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Author	Topic: Tiny Chevrolet Sonic helps Detroit shake off rust	Post a Reply Back to Topics

mastermariner Champion Author Texas Posts:4,236 Points:492,035 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 10:19:41 AM Ignore mastermariner Report Abuse DETROIT (AP) -- When the word reached the Orion Assembly Plant, it spread along the serpentine assembly line like news of a death or natural disaster: General Motors, the biggest automaker in the world, had filed for bankruptcy protection. On that grim day in 2009, Chevrolet and Pontiac sedans kept rolling down the line. And 1,700 worried workers stayed at their stations even as GM announced it would close the plant in a desperate bid to survive. "The unknown was the scariest part," recalled Gerald Lang, who had worked at Orion for two years installing dashboards and doors. "We really had no clue what was going to happen." There was something else that the workers didn't know: They were witnessing the opening act of one of the greatest recovery stories in American business. Nearly four yea Visit AP for full article

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DETROIT (AP) -- When the word reached the Orion Assembly Plant, it spread along the serpentine assembly line like news of a death or natural disaster: General Motors, the biggest automaker in the world, had filed for bankruptcy protection.
On that grim day in 2009, Chevrolet and Pontiac sedans kept rolling down the line. And 1,700 worried workers stayed at their stations even as GM announced it would close the plant in a desperate bid to survive.
"The unknown was the scariest part," recalled Gerald Lang, who had worked at Orion for two years installing dashboards and doors. "We really had no clue what was going to happen."
There was something else that the workers didn't know: They were witnessing the opening act of one of the greatest recovery stories in American business.
Nearly four yea
Visit AP for full article

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BEGTWO Champion Author Maryland Posts:1,927 Points:720,615 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Jan 7, 2013 8:43:24 AM Ignore BEGTWO Report Abuse COOL
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:6,988 Points:1,108,420 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Jan 6, 2013 4:25:48 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse In baseball terms, the Sonic is a double......they need to do more
Tacodan Champion Author Cincinnati Posts:2,298 Points:650,495 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 9:18:42 PM Ignore Tacodan Report Abuse no bigger than it is they aren't going to shake much rust off !
alterman156 Champion Author New York Posts:7,470 Points:1,553,750 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 7:52:36 PM Ignore alterman156 Report Abuse The Sonic is an O.K. car.
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:6,988 Points:1,108,420 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 2:39:34 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse One thing the story didn't cover was how the old GM was literally killing off the retired workers in the late 1990s and early 2000s........ by eliminating the health care that they agreed to in contracts [Edited by: Gnusman53 at 1/5/2013 2:45:30 PM EST]
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:6,988 Points:1,108,420 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 2:24:44 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse Hopefully all the management idiots jumped ship at GM as it was going down..... And the ones who are in control now remember the basics. You need to have a very economical and reliable model in your lineup. [Edited by: Gnusman53 at 1/5/2013 2:26:18 PM EST]
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:6,988 Points:1,108,420 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 2:22:43 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse After GM officials announced they would not even sell any in the US, my sister gave up on waiting for one.... and bought an import.
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:6,988 Points:1,108,420 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 2:19:26 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse If they were being sold as they were shown as concept cars.... they would have gotten about 45mpg at least. They also would have sold hundreds of thousands of cars at the time the company was about to financially collapse. My sister like one so much she wanted to buy the Trax model even before she left the auto show.....
Gnusman53 Champion Author San Diego Posts:6,988 Points:1,108,420 Joined:Feb 2004	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 2:15:59 PM Ignore Gnusman53 Report Abuse GM should have started building the Triplets right after more than 3 million people expressed interest online.... in 2007
dandvicb Champion Author Bridgeport Posts:1,217 Points:1,074,030 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 12:23:56 PM Ignore dandvicb Report Abuse zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
bar1035 Champion Author Charlotte Posts:9,135 Points:1,294,445 Joined:Aug 2006	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 11:55:20 AM Ignore bar1035 Report Abuse I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery copycat mariner
335d1 Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,361 Points:755,045 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 11:51:31 AM Ignore 335d1 Report Abuse Good story.
gbs1 Champion Author Minnesota Posts:1,986 Points:738,925 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 11:10:01 AM Ignore gbs1 Report Abuse A long story, but well worth the time to read it. Very nice outcome.
MadFueler All-Star Author Winston-Salem Posts:905 Points:169,585 Joined:Sep 2012	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 10:55:20 AM Ignore MadFueler Report Abuse It looks like GM finally got the message that people who want smaller, more efficient cars don't necessarily want spartan econoboxes - they want good reliable, comfortable cars that just happen to be smaller abd more fuel-efficient. Also, their unions finally woke up to the fact that it's not 1959 anymore and just demanding more and more extra high-cost benefits for the workers doesn't make their situation any better; it's more like moving the lower-fare passengers on the Titanic to first class instead of the life boats.
HorizonChaser Champion Author Montgomery Posts:1,968 Points:452,885 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 10:37:50 AM Ignore HorizonChaser Report Abuse I'd rather have a sonic screwdriver.
fjkcpa Champion Author Houston Posts:4,484 Points:599,285 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Jan 5, 2013 10:27:43 AM Ignore fjkcpa Report Abuse Had to be a tough time...