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What happens to Test Track if GM goes under?
- Thread starter miles1
- Start date
WDW1971
Member
Yoop33 said:
Why do you hope that GM folds and countless more thousands lose their jobs? Are you that heartless? By the way, Henry Ford wanted to sell to GM a long time ago and GM didn't want to pay what he wanted.
Oh, and also Ford was the same company that produced the Pinto Runabout and knew it had a fatal defect. They carefully figured out how much each wrongful death lawsuit would cost (they affixed a price tag on each death) and ran the numbers on how many crashes they assumed would happen. They then figured out it was cheaper to pay the lawsuits than it was to fix the problems.
People...stop drinking the media Kool-Aid. GM makes quality cars (look at the J.D. Power survey results) and very good cars (Corvette, anyone?). The problem is no one in this country wants to think for themselves. Let's let some media moron tell us what to do and how to think.
By the way, mighty Toyota isn't the wonderful Pollyana you think. Who do you think makes the most gas-guzzling full-size SUVs on the market? It ain't GM or Ford. Do you know anyone getting the advertised 55MPG in their Prius? AutoWeek recently finished a full year with one and got 35MPG in their last quarter. That's not really that impressive for such a small car. You can get that in a small car from nearly any manufacturer.
GM won't go under because we can't afford for the WORLD'S LARGEST AUTO MANUFACTURER to fail.
MickeyTigg
New Member
I agree with the statement someone made that if GM folds (which it isn't) Test Track is the least of our concerns. If for whatever reason, GM no longer sponsors Test Track...one of the major builders of cars would probably gladly snap it up.
All of the world's major manufacturers of cars do testing like that depicted in Test Track. Does anyone really think that Toyota, Volvo or Mercedez-Benz wouldn't snap up a sponsorship.
All of the world's major manufacturers of cars do testing like that depicted in Test Track. Does anyone really think that Toyota, Volvo or Mercedez-Benz wouldn't snap up a sponsorship.
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
WDW1971 said:
While I agree with some of your sentiments, let's compare apples to apples. This is something every car manufacturer does. Every car is not as safe as it could be. Concessions are made for cost, and, yes, some of those concessions are fatal.
GM does not deserve ill wishes that it fold. It is a large manufacturer, but it has not necessarily been living up to the market's expectations. Media press doesn't quite carry the power you think it does. If that were true, WalMart would have gone out of business so long ago it's not even funny. GM cars are not as advanced as some others, pure and simple. The market dictates most of this, so GM's folding is due to management problems, construction problems, and stronger competition.
Having said all of that, GM will almost certainly not fold. They have FAR too much infrastructure to disappear. If anything, they would be bought out and piecemealed. I also agree that if a GM sponsorship was pulled, it would be picked up by another manufacturer soon.
WDW1971
Member
Epcot82Guy said:
I read a case-study last year on how Toyota owners are less-likely to report defects to the NHTSA than other manufacturers. The reason? They assume it's an anomaly and don't report it. In contrast, people would report an arm rest falling off on a Cavalier as a safety defect.
I wish I could say that I'm joking, but I'm not.
Incidentally, Toyota had a widespread problem with engine sludge and a failing transmission. These were happening at an actionable (read: recall) rate. They weren't reported to the NHTSA for the aforementioned reason and Toyota didn't get the bad press they rightly deserved.
Honda also had a similar issue with the Odyssey minivan...with similar results. Just because you hear it's a good car doesn't mean it is.
I've never owned a GM car that didn't make it well past 200,000. I have had a Saturn (225,000) and currently have a nice Oldsmobile Intrigue (it has 125,000 miles). I also have owned two Toyotas...one a Tercel (good car...no problems) and a Corolla (it was a bucket of problems).
New Sponser = Yellow Cab :lookaroun
Shaman
Well-Known Member
I'd take a Ford over a GM any day (I'm sure some of you expected ME to say that :lol: :lookaroun )...but I'd take a Toyota over either too.
If GM goes under Disney won't worry too much about it...they'll find someone else.
Personally I think this whole business about GM going under is a bunch of BS.
If GM goes under Disney won't worry too much about it...they'll find someone else.
Personally I think this whole business about GM going under is a bunch of BS.
DMC-12
It's HarmonioUS, NOT HarmoniYOU.
hakunamatata said:
yeah... and those savages driving the cars run into things... people... guests... jumps the curb and takes out light poles... and they talk on their cell phone and ignore you.. while listening to NPR & reeking of some sort of stale odor.
Ah yes... "Test Track: II -- The Chicago Experience... brought to you by Yellow Cab"
Finally... a real world experience we all can enjoy.
DMC-12 said:
Excellent idea!
tigsmom said:
Wow, that's the seriously abridged version of that company's history.
AT&T was ruled a monopoly and split into smaller companies. The smaller companies being the "baby bells" or regional bells were in charge of local service and AT&T was long distance. Eventually after many years, the restrictions that kept AT&T from doing local service were removed but in order to do so, they had no local network so they had to pay Southwestern Bell, etc for the space on their network. That, among other factors such as people doing away with a land line and only using cell phones, made the company a lot less powerful than it had originally been. Eventually Southwestern Bell (renamed SBC by that point) bought out AT&T and has chosen to take the AT&T name (still getting SBC bills though so that's not complete). The end of the sponsorship deal came before the buyout and AT&T never went under, they just chose to sell themselves to a stronger company.
So AT&T still exists and as far as I'm aware, the sponsorship deal ended and AT&T just chose not to continue it. But someone else might know better about that than I do.
LilDucky
New Member
My old car (now my sister's car) is an '89 Toyota Corolla and is in really good condition considering its age, and mileage. I dont know its exact mileage, but we drove cross country from California to North Carolina in it 12 years ago.WDW1971 said:
It still has really cold air conditioning, and I know a couple of people with newer model cars ('95ish Fords :lookaroun) that cant say the same!
I dont think GM is near bankruptcy, but I could be wrong. I really dont hope so, for the sake of their workers and families!
bhg469
Well-Known Member
They arent going to bankrupt because they are fixing the problems that got them in this trouble. Unions, insanely high wages and pensions destroyed the company. I hope GM stays around forever, it makes Ford look better every day. And anyway everyone knows Subaru > * I can imagine TT after subaru gets ahold of it. Turbo charged symmetrical all wheel drive can make that ride.
bsandersjr
Active Member
DavyPR said:
Yeah! Then maintenance costs would triple!:lol: :lol:
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure that Test track pulls in the kind of numbers that if GM were to go Under, Disney would pick up the bill rather than close it. They'd be crazy to and they know it. They would look for another sponsor ofcourse, but they would keep it going until then. Something like Wonders of Life is a dfferent story, but Test Track is pretty secure for probably quite a little while.
Yensid "did-YOU-finish-your-ravioli-?" tlaw1969
Yensid "did-YOU-finish-your-ravioli-?" tlaw1969
lamarvenoy
New Member
I don't like where this heading and I keep my political views out of the forum but for people to openly bash an AMERICAN company while promoting.... PROMOTING a foreign company,to me that's sad. Our economy is a very complicated spider web of vendors,merchants, and consumers. Spending your money somewhere that promotes growth in your backyard is beneficial to all of us and our current trade exchange(or lack there of)is the poison in our economy. I support American and European companies because of the free trade...FREE TRADE is not something supported by the Asian companies.If they won't let us sell our products we shouldn't be buying theirs.Support OUR economy not THEIRS.
Yoop33
New Member
OK OK I am sorry for saying I wish GM would fold. I saw this not because I hope people and familes lose their jobs but because I prefer Ford over GM. I have not found, nor seen nor driven a GM that I have liked. So again I am sorry.
As for Test Track, I doubt that any domestic company will pic them up because of lack of money and I doubt any forgien company will pick them up because they probably could't care less.
Personally I think Test Track could use a makeover from whomever takes over. The cars and tests in Test Track ,although most likley still performed in one way or another, just seem kinda old.
As for Test Track, I doubt that any domestic company will pic them up because of lack of money and I doubt any forgien company will pick them up because they probably could't care less.
Personally I think Test Track could use a makeover from whomever takes over. The cars and tests in Test Track ,although most likley still performed in one way or another, just seem kinda old.
As far as foreign companies not being the least bit interested, doesn't Honda have a sponsorship deal with Disneyland's Space Mountain? And consider that Epcot gets 11 million annual visitors, that's a large potential audience for your product. I'd say it's a no brainer than just about any automaker would be all for picking up the sponsorship of Test Track if GM were to have to pull out of the deal.
CRO-Magnum
Active Member
As a former GM engineer I agree with most of what you said...
GM let the UAW run the show. Heck, we had a guy show up on site with a loaded weapon at a Christmas party in 1995. But since he didn't discharge the weapon, only threatened a few people, he was re-instated by the UAW after being fired by GM. Worse, GM spent $69 billion retooling to compete with the Japanese when they could have bought Nissan, Toyota, and Honda for $60 billion. It is my understanding the best pensions in the US are the US Government and the UAW. Even GM staff pay something for their healthcare.
However there are some major gaps that people forget about, particularly now that many foreign manufacturers have built US based assembly plants (don't be fooled - the cars are put together from kits typically sent from the country of origin so only the low value add last step of assembly is performed in the US). Laws and trade in the US are greatly imbalanced in favor of foreign manufacturers. For example clearing customs for a Toyota is transparent in the US occuring before the cars are offloaded. Clearing customs in Japan takes weeks, often months. Inspections routinely include disassembling cars to ensure they comply with laws eventhough the cars come off the same assembly line built to the same specs from the same design. The cars are not put back together properly, of course, leading to many times higher incidents of warranty work which perpetuates the common myth that the quality gap is grossly wider than true giving Japanese cars near total domination in their market. If the US matched trade "partner" rules, as I have advocated for years, treating others as they treat us, there would be as many foreign cars in the US as there are US cars in foreign countries.
Or how about Korea which required (may still for all I know) full schematics for all electronic components to make sure they comply with their version of the FCC. Amazingly copycat electronics started showing up in their cars imported into the US just a few years later. One company went so far as to actually copy GM's code and steal our software development tools.
Hmmmm...
bigcarolina77 said:
GM let the UAW run the show. Heck, we had a guy show up on site with a loaded weapon at a Christmas party in 1995. But since he didn't discharge the weapon, only threatened a few people, he was re-instated by the UAW after being fired by GM. Worse, GM spent $69 billion retooling to compete with the Japanese when they could have bought Nissan, Toyota, and Honda for $60 billion. It is my understanding the best pensions in the US are the US Government and the UAW. Even GM staff pay something for their healthcare.
However there are some major gaps that people forget about, particularly now that many foreign manufacturers have built US based assembly plants (don't be fooled - the cars are put together from kits typically sent from the country of origin so only the low value add last step of assembly is performed in the US). Laws and trade in the US are greatly imbalanced in favor of foreign manufacturers. For example clearing customs for a Toyota is transparent in the US occuring before the cars are offloaded. Clearing customs in Japan takes weeks, often months. Inspections routinely include disassembling cars to ensure they comply with laws eventhough the cars come off the same assembly line built to the same specs from the same design. The cars are not put back together properly, of course, leading to many times higher incidents of warranty work which perpetuates the common myth that the quality gap is grossly wider than true giving Japanese cars near total domination in their market. If the US matched trade "partner" rules, as I have advocated for years, treating others as they treat us, there would be as many foreign cars in the US as there are US cars in foreign countries.
Or how about Korea which required (may still for all I know) full schematics for all electronic components to make sure they comply with their version of the FCC. Amazingly copycat electronics started showing up in their cars imported into the US just a few years later. One company went so far as to actually copy GM's code and steal our software development tools.
Hmmmm...
