Web Letters: Elegy for GM--and Ourselves

Not all GM efforts are going badly. Der Spiegel reports that GM's subsidiary Opel is flourishing:

"In Germany, though, the car-related headlines have been of an entirely different nature. A number of brands have experienced record sales so far in 2009. According to media reports Thursday, Volkswagen expects February sales to reach 120,000 cars, more than ever before. Opel, which is struggling to survive as its parent company GM sinks further into economic woes, experienced its best month in five years this February, selling 40,000 cars. And the Romanian auto manufacturer Dacia has even had to boost production lately to keep up with high demand in Germany." (Der Spiegel, February 26, 2009)

GM needs to get with the new hopeful possibilities of a green world. We don't need monstrous pick-ups, SUVs, gargantuan luxury cars. We need simple reliable fun transportation.

When Toyota came out with the mythical hybrid Prius said to go 70 mpg and as it turned out it went 45 mpg, I elected for the spin off Echo with the 1.5 Prius engine that gets 62 mpg in two New York state test runs.

The Opel is a fantastic GM car. As an archaeologist who often travels in Europe, I usually elect to drive an Opel. This month Opel had its best sales yet. GM doesn't have to die.

Dr. Gary Arthur Thomson
McGill University

Montreal, Québec, CANADA