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  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited August 2012
    "A pair of Cadillac Fleetwood V-16s that were built from drawings that date back to the Great Depression will be on display at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance." (Inside Line)

    image
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Good God! That is BEAUTIFUL!!! There's an excellent article in the current issue of Collectible Automobile about the 1936-38 Cadillac Series 60. One of the all-time great designs - the 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special was design by the great Bill Mitchell when he was only 24! The Sixty Special ensured Cadillac's future and that of Bill Mitchell at GM.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    G.M. Has High Hopes for New, Smaller Cadillac (Detroit News)
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,083
    Lemko, I know I've posted this before, but Bill Mitchell, although born in Cleveland, grew up in my little hometown of Greenville, PA (current population 5,900) and he would come back occasionally. I'm aware that he was back in around 1979 to receive an honorary degree from our own Thiel College there.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Largest collection of Chevrolet memorabilia:

    Chevrolet Memorabilia

    Maybe I can get started on my Buick and Cadillac memorabilia?
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,083
    Interesting. I think Pinky Randall may have previous held that title.

    About fifteen years ago, I was out at South Bend for an annual Studebaker weekend swap meet. There was an auction of Studebaker memorabilia, from the estate of a guy who pushed the sandwich and snack cart around the Studebaker Administration Building for 43 years! He apparently 'dumpster dived' after the Dec. '63 shutdown. There were tons of stuff...silver cups from the Mobilgas Economy Run, photo albums ("Your Visit to Studebaker", custom-made for the group visiting; e.g., "Lunch with Mrs. Egbert"), stationery from VP's with the matching envelopes (I bought a box belonging to E.J. Hardig, VP of Engineering), china from the Executive Dining Room with "Studebaker" written on them...etc. The gross take was $19K..and that was 15 years ago.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    The _real_ story on Volt costs.

    from Forbes.com

    The Real Story On GM's Volt Costs

    General Motors Chevrolet Volt

    I was surprised to read Ben Klayman’s piece on alleged astronomical per-unit losses on the Chevrolet “Volt.” Ben is usually a solid professional who checks his facts.

    The statement that GM “loses” over $40K per Volt is preposterous. What the “analyst” in whom poor Ben Klayman placed his faith has done is to divide the total development cost and plant investment by the number of Volts produced thus far. That’s like saying that a real estate company that puts up a $10 million building and has rental income of one million the first year is “losing” 9 million dollars, or several hundred thousand per renter.

    Listen, Ben and Micheline: that’s not how car business cost accounting works.

    Let me provide a look at how a car company tracks profitability of a product program: measured are material cost and labor, and these are deducted from the selling price. The positive difference is called “gross margin.” Then, one allocates per-unit “fixed cost” (advertising, general overhead, etc.) plus per-unit depreciation and amortization of the initial investment, based on the TOTAL NUMBER TO BE PRODUCED OVER THE LIFETIME of the product. If the margin, after all deductions, is still positive, then we call it a “fully accounted profit,” and the car is a winner.

    The Volt “variable cost” (labor and materials, without revealing any confidential GM information), looks very roughly like this: A Li-Ion battery today runs about $350 per KWh. The Volt’s is 16KWh, so that’s roughly $6000. Add $4,000 for the battery pack structure, the cooling, the high-voltage wiring, the motor and the power electronics. So, that’s the electric portion. Add about 20 hours of assembly labor which we’ll round to a very generous $1000. The dealer net price is, say, $37,000. We now have $26,000 left for the rest of the car, which, cost-wise, is about equal to a Chevy “Cruze” which sells for around $22,000 retail! (And the Volt has no costly conventional transmission.) Thus, the “Volt”, by my estimate, is either close to “variable break-even” or may be on the cusp of a positive gross margin. Deduct the per-unit allocation for all fixed cost, depreciation and amortization and it is, surely, still “under water”….but not by much, and less and less so as the volume builds and other, higher-margin GM cars, like the Cadillac ELR, piggy-back off of the Volt’s initial investment.

    Maybe the Volt, a first-generation technology masterpiece and the most-awarded car in automotive history, will never make a really decent profit.

    But succeeding generations of the same technology will. Meanwhile, the happy Volt buyers (most satisfied owners of any nameplate in the market) are getting more that they paid for. (Is that so bad?)

    We won’t even factor in the profound halo effect the introduction of the Volt has had on GM’s reputation as a leader in environmental automotive technology; it’s priceless, and could never have been achieved without it.

    So, once again, the knee-jerk Volt bashers, devoid of any real knowledge, have had their usual joyous verbal catharsis, but the car doesn’t care: The volumes are building globally and it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "General Motors offered a peek Monday at a camouflaged 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, the much-anticipated makeover of its best-selling vehicle that will hit showrooms later next year. The vehicle will start production in 2013 at the company's plant in Arlington, Texas."

    A glance at the 2014 Chevy Silverado before production (Detroit Free Press)
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,671
    I wonder what they'll use as the base engine? Would GM's 3.6 V-6/6-speed automatic be a good choice, I wonder?
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    edited October 2012
    I wonder what they'll use as the base engine? Would GM's 3.6 V-6/6-speed automatic be a good choice, I wonder?

    Yeah, I think they have to considering Ram and Ford use 24v v6's with 8 and 6 speed transmissions for base models. The 4.3 has to be put out to pasture. Plus the Ram and F150 seem to perform well with their respective v6 powertrains.

    As for owning a v6 pickup, as long as your not planning on towing or hauling a bunch, it probably would be fine. I know the Ram and Ford are rated to tow around 6k lbs, but to be honest, I wouldn't want to tow that much with them on a regular occasion. It would likely be fine around town and for short trips though.

    My boat is about 6k lbs, my expedition has 3.73 gears, 6 speed, and while the 3v 5.4 isn't the most powerful v8, it does produce 365 ft-lbs of torque and 85% of it is available under 2k rpm, and I really wouldn't want to tow much more for long distances or up grades. It gets the job done, but I couldn't imagine only having a v6 with a torque deficit of nearly 100 ft-lbs. Basically you'd have to spin 5k+ rpm any time you need useful amounts of power or while trying to maintain speed up any kind of grade (that gets old fast).
  • keystonecarfankeystonecarfan Member Posts: 181
    Don't know about the base engine, but the most popular engine is expected to be a fifth-generation version of the smallblock V-8. There are also rumors of a turbocharged 3.0 V-6 to compete with the Ford EcoBoost engines.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    Don't know about the base engine, but the most popular engine is expected to be a fifth-generation version of the smallblock V-8. There are also rumors of a turbocharged 3.0 V-6 to compete with the Ford EcoBoost engines.

    Ford is now selling about 50% of f150's with v6s, if GM does use a turbo 6 like Ford's ecoboost, they likely could have a 50/50 mix too with the 3.6 as a base engine. But it likely will come down to pricing and performance.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The last of the breed.

    "The current Chevy Impala will be the last passenger car in production in North America to feature three-across-the-front seating.

    Chrysler Group LLC's last cars with front bench seats were the 2004 base-model Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid sedans. Last year, Ford Motor Co. discontinued the last of its bench seat cars: the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car.

    While bench seats might bring back fond memories for many, few Impala buyers chose the option last year, GM said. One in 10 requested a bench seat — for an additional $195, the automaker said.

    Chevrolet will continue to offer bench seats on pickups and SUVs."

    Automakers kick bench seats to curb (Detroit News)
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,671
    Personally I think the bench seat lost its usefulness in the late 70's, around the time of downsizing, which is also the time that split bench seats became more common.

    Downsizing almost always ensured a larger transmission hump and a more intrusive dashboard, which would compromise the center seating position. Throw in a split bench seat, and that spot became almost uninhabitable.

    I think the newest car I had that had a fairly comfortable seating position was a 1979 Chrysler Newport. While it was downsized from the 1978 mastodons, Chrysler didn't have much money by then so what they really did was take their old 1979 midsize and make it a touch LARGER, so it still had a fairly small transmission hump. And the dashboard slopes away as it drops, rather than stick out like some of them do. Plus, it was a cheap model with the standard, non-split bench. It had a big armrest that came down in the center, but wasn't split.

    My '76 LeMans isn't *too* bad in the center spot, although the part that houses the radio and ashtray does drop down a bit. And the right side of the instrument housing juts out a bit as it drops down. Here's an example.

    My 2000 Park Ave has a split bench seat, but I wouldn't want to put a person in the center spot.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,083
    edited October 2012
    While bench seats might bring back fond memories for many, few Impala buyers chose the option last year, GM said. One in 10 requested a bench seat — for an additional $195, the automaker said.

    I'm surprised at that percentage. When I browse new Impalas at my dealer lot (not often), I'd guess I'd see one bench for every three Impalas in inventory.

    My friend with an '08 Impala has the bench seat and was actually thinking about getting a '12 with the 6-speed and 3.6 and bench seat, but he hates how only the seats are beige and the rest of the interior is black. When he bought his '08, he found one that had been in inventory before Chevy changed the bench seat from standard to an option!

    I'm aware of a dealer via a friend, in the midwest who said they had ordered many of their '13 Impalas for inventory with bench for the very reason that they are going away.

    Personally, I'd probably seek out the bench if I were buying one. I think there's a perception of added room, you can slide across the seat if you need to, and it clears up space on the floor (no console). I think GM might be downplaying the numbers a bit to make it seem like 'eh, no big deal'. Plus...I've never felt a console cover that felt as good as a cloth center armrest.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    edited October 2012
    I'm surprised at that percentage. When I browse new Impalas at my dealer lot (not often), I'd guess I'd see one bench for every three Impalas in inventory.

    Considering most Impalas are sold to fleets, that may skew the results a bit.

    Same with pickups. I know Ford and GM still offer split benches, but a friend of mine who's been a salesman at the same chevy dealer for over 20 years told me to stay away from them as they are a hard sell and few customers want them. His point being I'd take a hit at trade in time.

    I prefer bucket seats, but it would be nice to be able to seat six in a pickup, so I've been considering the bench. The few times I've looked at trucks with crew cabs, you'll find maybe 1 out of 10 with a bench.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2012
    Henry Ford "sought to discourage sex through car design.

    The auto king allegedly limited his Model T's seat length to 38 inches so as to inhibit lovemaking in Tin Lizzies," it said. "If that was Ford's intent, he failed, for a thirty-eight-inch seat was ample for determined coupes, the more so when the seat was removed from the car." (Inside Line)

    Maybe that was just a Midwest thing. :blush:
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,671
    And, one thing Henry Ford forgot about...those old Model-T's had excellent headroom. Even before the advent of tilt steering. :shades:
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    The only car I had with a true, (not split) bench seat was my 1968 Buick Special Deluxe. It's weird to think of adjusting the seat and having the whole thing come forward or go back today. Sad thing is, guys on a first date can no longer make a hard right and have their female companion slide toward them! ;)
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Charlie Nash obviously had other ideas about what folks should be doing in his cars! Heh-heh! ;)
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,671
    edited October 2012
    I'll never forget an old episode of "Happy Days" when Richie bought an old 1950 or so Chevy convertible. He brings it home to show off the family and little Joannie blurts out "Those are Nash seats. Great for necking!"

    image

    Mrs. Cunningham was not amused. And neither was Father Dowling. :P
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    GM announces that over the next years, years, more jobs will be coming to Michigan. Not line worker jobs but jobs for degreed individuals.

    http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121008/AUTO0103/210080340/

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    former..umm...Boeing employees, imadazol97? ;)

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,131
    Nice to see it is for engineers and not for marketing and product development sucks, the people who have done as much to hurt GM as anyone else.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Who wouldn't want an oversized silver boyfriend watch with blue face inspired by Malibu's interior lighting for $110?

    Mizrahi's Malibu line to go on sale (Detroit News)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "The redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Corvette — the seventh generation of the sports car — will debut on January 13 on the eve of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, General Motors confirmed on Thursday.

    The 2014 Corvette will be significantly overhauled.

    GM did not issue any teaser shots of the car, but revealed the Corvette's new Crossed Flags emblem, said to "symbolize the new car."

    image
  • keystonecarfankeystonecarfan Member Posts: 181
    I'll be anxious to see that debut.

    I still remember the articles in Motor Trend during the 1970s, which would always feature a photo of the mid-engine showcar/prototype with the title, "Is this the 197X Corvette?".

    For some reason, it sticks in my mind that the magazine ran that same headline with accompanying photo at least three or four times!
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Wasn't that 197X Corvette also supposed to have a rotary engine?
  • keystonecarfankeystonecarfan Member Posts: 181
    At first, but GM abandoned its rotary engine project. Even after GM abandoned the rotary engine project, Motor Trend ran photos of the same mid-engine prototype/showcar, but said it would have the conventional V-8.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,083
    The '75 Monza 2+2 was supposed to have a rotary, but it got shelved at the last minute, I think for emissions reasons. The center hump in a '75 Monza is huge because of it, and the '76's was much-reduced. I like the detail styling (small differences) in the '75 better though. Two high school friends had them as new cars--V8's--and I thought the styling was terrific, although the rear seat was the most ridiculous rear seat I'd seen up until a coworker's Honda Prelude.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The teases keep dribbling out.

    "There's an all-new generation of General Motors Co.'s legendary small-block V8 just around the corner and it's a major deal. Not only is the LT1 6.2-liter version unveiled here today the power plant for the coming C7 Corvette, but a high-volume version of this V8 architecture extends to the pending new generation of GM's pickups launching in early 2013.

    Enthusiasts concerned there might be turbos or downsizing or some sort of general retreat in engine performance can rest easy: The new LT1 6.2-liter V8, which still uses an overhead valve design with pushrods and two valves per cylinder, makes a good bit more power than the LS3 V8 it is replacing. "

    Chevy Unveils New LT1 Small-Block V8 (Inside Line)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2012
    image
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    another LT1? weird. I sure did like the 5.7 liter LT1 from the 1990s vettes & z28s... I suppose that will be the "old LT1" now that we have a nice new LT1.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2012
    "General Motors Co. and its Chevrolet brand said Tuesday the company has donated 50 Chevy Silverado full-size pickups and Express cargo vans to the American Red Cross to help its recovery efforts in wake of superstorm Sandy."

    GM donates pickups, vans to Red Cross to aid Sandy recovery efforts

    "General Motors Co. said Tuesday it has produced 1 million GMC Terrain and Chevrolet Equinox vehicles since their debut in 2009 as 2010 models.

    The small SUVs have been big sellers for the company, as combined sales of the two vehicles in the small SUV segment have grown every year, doubling from 138,248 in 2009 to 283,491 sales in 2011."

    GM announces production of millionth GMC Terrain, Chevrolet Equinox (both links from the Detroit News)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    edited October 2012
    >...the [GM] has donated 50 Chevy Silverado full-size pickups and Express cargo vans to the American Red Cross to help its recovery efforts in wake of superstorm Sandy."

    That's a true US company. :shades:

    I Don't find anything about what Honda and toyota donated to the disaster.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited October 2012
    Nothing about Ford or Chrysler either. GM had one plant in Baltimore directly affected by the storm.

    GM reports superstorm Sandy-related closure (mlive.com)
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    It ought to be a true American company. We own the damned thing!
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRZ1oGLgOk&feature=youtu.be

    Video of Camaro chasing a U2 doing practice tough and go. Normally the car is used to facilitate landing as well as take offs.

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/awesome-video-captures-spy-plane-landing-from-a-- unique-perspective/

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,341
    edited November 2012
    The SR-71 Blackbird used an AG-330 start cart powered by two Buick Nailhead V8s to spin up the two Pratt & Whitney J58-1 engines:

    image

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Two big investors said Wednesday they had added to their investments in General Motors Co.

    Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's investment arm, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., acquired another 5 million shares in GM raising his stake in the company to 15 million shares in the quarter ending Sept. 30.

    And David Einhorn, who runs Greenlight Capital hedge fund, boosted his stake in GM to 21.6 million shares from 17.4 million as of June 30."

    Buffett, Einhorn boost stakes in GM (Detroit News)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Time to update the brand?

    "General Motors will explore freshening Buick's famous tri-shield logo, a top executive said.

    Redesigning a brand logo is an extremely sensitive process that can send enthusiasts and longtime customers into a frenzy. But Buick has been repositioning itself as an attractive choice for younger affluent consumers."

    GM considers revamping Buick logo (Detroit Free Press)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    >General Motors will explore freshening Buick's famous tri-shield logo,

    This will be interesting.

    Is there anything actually wrong with the trishield now used? It has evolved to an all chrome insignia now. Would a different insignia keep me from buying a car? I was behind a Mercedes today with no insignia, no model marque on the trunk. The trunk was held down by two straps symetrically spaced from the top edge down under the rollunder of the bumper. It was odd to see NOTHING on the vehicle trunk. Maybe that's what Buick needs--an extreme minimum.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,131
    The current version dates back to the 80s maybe? It looks like it to me anyway. The shield logo only goes back to the late 50s, right? Maybe something different is in order. I wonder what Buick used in the 20s and 30s when the brand was something really upmarket.

    I don't know if a car with a trunk held down by straps would be a good example for Buick. In Europe, I would say a huge amount if not a majority of MB and BMW cars are debadged - they have the maker badge, but no model badge. Might not fly in NA where ostentation is more of a cultural norm.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    The trunk lid might have been repainted and no lock in it? Car might have been a C280, C320 type. It was odd because there was NO chrome brand or label, not because of the straps.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    I've toyed with taking all the chrome except the logo off the back of my Solara. There's just too much of it. You can't much take the badge off - the sheet metal is shaped for it. It would look like something is missing.

    I kinda like the Buick tri-shield. They'd need to have a really nice design to replace it. If not, leave it as it is.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm a fan of the three engine vents, er, portholes, even if they are fake. Reminds me of my Dad's '53. The current logo could be better. Just cutting it back to Buick in block letters could be an improvement.
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    I'm a porthole fan as well. Goes back to my grandfather's 49. Loved that car. I think it was a Sedanette - fastback with a Rocket straight 8. The hood opened from the sides.
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • cooterbfdcooterbfd Member Posts: 2,770
    "..... fastback with a Rocket straight 8."

    Point of order. Rocket was the Olds V-8, Fireball was Buicks inline 8. I know, I bought a '49 Super Sedan for my son this year!!!! ;)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2012
    "Buick is bringing back the Grand National, the GNX and the T-Type, three legendary performance nameplates from the brand's high times of the 1980s. All three cars will be sedans and they'll use GM's new rear-wheel-drive Alpha platform first introduced in the Cadillac ATS sedan.

    That's the plan anyway, according to a reliable source who spoke to Edmunds.

    Grand National, GNX and T-Type Are Returning to Buick (Inside Line)

    image
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    This is great news! Wow...
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