The Auto Industry
The post-bankruptcy
fed-owned GM is gaining altitude. Unfortunately for you and fortunately for the
rest of us, who want the company to succeed, and in so doing
make taxpayers whole on their investment the company posted a healthy profit last year,
global sales are rebounding. GM is a fraction of its former, overgrown self. The board and most of the
executive management has been replace, the UAW has been given a pretty good haircut; the electric Chevy
Volt is on track on time to be releases as promised. Hundreds of thousands of jobs were preserved. If GM
had gone into liquidation there was no financing available for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy GM’s
collapse would have acted like a black hole, further destabilizing the economy and obliterating the value of car
companies and suppliers. I’m not saying it was pretty, so little of summer ’10 was, and I’m not predicting
that taxpayers will absolutely break even. I am saying the alternative would have been far worse. Why,
Martha can’t this guy keep polices out of car reviews is because car building buying is inherently
political. I’ve received dozens of Purple face emails in the past year declaring, “I’ll never buy another
GM because of either the bailout, Obama or the UAW.
That’s perfectly
legitimate, Consumers vote with their dollars, and as much as we’d like the
universe of commerce to operate outside the gravity of ideology, it
doesn’t. So while I understand this is a season of deep discontent with big G government, with all due respect
I-invite you to consider the possibility that Government Motors will actually build some fine cars.
The Regal has been a kind of automotive development of this midsize, front drive platform Epsilon II)
was begun at GM’s Opel operations in Germany, in 2004. It was intended to be the next generation
Saturn Aura for No. America but when the money losing Saturn division went away in the reorganization
plan; Gm. quickly rebadged the car known as the Opel insignia in Europe as a Buick. It’s also built
and sold as a Buick in China, where it’s been a huge success. Meanwhile, as GM was lurching toward
bankruptcy in 2009, it put Opel up for sale, which would have been a mistake, given the division’s role in
global product development. But by November the board of the new GM made up mostly of Obama Administration
appointees wisely decide to hang on to Opel. All of which led to the Opel Insignia/Buick
Regale’s arriving on our shores. How is it, well, it’s kind of terrific. Thick shouldered, wide, a graceful canopy
and about as nice a front end as can be managed with Buicks’ fussy waterfall grille. The Regale’s
look is competent and substantial, with the kind of sporty visual amplitude you’d expect of and
autobahn bred car. I really like the hockey-stick shaped accent line in the fuselage. This car nicely bottles
pride of ownership, everywhere you look in the GM bailout.
The base model, the CXL, is powered by a
direct injection, 2.4liter, 182 hp four cylinders and six-speed Automatic with manual shift mode. Amenities include
heated leather seats. OnStar and Bluetooth. Price: $27,000 For 2,500 more Buick will throw in
its 2.0 liter, 22 hp turbocharged Exotic four cylinders, 19- Inch wheel and what GM calls Interactive
Drive Control, which includes Sport and touring modes for suspension, throttle response, steering. The
Highway fuel economy tor the non-turbo is 30 mpg while The turbo returns 29 mpg. The 4 cyl Buick Regal is
a nut and bolt clone of the Opel Insignia, which was Europe’s Car of the Year in 2009. A half-foot
shorter than the Lacrosse the Regal feels like it should be pounding around the Peripherique instead of
muddling through California freeway traffic. Taut and torque, with bankable style and features, the Buick
hands it to its intended competitor, the Acura TSX.
The benefits of
Bailout Prebankruptcy GH’s list of problems were long and stubborn. High
pension and health insurance liabilities, a vastly overgrown,
insupportable corporate structure, and then the crisis in auto sales, which plunged them below their
inflated break even sales volume. But it’s biggest problem, many would argue, was a self-inflicted wound called
product. The company is still a long way from healthy, but only the most ideologically driven naysayer
w\could drive the Regal and conclude the company’s products aren’t coming back. Buick execs have
confirmed a yet hotter edition of the car, the Regal GS dredging up the old Gran Sport name will hit the
market this year. That car will have a high output turbo engine of 2444 hp, six speed manual transmission,
all-wheel drive limited-slip differential knotty Rambo brakes, the whole smash. Deeply impressing, if
not quite panting with desire.
Dr. Karl Wallace DDS
To read more Dr. Wallace
opinions go to: karlwallaceblog.blogspot.com
