GM brings back Bob Lutz as part-time senior adviser


http://www.freep.com/article/2011090...yssey=nav|head

 

Good, its time for Bob to kick some butt and take some names!

 

I just saw this. This will help those at GM do what they can do. Bob's support has really help them do their best work without some non car guy telling them to stop.

 

Isn't this the same guy that said Americans would never buy a station wagon? Hopefully as "part-time", he won't be paid any benefits.

 

He's already pulling down pensions from both GM and Chrysler, I think. He probably doesn't need any other benefits.

 

Well he did say Americans would never buy a Cobalt station wagon, hence our beloved HHR was born.

 

Just a few thoughts about what and why 1 person would buy a Chevy wagon today. Bob Lutz may not be right. If there had been a Cobalt wagon, and it had styling along the lines of the Saturn Astra 3 door, or even the 5 door, then I might've bought one. For my wife, for starters. I really like the Ecotec in the Delta platform, and wanted one when we were switching from trucks to small cars as daily drivers. I researched it and test drove friend's and family's cars for over a year before choosing the Cobalt SE coupe for her. I myself only committed to the HHR, not a Cobalt Sport, nor an Astra 3 door XR, for three reasons: (1) I prefer the engine/trans combo...the Ecotec 2.2l gets better mpg than the Cobalt 2.4l or the Astra 1.8l, and the Aisin auto in the Astra is a weak link, (2) neither the Cobalt nor the Astra has load carrying capacity, and (3) the Panel is just too unique to ignore; it caught my eye when buying her Cobalt and I just had to get one (7 months later). But if Chevy had a Cobalt wagon (2 door especially) in the lineup...I don't know which I would have bought for myself. To do it over now, I would've got a white panel with the FE3 (and 2.4l); a little firmer and stronger package for little more money.

 

Let get something straight here a wagon has been proven a hard sell in this country. Americans are to much in love with their SUV's and Minivans and the added untility of a higher roof.

The days of the American wagon are pretty much gone. Many of the Asian brands have tried to sell them with poor results. The American companies have tried a few but only the HHR, PT have done very well. The Magnum and small following and the CTS wagon one of the best American wagons just has not caught on.

The few people who really buy wagons are the German car fans as the German companies can afford to ship them here in smaller numbers since they sell many in their own home markets.

Not don't confuse a wagon with a 3 door hatch. THis is a class all its own. It can survive in a small car market but it just never worked in the larger cars.

The fact is Bob knew what he was saying and doing when he pushed for the HHR. It sold over and near 100,000 units per year when a Cobalt wagon would have struggled to get even close to 20,000 units.

Bob already had the Opel GTC 3 door hatch better know as the new Astra hatch. It will be here soon as a wagon so this segment GM will have covered with a very good car. It is even better than the old version that was the Saturn.

Bob;s main focus this time will be new models but Cadillac in particular. Akerson wants Cadillac to be a world standard and he feels Bob understands what needs to be done and is why he was invited back.

We must remember we have yet to really see a new post chapter 11 car yet as the new product we have now are things they had done but no money to build. The ATS and a few others will be the first we will see soon. It will shock how many models will change and the things GM will bring to the table.

It is amazing what a company can do with no debt.

 

What is a definition of a wagon? I did have a 56 Ford station wagon, a 72 Vega GT wagon (Kammback), a Suzuki Sidekick four door (SUV?) wagon and my HHR (wagon?).

I also had some sedans in between. A 66 Pontiac Catalina two door, a 76 four door Chevy Nova, a 78 Rabbit three door coupe, an 83 6000 SE two door, a couple of Fieros, a four door Buick Regal GS.

I like the carrying abilities of the "wagon" . The HHR fills the bill and smallish size that gets good fuel economy.

I still have the Fieros..no carrying capacity though.

 

Wagons are normally considered 4 door cars with a low roof. As the roof goes up most are considered an SUV.

Then you have the gray area like the 2 door wagons that are also considered shooting brakes and or like the Vega a Kammback ot hatch.

In the eyes of GM the HHR is a SUV. It helps with gas mileage to class it like this. The PT is a SUV unless it is a Convertible then it is a car.

My Fiero has the Carrying Capacity option. It is call T tops. Just take em out and let what ever stick out.