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Essay / The Rise and Fall of General Motors Company - 1376
Could 'old' GM bring down 'new' GM with recent recall news? Is the “Cinderella” story of recovery a “fairy tale?” » Are the poor manufacturing practices of the “old GM” haunting the “new GM?” » Without a $0.57 change, will GM's kingdom be lost? Recently, in the news, there was an alarming fact about General Motors' automobile products that caused property loss. and more importantly, loss of life, when most admit that a simple design flaw could have been fixed with a $0.57 switch. This article will discuss the history of GM dating back to 1899, where you will see a history of boom and bust cycles until GM's collapse and rebirth in 2009 and the years of success that have followed since. Examining some of the decisions made will help paint a picture of why GM failed, declared bankruptcy, and ultimately had to be bailed out by the U.S. government and taxpayers through TARP. This article will also ask two questions: "Are the roots of bankruptcy and restructuring at issue in the ongoing recall proceedings?" Should the “new GM” be held responsible for the actions of the “old GM?” » “carriage” to that of an automobile and failed. William Crapo Durant; Durant had been in the horse-drawn carriage business in Flint Michigan since 1886, selling over 75,000 by 1895. In 1904 Durant bought out the Buick Motor Company, many other automobile manufacturers also had operations in Flint, Michigan; Chrysler, Buick, Nash to name a few. The economic downturn of 1907 bankrupted many small automobile manufacturers, and to protect the company, Durant brought in Henry Ford and Ran...... middle of paper ...... we will also look the considerable consequences of this situation. Mark Hood an engineer in Florida was hired by the family of Brooke Melton, she was driving a Chevrolet Cobalt which failed to deploy the airbags during a head-on collision causing the deaths of her and her son. Mr. Hood had initially examined a part from a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, but after hours of testing, he was unable to figure out why it was failing. References: Flint, city, United States. (2013). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition, 1.James R. HealeyUSA, T. (nd). 100 YEARS OF CHEVY. USA Today.Another Buick first for trivia fans: Buick was the first car to carry a price tag. The Automobile Price Labeling Act took effect beginning with the 1959 model year, and Buick was the first vehicle line to be introduced in 1959. Teahen Jr., J. K. (2003). Buick was the bellwether that ruled GM in the early years. Automotive News, 77(6037), 34