In a year of turmoil and financial uncertainty, one thing if for sure, GM still isn't making a profit. To hammer (not Hummer) a point, they failed to successfully negotiate the sale of Saab, not once, but twice. Why is it so hard to
market a Swedish car company (when Tiger Woods has brought acute popularity to the country)? It isn't, but low-ball offers met with American stubbornness and the result, the Saab moniker goes the way of the Pontiac, Saturn, and Oldsmobile (remember those).What does the future hold? If the LA Auto Show was any indicator, then it will be electric
vehicles that the public cannot afford. Tesla, not interested. Audi (and I love Audis) may have a near miss with the E-tron. But the Chevy Volt is making its way to not finding its niche in the marketplace.
Hummer is still struggling to cut through the Chinese red tape and complete the sale to Tengzhong Industrial Machinery. So where are the new cars? The Ford Fiesta took a detour thanks to a mid-day siesta courtesy of half-hearted viral marketing and a grass-roots user experience launched by the Red Bull swigging crowd of twenty-somethings. The Taurus is back, however, and in the potent SHO formula, sho-nuff. But with American auto sales down 19% for the year, people seen to be holding on to their vehicles just a little longer. That is unless you own a Toyota. In that case, hold on to your hats! The Japanese powerhouse suffered a black eye of 1980's Audi proportions with their own version of unintended acceleration. Sure it was initially a floor mat problem that ultimately turned out to be bad PR spin when an accelerator issue was found to be the culprit. Toyota reluctantly launched the largest recall in its company's history.
So what does 2010 hold? How about some payback from GM and Chrysler. Remember those billions of dollars thanks to Paulson's TARP program? The American public would like a return on this particular investment, and a discount on a Chrysler with a HEMI that no one wanted in the first place seems like a continuation of cruel and unusual punishment. The only other hemi causing this much discomfort usually comes with a Costco-size dosage of Preparation H. 2010, you have the potential to look up...way up!
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