Are the
Golden and Sunshine states along with their coastal neighbors partially responsible for the dismal fiscal state in
which GM and Ford find themselves? That’s Doron Levin’s opinion.
Levin, a columnist for Bloomberg News,
writes how GM and Ford have failed to recognize the impact that foreign automakers have had on consumer taste, which
penetrates the U.S. in major coastal markets such as Los Angeles and Miami, and then trickles into the Heartland and
the rest of the country’s interior. Instead, the two manufacturers have pushed their dealerships to continue selling
out-of-date models.
“I mentioned that GM seemed to be out of touch with the local market,” said
Martin Swig, a now retired car dealer at a meeting with GM representatives to set up new dealerships in San Francisco.
“A GM executive responded: `It sounds to me like you’ve got a bad attitude,’ he said, leading the GM executives
to end the meeting. They were so arrogant.”
The two automakers’ current actions are not helping
either, according to Levin. GM’s brand consolidation is giving rise to complaints by dealers who say the
representatives are woefully unknowledgeable over so many brands. And Ford’s “Blue Oval” reputation appears
to be lower than Paris Hilton’s neckline on consumer’s list when buying new vehicles in markets like Washington.
Ford and GM’s SUV cashcows? Like, old school, ya know.