, November 4, 2008 through Monday, January 5, 2009. • 2008 and 2009 Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, HUMMER and GMC Truck models also include a 100,000 mile/5-year Powertrain limited warranty, which is fully transferable and has no deductible. When you add in roadside assistance and courtesy transportation, it's the best coverage in America. This also is a great opportunity for customers to discover the outstanding value, exclusive features and fuel economy of some of our most popular cars and trucks. Note: Customers should visit their neighborhood GM dealer for complete details and offer restrictions. For more information about GM's current offers, visit: http://www.gm.com/vehicles/currentoffers/ Red Tag Event Examples (tax, title and license fees are extra): 2008 GMC Yukon Denali AWD $56,315 MSRP Red Tag Price $51,830 Cash Back Offers -$5,000 Red Tag Price after cash back $46,830 or less ($9,485 value compared to MSRP) 2008 Chevy Silverado 1500 4WD $29,480 MSRP Red Tag Price $27,397 Cash Back Offers -$5,500 Red Tag Price after cash back $21,897 or less ($7,583 value compared to MSRP) 2008 Buick Lucerne $31,880 MSRP Red Tag Price $30,446 Cash Back Offers -$3,750 Red Tag Price after cash back $26,696 or less ($5,184 value compared to MSRP) 2009 Saturn Vue XE $23,745 MSRP Red Tag Price $22,675 Cash Back Offers -$1,000 Red Tag Price after cash back $21,675 or less ($2,070 value compared to MSRP) Link: http://www.autonews.com/article/20081103/A.../811030260/1078

Automotive News November 3, 2008 - 12:06 pm ET UPDATED: 11/3/08 3:57 p.m. EST DETROIT -- Auto sales at General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC plunged in October, dragging the U.S. industry to a 32 percent decline and its weakest performance in a quarter century. GM plummeted 45.1 percent from a year earlier. Ford sold 132,248 cars and trucks, down 32 percent. Toyota Motor Corp. outsold Ford on its way to its 23 percent drop. Daimler AG and American Honda were down more than 24 percent, while Nissan, Hyundai and Chrysler were all down at least 33 percent. "If you adjust for population growth, this is probably the worst industry sales month in the post-WWII era," said Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president for sales and marketing. "Until the credit markets open up and consumer confidence improves, the entire U.S. economy, and any industry like autos that relies on financing, will suffer." October's performance pushed the industry's slide for the year-to-date to 14.6 percent -- or nearly 2 million units -- to 11.6 million vehicles sold. The industry sold 13.6 million vehicles through the same 10-month period a year ago. Vehicles sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 10.9 million, the lowest since March 1983, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. For the second time in as many months, industry sales fell below 1 million. It was the U.S. market's 12th-straight monthly decline and the second straight of more than 25 percent. No hot segments "When the industry is hovering around 11 million, there are no hot segments or hot products," Ford sales analyst George Pipas said today. "These are very challenging times.'' U.S. auto sales averaged 16.8 million this decade through 2007. Ford's U.S. brands -- Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury -- fell 29.2 percent. Its Volvo unit plunged 52.1 percent. Ford's comparisons factor in 5,267 Jaguars and Land Rovers from October 2007; the U.K. brands are now owned by India's Tata Motors Ltd. Lowest since March 1983 Of the four biggest automakers in the United States, only two have reported monthly sales increases this year: GM in January and Toyota in April. Ford's last increase was in November 2007. Chrysler has posted one monthly gain under its current owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP, in December. Cerberus is talking to GM and other automakers about a possible sale. Audi posts a gain Volkswagen's Audi luxury unit was the only brand to have an increase for the month. The VW brand dropped 7.9 percent. "This is the toughest economy we've seen in a long time," Mark Barnes, COO of VW Group of America, said in a statement. Porsche, Isuzu, and Suzuki fell more than 45 percent. Jim Tidwell Ford in Atlanta sold 132 new and used vehicles in October, said Blake Dobbs, new-car sales manager. At the start of the year, the monthly average was about 250. A 31 percent decline in average U.S. gasoline prices during the month helped trucks, he said. But one new Ford vehicle, the Flex, has been a disappointment, said Dobbs. "We ordered a bunch to help Ford out, but the price point is too high,'' he said. "We only sold two in October." Link: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...paign_id=alerts

Please, in future, when you refer to GME's Plan(s), don't forget to put the word Master, between the words GME's and Plan(s).

Waving is not my thing.

Well to be honest, there is not much love between Opel and Holden, so maybe it's for the best. It will give y'all a chance to enjoy GMDAT.

Yeah, he's turned his back on his fellow veterans. Two votes here for Obama! 31.5 hours to go before I vote for Obama at the US Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany. Let my vote be the beginning of the landslide for Obama.

Superior is the word I think you're grasping for.

Not the clowns I know.

Bird In Hand, PA - Village in Pennsylvania It's near Blue Ball, PA and Paradise, PA !

Dear Chris Doane, It has come to my attention ..., what not that C D? Ohhhh, never mind!

Really? As companies in the USA lay off millions of people?

Coming to a circus near you! With those wheels and that front fascia I expect this will be a favorite of many clowns, after all they need clown cars too.

Let me clarify, As a European/American, I am a Reagan Democrat for one major reason, his policies brought down the Iron Curtain and freed East Germany and the rest of Eastern Europe. For that alone I admire the man.

I like grits!

I would have the oil changed at your Saturn Dealership "Cough, Retailer, Cough" before you go, that way there is a record of your concern, should something happen in the near future.

I'm not as Liberal as some may think, I'm a Reagan Democrat philosophically, the trouble is Reagan isn't around anymore.

GERD - Acid Reflux

I thought your little thread here was not supposed to be negative. I know English is not your 1st language, perhaps you should look up the meaning of negative in an English dictionary.

I think your confusing Crochet with the game of Croquet. :rotflmao: My response, Confused!

You also don't get to have the Chevy Orlando or Beat either.

Thou shall not ask questions, when one can Google. http://www.oldbay.com/ My response is Croquet