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How bad are things for General Motors? ABC's Dan Harris offered a negative anecdote; CBS' Barry Petersen provided positive data. Petersen filed from Beijing where, thanks to incentive rebates offered by the People's Republic, China has now become the globe's largest car market--"and the market leaders are American." Even though Ford and GM use Chinese factories to manufacture the cars they sell to Chinese customers, the vehicles are considered "a high-end import." Petersen explained the secret to Buick's success among upscale executives and bureaucrats: most of them have a personal chauffeur so they tend to be back seat passengers rather than front seat drivers. Accordingly the back seat is designed to be "the lap of luxury" with remote controls for air conditioning and stereo sound and plenty of leg room.
Domestically, ABC's Harris noted that GM is sending conflicting signals. It needs to reassure customers that it is staying in business at the same time as reassuring taxpayers that it is being frugal. Which message does it send when it is "auctioning off its past"? GM's Heritage Center has taken 100 classic cars--"vintage ones, rare ones, fast ones, even almost famous ones"--and put them up for sale. The money raised "is really just a drop in the bucket" but the models on display on cable TV's Speed channel are "a gearhead's dream."
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