Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge When the government runs the car business

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G.M.'s "Deciders", the "Bean-Counters" purchasing obscure foreign brands in efforts to increase G.M.'s worldwide market share

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But, that is in keeping with the GM theme. That's how they got their start, gobbling up obscure domestic brands. Buick was nothing to write home about until Walter Chrysler reorganized that division. They finally gave up on Oakland and reorg'ed that into Pontiac. They bilked Ransom Olds out of Oldsmobile. Chevy is an interesting story. The board was alarmed at what they considered reckless acts and fire Durant. So, he drummed up some backing from the DuPont family, bought Chevrolet, and used it to quietly buy up GM. So, for a couple of weeks until Durant reorganized it, GM was a division of Chevy.
I never thought much of GM engineering anyway. Chevy didn't have a real pressurized oil system untill 1954, and their V8 had a serious problem with tossing rocker arms because the pressed in rocker stands came out. The 331 Cad V8 produced some 20 less HP than the Chrysler 331. The Olds 303 needed a 4 bbl carb to make the same power as the 276 DeSoto with a 2 bbl. Corvair was a disaster, as was the Bent driveshaft Tempest.

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Well, some good AND interesting historic points made there, GB.

(...but, I guess you know that when YOUR favorite brand Chrysler stopped puttin' torsion bar suspensions AND push-button automatic transmissions on their cars, THAT'S when THEY headed down the Road-to-Ruin, RIGHT?!)