GM "Confessions" Ad

This is beyond sad. GM has just placed an ad in the trade journal Automotive News confessing to "betrayal" , product shortcomings and quality issues. The ad seems to be targeting Washington politicians who hold the purse strings to the billions of dollars dangling before GM, Chrysler and maybe Ford. I'll agree that in the '80's and '90's GM sure didn't know what the heck they were doing. Every GM platform was shared by every division as dealers wanted to be assured the "Chevy doesn't have something that we should have!" Hence GM "rebadged" everything in the stable and could not support each model with sufficient marketing. The end result? Try this: do you think that GM needed a cookie cutter mini-van for Chevy, Pontiac, Buick and Saturn? I'm surprised that Cadillac and GMC didn't get a version with GM's way of thinking. The public not only became confused but finally walked away from GM in droves. Market share went from 51% to 23% in a very short span of years. GM lost sight of the old adage that PRODUCT SELLS CARS! Make something that the public WANTS and sales will take off! Distinctive styling and world class quality evaporated at GM.
The GM "confessions" ad makes it sound like today is the start of an ALL NEW GM! Just give us billions and we'll make everything good from now on. The fact is that RIGHT NOW GM is making some BEST IN CLASS products! GM should INDEED admit that they have SCREWED UP in the past but ASK the public to RESEARCH the reality of some truly WORLD CLASS PRODUCTS: The Malibu/Aura ; the Acadia/Outlook/Enclave will stand up to the offerings of Toyota and Honda in both QUALITY and STYLING. And guess what? Those GM products will COST LESS than the comparable offerings from both Honda and Toyota! I think that GM has begun to realize you can't have even the slightest product shortcomings or you'll be exposed immediately on the internet. Your products are under instant scrutiny from day one!
The GM "confessions" ad makes it sound like the cupboard is bare and that certainly is NOT THE CASE. GM certainly does have a whole bunch of major problems: about 3,000 too many dealers just might be the most pressing problem. The job at hand is to INCREASE confidence in GM. Let the public know that you indeed have SCREWED UP but at the same time plead with consumers to take a look at what you are DOING RIGHT!
Its just another sad day from what used to be the most powerful corporation in the world! Mr. Wagoner, you should come to west Michigan for a glimpse of the "real world". Detroit and Washington DC are closer to the Twilight Zone than the real world!