My New GM Car

[dbacks fan]

EEGAAD and Lucas are an appropriate response.

"Warm" beer is actually about 50°F.  It is the proper temperature for many English Ales.  Ice cold and they lose their aroma and flavor until they warm up a bit.

I've owned three Triumphs, 2 TR-6's and a TR-7, and a Lotus powered Jensen Healey.
"No, it's not leaking oil, it's marking it's territory."

[Red Arrow]

My brother owned a TR-3A.  Two cousins had several Healeys. A navy friend had several Healeys. Other friends have had TR-6, MG Midget, Spitfire, Lotus Europa and some I forget.   All were fun and great toys.  They had character.  Can you say side curtain?  We don't need no stinkin' door windows.  SU Carbs were great performers, you just had to re-sync them frequently.  It helped if you put the proper oil in the domes.  They were all a car nut's car; no drive and forget it with them.

[waterboy]

I really miss my little MG-B roadster. Ahh...wire wheels, balancing SU's, the sexy muffler and Smith guages. I also miss the talk of spanners, Lucas electrics (never had problems with mine) and proper wax oils. That car would have been a good retro for someone to build with modern technology like the reborn Mini Coopers. Put an electric motor in it and shag some jigglies baby, yeah.

[TulsaFan-inTexas]

I wonder what makes it so hard for companies like our US automakers to keep up? 

We have other industries that continue to advance technologically, and update production systems to compete world wide.  Heck, Honda plants in the US retool every couple of years and pump out new models and technologies at an astounding rate. 

The automation systems in the Toyota and Subaru plants are amazing, and the quality control is second to none.  Why can't we install the tail pipes on a caddy straight or put the hood on a GMC Yukon level on both sides?  Why is the hood ornament on every Doge Strata crooked?  Why does the heater on all Doge Dakotas leak hot air through the center vents when the AC is on?  These problems I mention have existed for 10 years or more and everyone seems to just accept them.  When you drive up behind even a new $40,000 Cadillac you expect to see one tail pipe tip mounted crooked.  If you were to pull up behind a Mercedes or Honda Accord and see this, you would assume it had been in a wreck or something.   

The demand exists.  Toyota is selling Tundras like wildfire.  The Nissan pathfinder, Toyota Sequoya, and other SUVs built here by Japanese companies are rolling off the lots.  In the smaller car categories the Accords and Civics and even the new Scion division of Toyota moving well.

Why can't we do the same?  What EXACTLY is the obstacle, that holds back our ability to compete? 

We used to claim that these companies used cheap labor and we couldn't compete with that, but today they are all built right here in the US by Americans.  Perhaps it's the fact that they use components made cheaply in other countries, but we do that now, too, to an even larger extent than they do. 

What could it be?  I just don't know.

It's a philosophy. I worked for a Japanese company back in the mid 80s. The company manufactured trim and form machines and I was a service engineer. If you're not familiar with the equipment, just google it. Anyway, as part of my training, I was sent to Japan to work in the factory. Everything the workers do must be performed immaculately. It doesn't matter if it is perfectly functional, it must also look good (fit and finish). Back then I learned why the Japanese mentality about quality was superior to the average American.

[Gaspar]

It's a philosophy. I worked for a Japanese company back in the mid 80s. The company manufactured trim and form machines and I was a service engineer. If you're not familiar with the equipment, just google it. Anyway, as part of my training, I was sent to Japan to work in the factory. Everything the workers do must be performed immaculately. It doesn't matter if it is perfectly functional, it must also look good (fit and finish). Back then I learned why the Japanese mentality about quality was superior to the average American.

Do you think the UAW embraces a similar or superior philosophy?

If not, then why?

[Conan71]

Lucas was frequently referred to as "The Prince Of Darkness"

[dbacks fan]

Lucas was frequently referred to as "The Prince Of Darkness"

The head light switch should be marked "Off, dim, flicker".

[nathanm]

Back then I learned why the Japanese mentality about quality was superior to the average American.

The funny thing is that they learned it from our people post WWII. Previously the electronics they made had defect rates that would be embarrassing to most Chinese factories today.

It says something big about the indescribably low wages a Chinese factory worker gets paid when you think that somewhere around 40% of the electronic products shipped over here from most factories have to be tossed because they are broken when they arrive, yet the final price still drastically undercuts things made elsewhere.

[Red Arrow]

The funny thing is that they learned it from our people post WWII. Previously the electronics they made had defect rates that would be embarrassing to most Chinese factories today.

There was a time when I was a kid that the words Japanese and Junk were synonymous.  They sure turned that image around.

[Gaspar]

There was a time when I was a kid that the words Japanese and Junk were synonymous.  They sure turned that image around.

They embraced the American quality control process, and without hindrance were able to take that to amazing heights.  Once they began to build factories in the United States, with American workers,  they were painstakingly studied by American car makers, and many of their management techniques such as team lines, competitive quality analysis, and performance based bonus systems were attempted by the management of companies like Saturn, Christler, and GM.  They never made it past the unions, because they were all based on individual or team performance, not tenure.

They are still here, prospering, available for study and duplication. 

The roadblock remains in the same spot.

[USRufnex]

dismantle the unions.... that would fix everything since middle mgmt and the higher ups are blameless... dismantle the UAW and GM could bring back the Fiero... kewl... thank you Easter Bunny... er, uh... gaspar.  /sarcasm.

[USRufnex]

How much more $$$ do Japanese CEOs and upper and middle mgmt make compared to their workers?   How does that compare to salaries at GM?

[we vs us]

I'd be very curious to know how the UAW's contract with GM varies from its contract with Ford, who has not had to take any bailout money at all.  Something tells me the difference is probably pretty small.

[Gaspar]

How much more $$$ do Japanese CEOs and upper and middle mgmt make compared to their workers?   How does that compare to salaries at GM?

I just learned something from you. Thank you.

I just spent the last hour researching this and you are very correct. 

Salary pyramids for
Toyota (red) and GM (blue).

The figures used to build these pyramids are as follows. GM has 266,000 employees, average total worker compensation of $75/hr, and a CEO salary ratio of about 400. Toyota has about 316,000 employees, average total worker compensation of $45/hr, and a CEO salary ratio of 15.

Note that the vertical axis is uniform for both GM and Toyota; that is, the difference in the height of the pyramids is accurate to the data. The total area of the pyramids is a representative measure of the total cost of all salary in the corporation. It should be clear that there's definitely something very wrong at GM - considering that Toyota is doing just fine.

I am still not advocating the Union VS Management philosophy because it's casualty is always quality, but your assertion that upper management soaks up a significant amount of company resources is correct.

+1 to you Ruf.

[Red Arrow]

I just spent the last hour researching this and you are very correct. 

I am still not advocating the Union VS Management philosophy because it's casualty is always quality, but your assertion that upper management soaks up a significant amount of company resources is correct.

I certainly cannot argue for the salary ratios at GM.  My question is if the salary ratios at GM were roughly equivalent to Toyota, would the cost of salaries/wages per vehicle be competitive with Toyota?