Robert Hall

Or the Yukon Denali was already under development and then Caddy jumped in at the last moment (after all, the differences between the '99 Denali and the Escalade are trivial, probably took 10 min to come up w/ the Escalade changes..

Many people on this forum are disconnected from reality, so I wouldn't expect realistic responses from many.

He's the all-seeing, all-knowing oracle of knowledge about GM's future..he's a well-connected playa in the game. (Or so that's how he portrays himself in his PCS persona)

IIRC, Hammond owns a '67 Mustang 2+2...he drove it one of the episodes.

Swerving back to the original topic---10 years ago, GM NA had 8 brands. Now, GM NA still has 8 brands (-Olds, +Hummer). What was their US market share in '98 vs. now? How many models now vs. then?

I wouldn't compare the T-Bird/Cougar to Taurus/Celebrity...t The T-Bird and Cougar competed with G-bodies (Monte Carlo, GP, Regal, Cutlass Supreme) until they were dropped, and then their GM-10 replacements (GP, Regal, Cutlass Supreme) which were certainly personal-lux coupes in both their G-body and FWD forms.. It was interesting how around 1990 Ford had 4 ranges of 4drs (Escort, Tempo, Taurus, CV--the usual subcompact, compact, midsize, full size ladder) while GM had 5-6, depending on the brand (J,L/N,A,GM-10,H,C,B).. When the Taurus first came out, I suppose it's closest GM competitor were the lookalike A-body siblings... then the GM-10 sedans followed 4 years later. Of course, in retrospect relative the '80s thread, 1989-1990 is a period in GM history best forgotten...

Sex Farm- Spinal Tap

Yeah, it wasn't clear from the thread if it was multiple yards or not.. the cars in the woods have way too much rust for Wyoming, Wyoming is dry and sunny like Colorado... I'm pretty sure the first set (Camaros, Firebirds, Mustangs) are in the West, judging by the paint fade and foliage...maybe Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, AZ, NM...

As bad as some of the GM FWDers were, the Tempo/Topaz were worse, I think. I had a good experience w/ a diesel Escort, though. As far as Chrysler, the K-cars seemed to be a mixed bag...I knew kids in my high school in '87/88 that had '83-84 Dodge 400s/LeBarons that were falling apart.. I've never been much of a FWD fan, but as far as the '80s, I've long liked the styling and overall design '79-85 E-bodies (Riviera/Toronado/ElDorado) and the '80-85 Seville...and the later C- and H- body, esp. the coupes (the Electra, slick LeSabre and 88 coupes, etc). Too bad they didn't do an '87-90 Bonneville coupe. It seems that for the most part, in the '70s and '80s, GM was at it's best with larger cars.

I think the rise of the SUV over the last 20 years is directly tied to the demise of the station wagon...fullsize, midsize, compact. Manufacturers realized it was cheaper to build their wagons on truck platforms and far more profitable...

I saw a gray Peugeot 405 today...it's probably the same gray 405 I see every couple of years. (There can't be very many Pugs still being driven in the US).

Fascinating pics...lots of vintage GMs.. Junkyard Pics

That seems the most plausible. One other development that I think is likely is that Prius is going to become a distinct brand with a range of models.

Guns? Canadians? That doesn't compute..

Yeah... I'm getting a Malibu/Traverse vibe as to what I can see of the grill..

Not a surprise that the minivan won...it's only rational that the boxiest vehicle would most likely have the most usable volume and practicality.

Yeah... though the Camaro will probably turn up in the rumoured Transformers series...

I saw a black 2009 Ford F150 Platinum Crew Cab in traffic today...looked pretty sharp. It had a Michigan mfgr plate, several antennas, and a strange thing on the roof that looked like a 2-headed spigot. Probably doing some high-altitude suburbia testing..(I saw it in Highlands Ranch--a natural habitat for SUVs and 4dr pickups, which is Denver's 'poster child for sprawl' suburb, that made it on the cover of National Geographic in the '90s).

My 20-yr old 5.0 Mustang gets 25-27 in steady 65 freeway driving, about 22-23 in mixed conditions. Pretty good for an '80s EFI V8.

At that angle, the rear shape reminds me a lot of the C6...

They are a pretty sweet car...I sat in one at an auto show, love the interior...though as far as exterior styling, I prefer the A8.

I like Pittsburgh also...having lived in that area as a kid and followed it's ups and downs, it seems to be a much better place all around now than it was then..it's one of the places I've considered moving to if I ever moved back to that part of the country. Re-adjusting to the gray, snow, ice and humidity would be a shock, though. But for my immediate future, it's going to be in the Valley of the Sun (I'm in the process of moving from Denver to Phoenix over the next month or so).

I'd love to see GM field a legit Range Rover competitor also..the question is which brand would it fit better under---Hummer, or Cadillac? An Escalade replacement that is more of a premium luxury SUV instead of a tacky blinged up Tahoe/Yukon could be a compelling RR competitor...

Me too...I've subscribed to C&D and R&T since I was 7 in '77..still have all of them...currently, I subscribe to them, Automobile, Collectible Automobile, and pick up CAR, Top Gear, Evo, Hemmings Muscle Machines, Hemmings Classic Cars occasionally.

One of the most important exports, IMHO, of the Golden State is the technology industry and it's products...the Silicon Valley is home to Apple, Google, BEA, Cisco, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Intel, Adobe, etc etc... all important companies to the US economy and global players...since I work in the biz, that's a very important aspect to me of the Golden State.