Topic: GM to import Chinese cars; trickle in 2011 will turn to flood in 2014

[Mitlov]

Its not just subcompacts

Automotive News suggests the China-made vehicles will be small cars similar to the upcoming Chevrolet Spark, but we wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of a compact sedan for Buick. China is Buick’s largest market and an inside source has revealed GM is planning a smaller, Delta-based sedan for its U.S. Buick division. GM’s expected sales figures would also seem to fall in line with an entry-level Buick sedan.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-to-import-china-made-vehicles-by-2011.html

The next-generation Buick Excelle will be a tarted-up Cruze.  Probably not enough of a volume seller over here to have its own North-American-based production line, but it's still nice that they give us the option of buying a premium Cruze if we want one.  Considering the styling job they've done with the current Daewoo-based Excelle, I think they'll do a great job turning the Cruze into a low-volume, high-profit premium compact:

http://jalopnik.com/375956/chinas-buick-excelle-updated-for-2009

[articsteve]

GM says open to moving HQ from Detroit

GM purchased its glass-towered headquarters building, known as Detroit's Renaissance Center, last year for $625 million. The 100-year-old automaker has been based there since 1996.   

http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE54A3KG20090511?feedType=RSS&feedName=businessNews

No point in fooling around this time.  GM should move straight to this other lovely riverside location ....

[toolatecrew]

Its not just subcompacts

Automotive News suggests the China-made vehicles will be small cars similar to the upcoming Chevrolet Spark, but we wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of a compact sedan for Buick. China is Buick’s largest market and an inside source has revealed GM is planning a smaller, Delta-based sedan for its U.S. Buick division. GM’s expected sales figures would also seem to fall in line with an entry-level Buick sedan.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-to-import-china-made-vehicles-by-2011.html

The next-generation Buick Excelle will be a tarted-up Cruze.  Probably not enough of a volume seller over here to have its own North-American-based production line, but it's still nice that they give us the option of buying a premium Cruze if we want one.  Considering the styling job they've done with the current Daewoo-based Excelle, I think they'll do a great job turning the Cruze into a low-volume, high-profit premium compact:

http://jalopnik.com/375956/chinas-buick-excelle-updated-for-2009

If its a

Uhhmmm if its going to be a bage egineered Cruze why would you import it from China when you have  a Cruze plant in Ohio?

[dorin]

The whole prospect leaves a very very bad taste in my mouth.  In the end, GM is getting money from Canada for keeping jobs in Canada.  With the bailout money on the table I could care less how profitable GM is as long as it keeps jobs in Canada.  So if the choice is, as Mitlov puts it, between a more profitable GM with more jobs in China and a less profitable GM with more jobs in Canada then it's really not a choice.  Canadian jobs > GM profits.

[inco]

Hell of a big problem here isn't it? Losing jobs to another country is the current trend. Trying to preserve jobs in our own country is admirable and why the government has to because the alternative is so utterly repugnant.

But what to do. As our costs escalate to produce things, we tend to look elsewhere for lower priced goods. If we change that mindset then it becomes protectionism doesn't it. Can't have that, no way.

Real dilemma. What we need to do is lower our standard of living and lower those costs that impair our ability to be competitive. Yeah that would do it. Lower costs for everything like our resource costs, get rid of all unions and governments - anything that impedes our ability to be competitive.

And that will happen tomorrow. Let's not worry about that today and ruin a perfectly good long weekend.

We have some tough choices ahead of us -  some we will get to make and many more that will be crammed down our throats. I'm not thinking this will be fun times.

[tpl]

But what to do. As our costs escalate to produce things, we tend to look elsewhere for lower priced goods. If we change that mindset then it becomes protectionism doesn't it. Can't have that, no way.

Real dilemma. What we need to do is lower our standard of living and lower those costs that impair our ability to be competitive. Yeah that would do it. Lower costs for everything like our resource costs, get rid of all unions and governments - anything that impedes our ability to be competitive.

Or we could retreat behind a tariff wall I suppose as Canada was for a long time.  It might lower our standard of living but perhaps less than the "race to the bottom".  I dunno.

[Mitlov]

The whole prospect leaves a very very bad taste in my mouth.  In the end, GM is getting money from Canada for keeping jobs in Canada.  With the bailout money on the table I could care less how profitable GM is as long as it keeps jobs in Canada.  So if the choice is, as Mitlov puts it, between a more profitable GM with more jobs in China and a less profitable GM with more jobs in Canada then it's really not a choice.  Canadian jobs > GM profits.

But no production lines are going to be moved from Canada to China.  A production line is being moved from Korea to China, and a new car (a low-volume niche vehicle) is going to be made in China.  But it's not like a model which used to be built in Ontario is now going to be built in China.

[Erik]

I thought I read on here that it is all about globalization and where it is produced doesn't matter.
Further, I undertstood that supporting imported cars was GOOD for Canada.

If importing cars from overseas is bad, why don't we just close the border to all imported vehicles. That must be better then, right?

[dorin]

I thought I read on here that it is all about globalization and where it is produced doesn't matter.
Further, I undertstood that supporting imported cars was GOOD for Canada.

If importing cars from overseas is bad, why don't we just close the border to all imported vehicles. That must be better then, right?

Where the product is produced doesn't matter to consumers.  It damn well should matter to the people subsidizing the maker of the product.

Supporting made-in-Canada cars is good for Canada regardless of the brand of the car.  Subsidizing the production of cars outside of Canada is not good for Canada.

There's nothing wrong with importing cars.  There's a whole lot wrong with subsidizing the importing of cars while Canadian workers are being shown the door.

[toolatecrew]

I thought I read on here that it is all about globalization and where it is produced doesn't matter.
Further, I undertstood that supporting imported cars was GOOD for Canada.

If importing cars from overseas is bad, why don't we just close the border to all imported vehicles. That must be better then, right?

You didn't read that. You are making it up to set up a straw man argument so you can look like you "won".

I've corrected you on misquoting what I said before. You are simply trolling now.

[Cortina]

Industry Report: GM to Sell Chinese Made Cars in N.A.

Imports from Mexico and South Korea to Rise while Canadian Production to Fall

http://autoshow.autotrader.ca/2009/05/14/industry-report-gm-to-sell-chinese-made-cars-in-n-a/

The letter states that the Detroit-based automaker plans to increase the importation of foreign-made vehicles and, as part of its escalated plans overseas, start importing from a country it has never attempted to ship completed cars from before. That would be China, and if successful GM would be the first automaker to import a turnkey car from the Asian powerhouse.

See GM doesn't care for Canada or Even the US. I was right all along. More fool Canadians and Americans tax payers I guess. 

GM will be an Import soon. Were are there loyalties. Barrie and people like him swear that GM is the best thing since slice bread and support them to a fault. But are soon stab in the back for there loyalty and support over the years LOL.