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Re: GM India: 2015-16 losses are FOUR times its net worth



They switched over and thought that culling brand Opel and introducing the brand Chevrolet will resurrect their fortunes. But with plasticky, small Chevrolets (Cruze and Optra were larger and exceptions. Tavera had become a taxi brand) that never sold too well.



I had created this thread sometime in 2008 :



http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...cision-gm.html



The changeover from Opel to Chevrolet in 2006, to cash in on the old Chevrolet brand equity in India was followed by colourful supplements in Auto magazines, wherein we got to see famous Indian celebrities and even politicians with their old American Chevrolets. That was a nice addition to our libraries. But these gorgeous Chevrolets were from a different world.



Now GM was poised to market the plasticky and not so well designed ( and even a few ugly looking models) Chevrolets with Chinese and South Korean inputs. The brand Chevrolet in our mindset was the Great American Brand that had made cars like the Fleetmaster, Deluxe (Lata Mangeshkar's first car), Belair, Impala (once every Indian worth his salt dreamt of owning one), Chevelle, Malibu, Corvette, Camaro (from the "song sapna mera toot gaya" - Asha B and R D Burman in Khel Khel Mein fame), Caprice and so on.



With the newer Chevrolets from the Daewoo and its Chinese connections and so on, the car buyer is neither able to connect this brand with the Japanese or South Korean reliability or its American macho, flamboyant and gorgeous image.



Hence, the car buyer goes for either South Korean, Indian, Japanese or European brands. Where can the Chevrolet be slotted ? China, South Korea or even remotely the U.S. ?



Plus the marketing is not aggressive and many dealers are mostly laid back and are perhaps satisfied with whatever they sell.



GM will have to pump money to keep the brand afloat here. They also don't have any aggressive plans also to talk about. They started with a bang launching the Opel Astra way back in 1996, costing around Rs 8 L - a princely sum then ! The diesel version of the Astra followed within a year or so and was priced at around Rs 10 L. The Opel Astra had built up GM's image, with its upmarket appeal and clientiele. The Opel Corsa/ Corsa Sail, that followed soon was a little popular but did nothing to keep up the upmarket image and appeal of brand GM, once created by the Astra. GM had deep pockets and hence could sustain all the market shocks. It still does !They switched over and thought that culling brand Opel and introducing the brand Chevrolet will resurrect their fortunes. But with plasticky, small Chevrolets (Cruze and Optra were larger and exceptions. Tavera had become a taxi brand) that never sold too well.I had created this thread sometime in 2008 :The changeover from Opel to Chevrolet in 2006, to cash in on the old Chevrolet brand equity in India was followed by colourful supplements in Auto magazines, wherein we got to see famous Indian celebrities and even politicians with their old American Chevrolets. That was a nice addition to our libraries. But these gorgeous Chevrolets were from a different world.Now GM was poised to market the plasticky and not so well designed ( and even a few ugly looking models) Chevrolets with Chinese and South Korean inputs. The brand Chevrolet in our mindset was the Great American Brand that had made cars like the Fleetmaster, Deluxe (Lata Mangeshkar's first car), Belair, Impala (once every Indian worth his salt dreamt of owning one), Chevelle, Malibu, Corvette, Camaro (from the "song sapna mera toot gaya" - Asha B and R D Burman in Khel Khel Mein fame), Caprice and so on.With the newer Chevrolets from the Daewoo and its Chinese connections and so on, the car buyer is neither able to connect this brand with the Japanese or South Korean reliability or its American macho, flamboyant and gorgeous image.Hence, the car buyer goes for either South Korean, Indian, Japanese or European brands. Where can the Chevrolet be slotted ? China, South Korea or even remotely the U.S. ?Plus the marketing is not aggressive and many dealers are mostly laid back and are perhaps satisfied with whatever they sell.GM will have to pump money to keep the brand afloat here. They also don't have any aggressive plans also to talk about.