Automotive Bailout

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
There are custom shops in Germany that do just this to Mercs — in order to boost horsepower, that is.

yeah, I did that with my Mustang. I was paranoid I was going to fry the chip, but it was amazing what the performance difference was.

Germany gets … nervous every time GM is in trouble, because of Opel.

Although Opel is a daughter company of GM since … almost 100 years ? I don't quite remember anymore - although Opel is a daughter company of GM, Germns consider Opel as a genuine German company. If GM would axe Opel, they should soon implement double-refined doors in their German headquarters.

When GM was in trouble there were serious plans o buy out Opel in order to save it from being dragged into the black hole of going out of business.

I'm sure these plans would be dragged out again if it would hppen again that Opel should be closed.

Opel always had its troubles because GM managers never really belived in Opel. Badmouthing rumors say that Opel is ued as a training area for young managers within GM, because they are far away from the U.S. and can do heavy mistakes without being punished for them.
The reality seems to be a bit more delicate . I recently read that there are 2 "schools of thought" within GM of which one indeed doesn't believe in Opel and rather wants it to be cut out, and the other school of thought believes Opel to be good, yet rather underdeveloped, foot of the U.S. car industry in Europe. Which should be developed more.

Question is which school of thought will gain power over Opel in the fuure.

Right now they have decided that Opel should construct cars which would be well sold in the U.S. , but have no market here in Germany because the people are different - or so I have understod it from a newspaper article.