GM was in driver’s seat
Why are the automakers in trouble? It happened long before this crisis, and blaming the union does not cut it. (“U.S. mulls auto bankruptcy plan,” Dec. 19.)
Remember the 3.8-liter V-6? General Motors refused to accept the reality of how bad the engine was, and kept producing it.
Remember the EV1? Had GM mass-produced the electric car, it would not be in this mess. Let’s not even discuss how they polluted the political process.
Jon Hartmann
Los Angeles
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Your story on the bailout listed requirements like forgoing corporate jets and allowing the government to “examine their books and records,” which seems quite reasonable.
But I don’t recall similar requirements laid down for the banks that were given billions of dollars after having squandered money on risky investments and loans. Is this because members of Congress and the administration see more opportunity for themselves sitting on the boards of Wall Street investment banks down the road?
Ray Torres
Menifee, Calif.
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Dan Neil’s column on the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid missed one major point: The Fusion is made in Mexico. (“Ford Fusion Hybrid intrudes on despair,” Dec. 19.) At the same time, Toyota makes its competing Camry hybrid in the United States.
If the U.S. government is going to help Ford, GM and Chrysler, we need strings attached to the bailout so that the Big Three once again make their state-of-the-art cars in the United States.
Joel D. Joseph
Beverly Hills
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The story on the Big Three automakers’ marques was welcome reading. (“Makers are way off the marque,” Dec. 22.)
Addressing General Motors Corp., I cannot make a business case for its survival short of bankruptcy, yet I hope I’m wrong. The story defines merits and deficiencies of GM’s seven brands but fails to note one possibility: Abolish all current brands and start from scratch. Anything less would convince the market that GM is not hellbent on becoming a progressive company.
Also, GM needs to migrate to a genius model of decision-making. There is a buzz-killing entropy in the committee-based process, which homogenizes style. The spark of creativity must emanate from the few minds that can manifest timeless originality.
John C. Hallenborg, automotive consultant
Redondo Beach
