Posted on 11/05/2009 5:15:08 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Barack Obama has stepped into the row about the future of Vauxhall and Opel as anger about General Motors’ decision to keep its European operations threatens to harm transatlantic relationships.
President Obama is believed to have secured an agreement with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, that she would “co-ordinate” with the US leader on the future of GM Europe during a phone call.
The American government is the majority shareholder in GM but a spokesman for Ms Merkel said President Obama told Ms Merkel he had not been involved in the car maker’s decision to scrap the sale of Vauxhall and Opel to Magna and Russian state-owned bank Sberbank .
GM’s U-turn has sparked a furious response in Berlin and Moscow, with 50,000 jobs at stake across Europe.
Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, yesterday lambasted GM’s approach as “scornful” and questioned his country’s business relationship with the US in the future.
“We will have to take into account this style of dealing with partners in the future, though this scornful approach toward partners mainly affects the Europeans, not us,” he told a cabinet meeting in Moscow. “GM did not warn anyone, did not speak to anyone – despite all the agreements reached and documents signed. Well, I think it is a good lesson.”
Magna and Sberbank had been planning to expand Opel significantly into Russia, and Mr Putin has lost a chance to access the Western car market and its technology.
However, despite the reaction outside the UK, Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary, has given GM’s decision a cautious welcome and indicated he is prepared to offer part of the €3bn (£2.7bn) GM needs in financial support to recapitalise Vauxhall and Opel. Lord Mandelson said there must be a “fair balance” of jobs lost and
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Looks like the disaster that is the HopeyChangeyMan is spreading to Europe.
Oh great....we can probably expect the Luftwaffe to bomb us any day now.
I guess he was too busy golfing to check with his car czar.
Global crony capitalism.
Global crony capitalism.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor is about to learn first hand what the American have learned, When the chosen one’s lips are moving he is lying.
Voting 'present'. . . again.
gonna have to pull that GM emblem off my 1970 Opel GT for the next repaint
Isn't that the vehicle famously photographed in front of a junkyard by Car & Driver? (They always looked OK to me)
Don’t know, but I personally sent 5 of them to the junkyard to build this one. Sort of like getting parts and making my car more rare at the same time lol
Don’t know, but I personally sent 5 of them to the junkyard to build this one. Sort of like getting parts and making my car more rare at the same time lol
Don’t know, but I personally sent 5 of them to the junkyard to build this one. Sort of like getting parts and making my car more rare at the same time lol
Don’t know, but I personally sent 5 of them to the junkyard to build this one. Sort of like getting parts and making my car more rare at the same time lol
I can tell you what is really going on here. First - let’s back track for a second. Fiat’s takeover of Chrysler is ending up where Fiat is killing off Chrsyler models and will import Fiats. I be lots of UAW Chrysler workers are getting paid to do nothing. Chrysler is dead.
Hussein, his czar and other goons like the UAW are watching GM implode. Sadly - Bob Lutz actually did a pretty good job and GM’s cars were getting better but it’s over. They are seeing the public does not want a Govt Motors car so GM is tanking.
Opel and Vauxhall may have a chance. Opel’s stuff is pretty good and they have excellent diesel technology. Ford’s German models are probably better but Opel has a niche in Germany with the working man.
So Hussein and his goons like the UAW see Opel as the only thing at GM that has a chance at making a few bucks. Buick in China is okay but the Chinese will get all the profits and will steal that company like the UAW stole GM.
So Opel is the only thing at GM worth anything now. They might be able to sell Corvette or maybe Cadillac but basically GM is done.
Do they still own Holden (GM) in Australia? I bet they make money but it is a small market. China will end up owning Holden.
Quadruple post, a new personal record. I have no idea how that happened....
Suggest we paint a bullseye atop Congress. Might as well get some good out of it. / s
I’ve never seen that before but attribute it to the soles (sic) of the GT’s you sent to Valhalla attempting revenge.
If Fiat are smart, they will continue the Wrangler and a couple of other Jeeps.
What’s that steaming pile under Zer0 and why is Megan McCain drafting him?
I had one. Maybe a 1972? I ran it off the road at high speed so I don’t know how it would have held up in the long run, but it didn’t seem that sturdy.
That makes sense, 4 of them could have been brought back. one was a foot and a half in the mud. It was already on its way to Valhalla
For the micro car it was, it was very sturdy. GT’s were made as a monocoque. Sort of like a plastic model cal. One piece of stamped steel was the bottom. One piece of steel was the top, the rear panel where the tail lights went was anouther piece. weld it all together and the front fender was the same piece of metal as the rear quarter panel. Lets throw in overhead cam and rack and pinion steering and it was ahead of it’s time.
Being a hideously painfull car to work on was just one of it’s perks...
For the micro car it was, it was very sturdy. GT’s were made as a monocoque. Sort of like a plastic model cal. One piece of stamped steel was the bottom. One piece of steel was the top, the rear panel where the tail lights went was anouther piece. weld it all together and the front fender was the same piece of metal as the rear quarter panel. Lets throw in overhead cam and rack and pinion steering and it was ahead of it’s time.
Being a hideously painfull car to work on was just one of it’s perks...
"Kadett A and B were technically simple cars whose task was to compete with the market leader, the Volkswagen Beetle. This lack of sophistication caused the U.S. car magazine Car and Driver to publish a highly critical test of the Kadett in 1968, featuring photos of the car in a junkyard. Reportedly, GM withdrew any ads from that magazine for several months as a consequence.[citation needed]"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.