GM stupidity alone is death-deserving

GM, I guess, just can’t help being GM, management idiocy and all, as it cannibalizes itself in a last-gasp attempt to get gussied up for either a structured bankruptcy, more sucking at the government teat, or a free-fall funeral in style.

For example –

Phasing out Saturn, GM’s red-headed stepchild? That shows, in a capsule, or under a microscope, the history of GM’s short-sightedness with the once free-standing car line. The GM brand name that probably STILL has the most customer loyalty of any GM nameplate, or at least, of any GM nameplate below Cadillac, and one individual car, the Corvette.

That all said, the Wall Street Journal notes some Saturn dealers are trying to keep their brand alive by selling Indian or Chinese cars under that nameplate.

Carmakers in both those countries are surely salivating at the idea.

And, if you’ll look at the WSJ graphic, it’s perplexing as to why GM would ax Saturn; it’s sales, like all carmakers not named Hyundai, are off, but they’re better than any other GM division except Chevy. And, outside the aforementioned Corvette, and trucks, which tend to have higher brand loyalty, is there any Chevy product which jumps out at you, or the general public?

This looks like the EV-1 all over.

Instead, kill GMC Trucks. Yes, trucks are a big moneymaker, still, but irrationalism of a nameplate aside, it is a tweaked-out Chevy, for doorknob’s sake! Kill Pontiac rather than just cutting it back. Tweak Buick more. Throw Pontiac's edgier vehicles to Saturn.

But, noooo ...

So, maybe we need to kill GM off. The government pension plan insurance hit would probably be less than the bailout hit. As first creditor, take GM physical plant and resell it. Use the bankruptcy for further pension plan reform.