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August 30, 2007
"Project 2000: The Rise and Fall of Oldsmobile." GM Insider's Book Reveals Secret Project Leading to Crumbling of GM's Empire : GlobalGiants.com
Photo: 2003 Oldsmobile Alero.
MIAMI, Aug. 30 -- As General Motors' empire started to crumble, automotive expert Bob Horvath was hardly surprised.
"In fact, Detroit's Big Three forgot how to satisfy customers and dealers back in the eighties," says Horvath, a 40-year GM veteran, who details one of the carmaker's notable missteps in "Project 2000: The Rise and Fall of Oldsmobile."
In the mid-80's, when GM had Oldsmobile, their world market share was 54 percent. In 2007, it has declined to 13 percent, according to Automotive News.
The key to success in the car industry is simple. Keep customers happy by giving them the products they want, and keep your dealers happy too. Horvath says GM forgot about all that and squandered its market dominance in the process.
Horvath continues, "GM's attitude and regime change in the mid-80's allowed Japan to make significant inroads in the U.S. and world-wide auto industry."
Failure to recognize consumer demand for a Toyota Camry-type or Honda Accord-type car, and failure to compete in this market, partly led Toyota to becoming the world's number-one auto manufacturer through June of 2007, Horvath says.
Tatsuya Mizuno, a Fitch Ratings auto analyst, said it was inevitable that GM would hand over its crown to Toyota at the end of 2007, ending its 76-year reign as the world's best-selling automaker.
"One key element in GM's demise was the closing of the Oldsmobile Division. From 1970 to 1985, the Olds Cutlass was the number-one selling car in America and Oldsmobile was the most sought-after franchise in the world. Oldsmobile went from best to worst in 20 years and became a dinosaur in October 2005," says Horvath.
Horvath said another key element contributing to GM's declining share was a secret project that GM called "Project 2000" which was the systematic elimination of dealers to take place by the year 2000. This benefited GM's upper management at the expense of the dealers who were betrayed.
Horvath, who had a front seat to the "Project 2000" scheme hatched by GM, offers an insider's viewpoint in his book why GM has lost its spot as the perennial number-one carmaker to Japan's Toyota, and backs it up by hundreds of documents contained in the book. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:10 PM | View the original post
Fashion Rocks Update
NEW YORK, Aug. 30 -- Conde Nast Media Group announced today the following updates regarding New York Fashion Week's most star-studded event:
• Mary J. Blige Joins Stellar Performance Line Up
• Show will feature duet performances from Mary J. Blige and Usher, Fergie and Ludacris, and Alicia Keys with Santana
• Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Teri Hatcher, Jessica Alba, Denis Leary, Mischa Barton, 50 Cent, Sean Lennon, Tyra Banks, LeAnn Rimes, Tommy Hilfiger, among others join a star-studded lineup of previously announced performers.
• Portion of Proceeds to Benefit Keep a Child Alive.
The show, hosted by Entourage star Jeremy Piven, will include performances by Aerosmith, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, Chad Kroeger, Fergie, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Ludacris, Maroon 5, Mary J. Blige, Martina McBride, Santana and Usher.
The concert returns to the legendary Radio City Music Hall on September 6, 2007 and will air the following night, Friday, September 7, 2007 in a two-hour special on the CBS television network (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).
FASHION ROCKS(TM) is a production of Conde Nast Media Group, a unit of Conde Nast Publications, which includes corporate sales, marketing, interactive and direct sales efforts for all of Conde Nast's consumer magazines and websites. Conde Nast Media Group is recognized as an industry leader for its creation and execution of large-scale, integrated, multi- platform advertising programs and events.
FASHION ROCKS(TM) is sponsored by Chevrolet, Citi, Revlon, Dillard's, and Nexxus. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:35 AM | View the original post
SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. SPONSORS EVENTS
Photo: Subaru is the official vehicle and sponsor of the 2007 West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, The 2nd Annual Whitewater Festival, and Gauley Fest in September. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:28 AM | View the original post
