The combination of these two companies doesn’t change the European landscape, … It doesn’t make much difference in the U.S.

The passenger cars are not inherently as profitable as big SUVs or big pickups, but they have to refurbish their car line, even if it doesn’t get them back to historical profit margins.

It goes to the ‘equality of sacrifice’ principle embraced by the union. It may make it easier for GM to get concessions from the rank and file.

I was expecting an announcement on the dividend today, so I was surprised that we didn’t hear anything about it. They ought to cut it for tactical reasons, even though they can continue to pay...

I don’t buy the bankruptcy talk. I think they have the resources to get through this. The stock has gotten so banged up, it could be an interesting speculation play. But I’m not going to...

Imports and transplants are again the big winners in 2005, and will close out the year with about 40.5 percent of the market, up from 38.8 percent in 2004.

It’s basically several hundred million dollars of costs that [the auto companies] are incurring and that they are getting nothing for.

These pills can be useful pills, but they don’t match up to the hype we’ve had that they really cure the illness.

While the (health-care) deal is a positive, they have several other challenges. They are losing too much market share. They have too many plants, too many people and too many models.

Padilla is a very able (executive), but he is also the old guard. Padilla is out because Ford wants his own people. That’s my view.

A strike would be moot unless they waited until GM was back in production after the Flint strikes. If they went down now, who would care? It wouldn’t mean anything.

We can wait to see what happens, but perhaps he’s bitten off more than he can chew, … They’ve used the value of Hughes effectively to benefit other shareholders. I don’t think there’s any consensus...

It would be a dream come true to score and incredible to score the winner.

Rockport has a tremendous fishery for reds and we are hoping to attract the most serious redfish anglers to show them off and put on a great event. Our immediate inclination tells us we are...

Hertz has become kind of a noncore operation for them, a much less important outlet.

These are vehicles on the market mainly because of the insanity of regulators in states like California that are worried about emissions standards,

It’s a footnote, … I think it’s a minor help to Ford’s cash position. I suppose anytime you get about a quarter of a billion dollars it’s welcome, but it doesn’t change the big picture.

Detroit was an island surrounded by prosperity this year. The big SUV sales collapsed and did a number on their profitability. Both GM and Ford will lose a little market share in 2006, but not...

(Delphi) is one of the chief things that was holding GM up and causing fears of bankruptcy. On Broad and Wall there’s a collective sigh of relief.

It’s not the end of the world.

I think the effect has already been felt on Ford’s earnings because Ford and the other automakers book themselves in profits when they produce and ship the cars to the dealers,

The domestics suffer from hardening of the arteries in their design departments and are turning out well-executed but boring cars and trucks.

This is really more a matter of Mark Fields wanting to get his own people in place.

I was expecting an extremely ugly quarter but this was a great deal uglier than I’d thought.

Both Ford and G.M. are saddled with these legacy costs that they’re negotiating with the union. Beyond that, there isn’t much they can do but continue to attack their single largest cost: purchased materials.

I would not imagine there is any danger of any of our players freezing. They play at play at a good level and are solid players.

The job cuts will ultimately generate considerable cost savings if GM is smart enough to fire the right people and keep the right ones.

I guess I’m a little skeptical about the product side of this restructuring. Can they turn around the decline in market share with their new product?

We can take some confidence from the result against Azerbaijan.

I think Mark Fields will eventually be COO, but it’s possible they might still bring in someone from outside the company.

It’s a moderate plus to their finances. Hertz has become kind of a noncore operation for them, a much less important outlet.

If there is a long strike, they’re both out of business. Delphi and GM, whether they like it or not, they’re in bed together. They need each other to survive.

I think it’s a little tougher for the Chrysler Group than they’re admitting.

I think they’re pretty smart to take the earnings hit now,

If it wasn’t GM in crisis mode and the whole feeding frenzy going on in the media, a small restatement like this wouldn’t get any attention.

That increase to me suggests that the three-way negotiations among the auto workers union, Delphi and GM are progressing.

I’m not sure how significant that is because these warped market shares were caused by the strike that is now over.

I think the squeeze is on.

Sales weakened as the month went along. I think we ‘ re heading for a September/October slump as the huge effects of the employee-discount sales wear off, and you get into the payback period.

Imports and transplants have eaten Detroit’s lunch and are beginning to nibble at its dinner as well.

People think highly of Henderson, but I’m sorry that Devine is leaving. He tells it like it is, and he’s a known quantity.

I don’t think there’s any sector- or stock-specific news that is moving these stocks today. The gains you’re seeing are a reaction to the steep drop these stocks have taken of late and the recovery...

They say they are not increasing their incentive spending, but I have a hard time believing that, especially with the zero-percent financing. Chrysler probably has a lot of problems with inventories, and it’s trying to...

It’s not bet-the-company, but it’s pretty darn important. Well, maybe it is bet-the-company.

The changes seem to reflect Bill Ford’s impatience with the turnaround in North America,

They’ve got to get these operations turned around. By 2007, I think that will begin to happen.

I still think it’s unlikely, … I think GM has the liquidity it needs. In addition to the cash, it has $50 billion in untapped borrowing.

No disrespect to Sammy, but we’ve made progress from day one when Lawrie took the job,

My guess the strike will reduce profits by well over a billion dollars.

It must have been a really strong close to the month. December wasn’t a big blowout for incentives, so there wasn’t a lot of payback in January and consumer confidence really took a jump.