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Todays USA Today had an article on GM. They show a year to date sales of SSR's at 2703. Does anyone know if this includes 2004 and 2005 models combined or just 2005's????
Usa Today Article
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Look in SSR in the News, kwhopper89 has two posts with production figuresFishslayr1 said:
Rick Wagoner, Master Of the Understatement!
In this USA Today article, GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner, said this about GM producing way more SSR's than they were selling: "We don't get kudos in terms of the way we played it". The company should have shown more restraint on the production side to keep supply slightly behind demand, he acknowledged. Now there are enough SSR's sitting on lots to last dealers until July.
Knowing GM, and their past history of rewarding mediocre performance with astounding bonuses and pay raises, Rick will probably be lavishly rewarded in spite of losing some 5% market share and the stock losing nearly 50% of its value.
Seems like the poorer the performance the better the rewards. Sad but true.
In this USA Today article, GM's CEO, Rick Wagoner, said this about GM producing way more SSR's than they were selling: "We don't get kudos in terms of the way we played it". The company should have shown more restraint on the production side to keep supply slightly behind demand, he acknowledged. Now there are enough SSR's sitting on lots to last dealers until July.
Knowing GM, and their past history of rewarding mediocre performance with astounding bonuses and pay raises, Rick will probably be lavishly rewarded in spite of losing some 5% market share and the stock losing nearly 50% of its value.
Seems like the poorer the performance the better the rewards. Sad but true.
Rick Wagoner
He certainly seemed like a genuine 'car guy' when he visited the 'ssr fanatics' at the get together he hosted for all of us at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit last summer. Don't forget that the SSR was his pet project and was pushed into production in spite of a very questionable business case. He (the CEO of General Motors) wanted to put it into limited production only 'because they could' and it was symbolic of what GM could do if it felt like it.
If it wasn't for Rick Wagoner, the only SSR you'd ever get close to would have been on a turntable at the auto show some 5+ years ago.
Now go beat him up for making this 'toy' a reality. There aren't many leaders that display that kind of courage any more.......
I, for one, thank him every time I go out to play in the street....
He certainly seemed like a genuine 'car guy' when he visited the 'ssr fanatics' at the get together he hosted for all of us at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit last summer. Don't forget that the SSR was his pet project and was pushed into production in spite of a very questionable business case. He (the CEO of General Motors) wanted to put it into limited production only 'because they could' and it was symbolic of what GM could do if it felt like it.
If it wasn't for Rick Wagoner, the only SSR you'd ever get close to would have been on a turntable at the auto show some 5+ years ago.
Now go beat him up for making this 'toy' a reality. There aren't many leaders that display that kind of courage any more.......
I, for one, thank him every time I go out to play in the street....
Gosh Toy Truck, what was I thinking? I guess I shouldn't have stated the facts about GM's declining share of market and 50% drop in the value of their stock. The fact that the market cap. for GM has lost 15 BILLION dollars in value. (Went from $30 billion down to $15 billion). 30,000 GM employees have lost their jobs in the past 4 years due to declining sales. Innumerable pensioners, retirees, IRA accts., have watched the GM stock in their accts. go from $50 down to $26. Or as you stated, info. like this is "beating up" on GM and their CEO. I'm sure all these people will sleep well tonight knowing that you're able "to play in the streets with your toy". That's what's important. Sure don't want the people in the empire to know that the emperor doesn't have any clothes, do we?
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OK - anyone who owns shares in GM is not very happy right now, so Red Tn is right in his analysis of how GM has performed.
On the other hand, anyone who owns an SSR is very happy that GM did not follow the normal corporate logic and went ahead with production of the SSR, so Toy Truck is correct in his analysis.
I would recommend reading SSR - An Americal Original to get a better understanding of just how unlikely production of the SSR was. GM Execs probably got a little overly stimulated by the rave reviews of the concept, and placed a little too much stock in the initial demand from dealers.
Rick Waggoner was willing to own up to missing the mark on production numbers - at least he had the gonads to produce it - and aside from sales issues, the SSR has been an excellent PR vehicle - anyone who sees it is amazed that it's production, and a Chevy. It has to be huge for GM's corporate image.
I agree GM is in a mess, but the SSR and the Vette are two of very few exciting products in a vast array of blandness. GM has lacked excitement at every car show I've been to, including SEMA. Marketing needs to really kick it up a notch. And that doesn't mean parking the SSR at the back of the booth with the top up, doors locked and no effort to show how the top operates.
When the concept of the Nomad first came out, it was to have a Vette engine, possibly on the Impala SS frame - it was shelved, only to show up again on the Solstice frame.
The Nomad in its original form should have been out first, and would have taken a huge chunk out of the Magnum - I can't imagine any self-respecting hot rodder being excited about a 4 banger Nomad. The Mustang is enjoying a huge resurgence - ooooops - canned the Camaro and Firebird.
The thread on the American rowing team was a pretty entertaining, and unfortunately too accurate analysis of North American corporate structure - way too top heavy, and slow to react. Chrysler almost disappeared several years ago, and is enjoying a great run, largely due to the 300 and Magnum.
Hopefully GM can turn this around, but a turnaround has to be based on exciting new product and good price points. The Solstice has great potential - is there more hiding just around the corner?
Ray
On the other hand, anyone who owns an SSR is very happy that GM did not follow the normal corporate logic and went ahead with production of the SSR, so Toy Truck is correct in his analysis.
I would recommend reading SSR - An Americal Original to get a better understanding of just how unlikely production of the SSR was. GM Execs probably got a little overly stimulated by the rave reviews of the concept, and placed a little too much stock in the initial demand from dealers.
Rick Waggoner was willing to own up to missing the mark on production numbers - at least he had the gonads to produce it - and aside from sales issues, the SSR has been an excellent PR vehicle - anyone who sees it is amazed that it's production, and a Chevy. It has to be huge for GM's corporate image.
I agree GM is in a mess, but the SSR and the Vette are two of very few exciting products in a vast array of blandness. GM has lacked excitement at every car show I've been to, including SEMA. Marketing needs to really kick it up a notch. And that doesn't mean parking the SSR at the back of the booth with the top up, doors locked and no effort to show how the top operates.
When the concept of the Nomad first came out, it was to have a Vette engine, possibly on the Impala SS frame - it was shelved, only to show up again on the Solstice frame.
The Nomad in its original form should have been out first, and would have taken a huge chunk out of the Magnum - I can't imagine any self-respecting hot rodder being excited about a 4 banger Nomad. The Mustang is enjoying a huge resurgence - ooooops - canned the Camaro and Firebird.
The thread on the American rowing team was a pretty entertaining, and unfortunately too accurate analysis of North American corporate structure - way too top heavy, and slow to react. Chrysler almost disappeared several years ago, and is enjoying a great run, largely due to the 300 and Magnum.
Hopefully GM can turn this around, but a turnaround has to be based on exciting new product and good price points. The Solstice has great potential - is there more hiding just around the corner?
Ray
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