GM dealers reportedly fretting over too tight crossover and truck inventories

You may be surprised to hear, though, that a dwindling supply of available inventory is one of the major problems some dealerships are currently reporting. We're not shocked to hear there's only a six-day supply of Chevrolet Camaro models on hand, but dealers are also seeking remedies for shortages of Buick Enclaves, GMC Yukon SUVs and extended-cab Sierra pickups, as well as limited supplies of Chevrolet Silverado trucks.


In these dark days of bankruptcy proceedings, ever-dwindling sales figures and decades of receding market share, General Motors' base of dealerships certainly has plenty of things to keep it up at night.



For a company that has historically had an unhealthy attachment to high inventories across their brands, this is an unusual development indeed.


GM is aware of the shortages and Mark LaNeve, vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing, tells Automotive News that the shortage is a normal part of the adjustment process from the old days of carrying a 120-day supply of vehicles to today's goal of a leaner 75-day supply.


The General's messenger further suggests that dealers trade inventory with each other to bolster inventory until the automaker is ready to rekindle its assembly lines beginning on Monday, July 13 after the company's extended summer shutdown.
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Michael Jackson dead - leaves behind large car collection

Michael Jackson 1988 Lincoln Town Car limousine

Jackson owned at least four limousines, including a 1999 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph that was unusually decorated, to say the least. Our friends at Jalopnik described it well, when they said, "The dark blue Seraph wears an interior which looks to have been pulled directly from the Palace of Versailles." Jackson was said to have designed the interior himself, which probably explains the generous use of 24-carat gold. The vehicle was said to have a 5.4-liter V12 aluminum engine that generated up to 322 horsepower.

Michael Jackson 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph Touring Limousine

Back in February it was announced that a collection of items belonging to Michael Jackson would be auctioned off, including his own fleet of vehicles. Although that auction was cancelled in mid-April, it gave us a chance see how the King of Pop lived while being chauffeured around California.

Michael Jackson 1999 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph Limousine

Now that MJ has passed on, we decided to take a look back at these vehicles. It is unknown what will happen to many of the Neverland Ranch possessions (Jackson did have a lot of debt), and surely some of these will wind up either on the auction block, or in a museum.

Michael Jackson's 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special 4 Door sedan from Driving Miss Daisy

Jackson owned a 1990 RollS Royce Silver Spur II, trimmed in contrasting white leather and black fabric. Dark, tinted windows were adorned in white curtains, and a full-service bar that was used for god-knows-what. His white, 1988 Lincoln Town Car had a much more subdued interior that used gray leather and fabric. The fourth limo is the same 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood used during the filming of Driving Miss Daisy. Jackson's collection included a 1997 Neoplan Tour Bus with individual seats and booths, and a king's crown embroidered in the carpet. Possibly used on the HIStory World Tour, the bus featured a bathroom lined in porcelain, gold, and granite.

Michael Jackson 1988 GMC V Jimmy Half-Ton High Sierra Classic and 1993 Ford Econoline E150 van

Jackson other vehicles included a 1993 Ford Econoline van with leather seats, individual tv screens, and an old-school video game console, a 1986 GMC High Sierra firetruck, a 1988 GMC Jimmy, and a replica of a 1909 Detamble Model B Roadster. Amongst the collection was an electrified horse-drawn carriage, and a 2001 Harley Davidson touring police bike.

Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley electrified horse-drawn carriage Michael Jackson's custom Peter Pan golf cart Michael Jackson's black Dodge Viper mini-car with The Simpsons decorations Michael Jackson's 1909 Detamble Model B Roadster Replica
Source:worldcarfans

New York Auto Show; 2010 GMC Terrain prepares to polarize

While GMC's new-for-2010 Terrain crossover may be all but identical to Chevrolet's Equinox, one look at this bluff-faced polarizing design will tell you that badge-engineering wasn't part of the program at General Motors. Yes, both vehicles share the same platform, the same engine choices and even the same suspension calibrations, but the in-your-face look here is likely to inspire love-it-or-hate-it reactions.

We'll let you decide on which side of the fence you sit, with one caveat: It is often the case that certain cars look better in the metal than on screen or in photographs. We were invited to GM's Design Dome for a media backgrounder, and after being in-and-around the vehicle, we profess that we can't make the same case.
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First Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid and GMC Sierra Hybrid

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Once again, this time-honored dictum is proving true as pickup trucks regain their rightful place at the top of the U.S. sales charts following a precipitous fall from grace last summer.

As you've undoubtedly noticed, the cost of gasoline has dropped to a more manageable level, with an average gallon of regular-grade fuel going for half the price it was less than a year ago. So is it back to business as usual? Not quite. As we found out (again) in 2008, the volatile nature of gasoline stocks means that the market price for a barrel of crude can and will change on a whim. Does anyone really think fuel is going to stay cheaper than bottled water forever? Not likely.

However, America's love affair with the pickup truck will continue to burn bright even though the status quo is changing. All vehicles, regardless of type, must travel more miles on each gallon of gasoline. Enter GM's latest duo of fuel-saving pickups: the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Hybrids.


These two workhorses were first announced at the LA Auto Show in late 2007, though the 2009 editions are just now beginning to show up at dealerships across the country. For the new model year, GM has made a few tweaks to its range of heavy haulers, most notably switching to a new set of hydraulic body mounts to compensate for the extra weight of the large battery pack. Are there any good reasons to consider these hybrid trucks over their highly-respected standard siblings? To find out, we strapped ourselves behind the wheel of each, followed a route through the streets of San Antonio, Texas, and recorded our mileage along the way.
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Spied : 2010 GMC Terrain

Designed for the American market as GMC's version of the Chevrolet Equinox model, the GMC Terrain is the market segment replacement for the Pontiac Torrent as Pontiac withdraws from the SUV market to focus on passenger cars. A mid-size SUV based on GM's Theta platform, the North American GMC Terrain is not to be confused with GMC Terrain offered in the Middle East which is also Theta platform based, but more of a badge engineered Opel Antara.

Other vehicles which also ride upon the GM Theta platform include the Saturn VUE and Suzuki XL-7. In the next couple of years, a premium version of the Theta platform will serves as the basis for the yet to be released Cadillac BRX and Saab 9-4X models in 2010.

Codenamed 177, the GMC Terrain is expected to launch at the same time as it's fraternal twin, the Chevrolet Equinox. Power will likely come from a 3.6-liter V6, although it will likely offer more horsepower than today's version. Production starts in August of 2009 at the CAMI facility in Ontario, Canada, with sales following shortly afterwards.

Source: Automedia

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