Toyota develops rear window air bag

Toyota Motor Corp. has developed a rear window air bag to upgrade protection for back-seat passengers.
In the event of a rear-end collision, the air bag is ejected from the roof lining above the rear window and spreads like a curtain to protect the heads of the rear passengers.
Toyota said Tuesday the rear window curtain-shield air bag is the world's first.

The new safety gear will debut in the "iQ" compact four-seat vehicle, to be introduced later this year. As part of an effort to attract buyers, Toyota has tried to make side air bags and shield air bags standard features.

I believe this a good idea to protect passengers in the backseat. Especially since this is where the children are seated. Rear end collisions have been popular on the road. There are people who might be driving too close to the rear of a vehicle, and if they're distracted and doesn't notice the vehicle in front has stopped abruptly, BUMP! So this is a very good plan of keeping safety in a very unfortunate situation as a car collision. Truly there is a need for more careful drivers, but any form of safety should be welcomed. So I hope the rear window airbag does a good job, and would inspire other automakers.

Breaking News:Stocks tumble as bailout fails

Washington said no dice. Wall Street panicked and said no way. And the failure to pass a $700-billion bailout took more than 500 points off the Dow early this afternoon.The vote was expected to be close, but somehow nobody really expected the U.S. House to slap Wall Street so fast and so hard – especially when supposedly this is the plan that is needed to save the U.S. economy from the threat of a serious recession. No one expected the deal to fall apart, unless they focused on the fact that this is a big election year and lots of voters don’t like Wall Street at all.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080929/NEWS07/80929055/1007/NEWS05

Detroit City Council approves tax break for Volt plant

A $136 million tax abatement to help persuade General Motors Corp. to build the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car at the Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly Plant won approval today from the Detroit City Council.

The council approved the measure on a 7-1 vote. Only Councilwoman JoAnn Watson voted no.

Watson said she voted no because the Detroit Three automakers are on the verge of receiving $25 billion in federal loans to aid them, and giving GM a tax break now doesn’t sit well with her.

Even with the tax break, the company would still generate an additional $4.6 million a year in tax revenue for the city and Detroit Public Schools, said Irvin Corley Jr., the council’s fiscal analyst.

If this tax approval means that there will be more jobs, then I am happy for GM's investment. Apparently, the timing couldn't have been better for the people of Detroit. Seems they are going through some tough times. Power to More Jobs!!!

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080929/NEWS01/80929059

General Motor Wall Clock

GMC 1957 GREEN STEPSIDE PICKUP TRUCK

DMC

DeLorean Motor Company
Founder:John Delorean (he was a capable engineer,business innovator,the youngest person to become a GM executive)
Year:October 24,1975
Vehicle: DMC-12
Downturn: Lack of demand, cost overruns, and unfavorable exchange rates(late 1981)

John Delorean passed away on March 19th 2005, of stroke complications at age 80.
Today: A very large number of the original cars are still on the road after over 25 years; most estimates put it at 6,500 cars surviving out of just over 9,000 built.
Current Owner: Stephen Wynne
DMC Texas made it through Hurricane Ike with no damage to the facility, client vehicles, or parts inventory.

Second shift ends; final date for GM Moraine in air

Some of the 400-500 workers at the Moraine plant came to reality that Friday 26th, was their last day. The rest of the workers has until the end of the month to know their final date. The plant has been scheduled to go down in December, when in June it said the date of the plant to close was in 2010. Is it happening sooner? What does that mean for the workers and how are they handling the news?

Here is what 2 second shift workers had to say:

1. Matt Grice: "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise."
2. Brenda Collins: "I really believe that there will definitely be life after GM." She plans to return to college to pursue a business degree.

So I believe that it all doesn't end here, and it's good to hear some positive thinking.

AD: Looking for Adventure? Look no Further!

GARMIN ZUMO 550 for Motorcycles:

When navigating the twist and turns of everyday life, you need a map you can depend on. This product is built to survive even the harshest driving conditions.The touchscreen and body will stand up to exposure from the sun and fuel spills.The zumo 550 can last up to 30mins in water.
Key Features:

• preloaded maps of the U.S.,Canada, and Puerto Rico
• 6,000,000 points of interest
• 3.5 color anti-glare screen
• bluetooth
• mp3 playback
• touchscreen
• 4hrs battery life
• satellite radio
• text to speech
• live traffic service
• SD card
• motorcycle adapter

So when you're breezing through on your motorcycle, turn on your zumo 550 and let it be the magician of directions.

Made just for you!!!

Limited Time: Employee Pricing Is Back!

General Motors is offering Employee Pricing for a limited time... Find out your No-Obligation Price on a New GMC Car or Truck before you enter the dealership!

What does that Mean to You?
You Pay What Their Employees Pay! On Average, you can get a new Chevy, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, HUMMER, Saab or Cadillac at 10% BELOW INVOICE... PLUS, add in all available incentive and rebates and you are walking away with an unbeatable deal.- They have too much supply and will offer discount GMC pricing to you to sell you a GMC car, sometimes lower than you even expected!

Apple's 1984: The Introduction of the Macintosh

In the third quarter of the 1984 Super Bowl, a strange and disorienting advertisement appeared on the TV screens of the millions of viewers tuned in to the yearly ritual. The ad opens on a gray network of futuristic tubes connecting blank, ominous buildings. Inside the tubes, we see cowed subjects marching towards a cavernous auditorium, where they bow before a Big Brother figure pontificating from a giant TV screen. But one lone woman remains unbroken. Chased by storm troopers, she runs up to the screen, hurls a hammer with a heroic grunt, and shatters the TV image. As the screen explodes, bathing the stunned audience in the light of freedom, a voice-over announces, "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HemH8XlzCrk

Click on the above link to view that commercial

GM to double production of fuel-efficient engines

The $25 Billion dollars that will be given to automakers will help fund some very good plans that GM has to embark on. It will help GM in the production of more fuel-efficient engines, which will be possible with their new plant which will be in Flint, Michigan. Production will begin in the new plant in 2011. Also GM will employ about 300 workers, which is really good since some workers lot their jobs because of GM's troubles.

Strategic plan of GM:

To accelerate the $15 billion cost-cutting and fund-raising plan announced in July, General Motors Corp. intends to distribute marketing materials to potential buyers of its Hummer brand and a French manufacturing plant in October.

Update: GM to sell Truck business to Isuzu

Because of the difficulty to meet their full-year net profit target, amongst other reasons, Isuzu is saying no to a deal with GM to buy mid-size truck operations.
"It will be difficult to achieve the net profit target but we will do everything possible to achieve it," Hosoi said in an interview on Wednesday at the IAA truck fair in Germany. He cited an expected downturn in all major truck markets.

Windows Vista? or is it Windows Mojave?

Strategic plans worked successfully, turning the leaf from Vista OS to Mohave. Customers seemed more pleased. Customer's rating for the Vista OS before were thumbs down. And it is now reintroduced with a new code name, "Mohave," customers are turning those thumbs up. This is because the Mohave Experiment is allowing consumers to decide for themselves, compared to their disappointments to understand how to install and work Vista.

The Mission of Microsoft

The "Life Without Walls" tagline reaffirms the mission of the Windows brand to put fewer walls between people, their passions and the global community.

The Economy Crisis

--A financial crisis being described as the worst since the Great Depression has left investors thinking far beyond the realm of whether it's time to buy or sell.

--Taxpayers lost a 1/4 for every dollar they have due to Government help to the Economy Prices.

--Bailout legislation that may sail through Congress this week will cost about $6,500 per U.S. family, a little over $2,000 per person, according to an estimate published on the WashingtonWatch.com blog

GM may Sell Truck Business to Isuzu

'General Motors is in talks to sell its commercial truck operations to Japan's Isuzu Motors, according to a media report.
Nikkei Net Interactive reports the deal, if realized, would represent the first acquisition by a Japanese carmaker of a U.S. big three automaker's business.
GM was expected to sell its midsize-truck operations for several tons of billion yen. Isuzu has told GM it would consider an offer positively, according to the report.
Isuzu, however, said it hasn't received an offer, Reuters reports.'

2,600 older workers take buyouts from General Motors

TORONTO (CP) — Younger General Motors workers will be able to keep their jobs because of the large number of buyouts accepted at a soon-to-be shuttered truck plant in Oshawa, Ont., but the Canadian Auto Workers union said Wednesday the solution is nothing more than a "bandage on a very, very deep wound."
More than 2,600 senior workers have agreed to "attractive" early retirement or buyout packages, meaning no layoffs should be necessary when the truck plant closes next July, said CAW Local 222 president Chris Buckley.

Comment:
I can see clear why the firm would rather buyout the older workers. In a sense it seems like they are taking care of the seniors;providing for their future.If the plant is predicted to be closed next July, it is only fair that the seniors go out with their retirement money. Than to wait for layoffs which would probably turn out to be a nastier job done.
As for the youths, they have been fortunate to remain at the plant but they have to think ahead as to what will happen next July, and how it's going to affect their future. It's truly unfortunate that GM cries are also the cries of hardworking citizens who provides for themselves.

Ford confident on govt. help

Sep. 15 - Ford's CEO Mulally confident the U.S. government will come through with $25 billion in loans for the auto industry to reduce dependence on foreign oil.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally says he's confident the U.S. will follow-through with plans to lend the auto industry $25 billion dollars to increase fuel efficiency and develop new technology to help reduce dependence on oil. Mulally, speaking at the 2008 Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit on Monday, says "we are absolutely committed to do it in a partnership with the government because I really think that energy security and fuel efficiency are going to be very important to all of us going forward."

Chevrolet Volt: The Icing on the Cake

THE Chevrolet Volt is expected to be the icing on General Motors’ 100th birthday cake this week. The much-promoted sedan, which will operate as an electric car in typical local driving, is intended to provide a jump-start for the company’s second century.

... There are questions about the cost. G.M. executives concede that they are revising the price upward. While the company initially hinted at a $30,000 starting price, executives have recently suggested that the Volt might end up in the mid- to high-$40,000 range.

An Example of Place Marketing by: GM

Hard Driving: General Motors And Disney Bulid A Test Track At EPCOT

GM and Disney team up to bring the excitement of a real proving-grounds test track to EPCOT.
BY JIM WILSON
Published in the August 1997 issue of Popular Mechanics.


As with all Disney attractions, the entertainment starts before the ride begins to move. While walking through an industrial-looking staging area on their way to the cars, visitors will get a crash course in the tools and techniques of auto testing. After passing through a briefing room that is decorated with photos of actual GM proving grounds, we step down onto what looks like an oversize slot-car racing set, and we start to walk around the 5333-ft. epoxy-coated steel track. "Be careful," Shively says, pointing toward the slot. "The track is electrified."

Person Marketing_by "the premium international automotive brand of GM"- Buick

Who's Your Caddy? If You Win Buick Contest, It Could Be Tiger Woods

2008-03-10
DETROIT – Buick, the premium international automotive brand of General Motors, is giving one lucky person an exclusive opportunity to play golf alongside Tiger Woods, the world’s top golfer. Only this time, Woods will serve as the winner’s personal caddy in Buick’s new “Tee-Off with Tiger” online contest that begins today and runs through Sept. 28, 2008.
Contestants who register at http://www.teeoffwithtiger.com/ will have an opportunity to vie for the grand prize to partner with Woods or to win a high-end collectible only Buick can provide: Woods’ personal Buick vehicle – driven by the golf phenom himself – at several tournaments in which he competes during the promotion window. Every Buick vehicle Woods drives will come with a Tiger Woods autographed plaque, which is authenticated by Upper Deck.

An Example of Person Marketing done by Hummer, a division of GM

HUMMER Racing Attempts New Record at Vegas to Reno
2008-08-20
Team driver Emily Miller vies to become first Vegas to Reno "Ironwoman"

DETROIT - Rod Hall Racing's Team HUMMER, recognized as the most successful stock class desert racing program, attempts to enter the record books again this weekend as team driver Emily Miller, embarks on a quest to become the first woman to drive the entire 457-mile Best in the Desert (BITD) "TSCO Vegas to Reno" race. Racers take the green flag on Friday, August 22, 2008.
Miller, 41, will race the #4110 stock class HUMMER H2 with navigator Jake Povey in her journey to become the first woman to drive the entire race. In long distance desert races, most teams use multiple drivers per vehicle, given the rough terrain, brutal heat and race duration that routinely exceed 12 hours in length. Drivers who pilot vehicles for the entire race earn the designation of "Ironman."

An Example of Event Marketing done by Hummer, a division of GM

HUMMER Helps American Red Cross Improve Emergency Preparedness
2008-08-26

H3 response vehicles donated to American Red Cross chapters in Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington
New models join 31 HUMMER Red Cross response vehicles in service around the country
September is National Preparedness Month

HUMMER’s relationship with the Red Cross began in 2004, with a commitment to provide the organization with 72 vehicles that includes a combination of HUMMER disaster response vehicles, as well as $100,000 each year from the GM Foundation.
Today, there are 31 HUMMER models in service with the Red Cross. These vehicles have been used in response to countless disasters, including areas hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita...“Our vehicles have supported Red Cross relief efforts during several major disasters and we are pleased to provide the nation’s frontline emergency response volunteers with additional

Big Three pare back fed loan request

Amid mounting hurdles and facing time crunch, Congress focuses on $25B, one-year program.
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers worked Tuesday to hammer out the details of a $25 billion, one-year government loan package to help Detroit's Big Three automakers, but still face significant hurdles to winning passage before Congress adjourns in three weeks.
Auto officials and Michigan legislators decided late Tuesday to drop efforts to seek $50 billion in low-cost direct loans over three years, saying they were more confident of winning passage as a result.
After two days of meetings and conference calls, leading Democrats and Republicans expressed optimism that the loan program will be included in a bill to continue funding the government into next year.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080910/AUTO01/809100384/1148

Ford CEO says effort to regain profits going well

JEFF KAROUB / Associated Press
DEARBORN -- Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Alan Mulally said Monday that the automaker's financial position and its product development efforts are helping it face a slumping market at home and a slowing one abroad.
"Everything you read in the paper is really pretty true," he told Inforum, a women's business group, in Ford's hometown. "It really is tough out there. ... But as bad as everything is, it's really going quite well."
He said the automaker has the financing in place to handle the U.S. auto sales slump. Ford mortgaged its factories, brand names and other items to secure a $23.4 billion line of credit to fund its restructuring plan and cover losses.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080908/AUTO01/809080427/1148

Detroit Rumor Control:GM Launches "Facts and Fiction" Web Site

DETROIT — General Motors says it wants to make sure the public gets the full story about the company, its products, and its prospects. That's why GM has launched a new Web site that it calls GM Facts and Fiction.


GM calls the style of the new site "conversational and direct." With headings such as "Myth: The Volt Is Vaporware" and "Myth: GM Can't Compete," the automaker is taking a defensive posture and answering questions that the public may or may not have asked. There's also a "Submit a Myth" feature that invites, "If you've read or heard something about GM, we'd love to know about it so we can have an opportunity to address it.
" The answers, by the way: "We can assure, you, the Volt is for real. On June 3, GM announced that production funding for the Volt had been approved," the site says, offering a link to the dedicated Volt site. And: "GM competes head to head with the best global carmakers in every major market except Japan, which is effectively closed to non-Japanese companies. And we do quite well, thank you."

http://gmfactsandfiction.com/

A Journey through the PAST and into the FUTURE with GM

http://www.gm.com/corporate/about/history/historyPopUp.jsp?0

How GM was Formed

William C. Durant had doubts about relying on a single manufacturer with a single line, and decided that a consortium of automobile makers would be able to support one another, and if parts suppliers were acquired, then the consortium would be self-supporting: this seems to have worked well for Henry Ford's company which manufactured its own steel thus enabling them to carry on assembly when other rival companies had to lay-off workers because of shortages, strikes, etc. Thus, Durant went on a buying spree. Durant attended a meeting of The Big Four, with Benjamin Briscoe of Maxwell-Briscoe who called the meeting, Henry Ford, and Ransom Olds, now the head of REO Motor Car Company.

The idea collapsed, but Durant proceeded nevertheless and formed the General Motors Company in New Jersey on 16 September 1908 with an exchange of Buick and General Motors stock, after Durant had obtained an option to buy 75% of Olds Motor Works stock [which he then exercised] and six weeks after General Motors was formed, Durant exchanged his Olds stock for General Motors stock. In 1910, the entire Buick organisation, which included the Jackson, Church and Wilcox Company in Saginaw, Michigan, became part of the General Motors Company of Michigan and the Jackson, Church and Wilcox Company became known as the Jacox Company instead. General Motors Company was incorporated on September 16 1908 in Hudson County , New Jersey , U.S.A. as a holding company for Buick, then controlled by William C. Durant, and acquired Oldsmobile later that year. The next year, Durant brought in Cadillac, Elmore, and Oakland.