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Originally Posted by Tofu
Toyota is fixing to make a bid to buy GM anyhow. They have the cash on hand to purchase every outstanding share of GM stock; they are simply waiting for a politically expedient time to do so. The hybrid technology sharing agreement that was signed earlier this year is believed to be a precursor to an attempted buyout, as GM has exactly zero hybrid technology that's of interest to Toyota.
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What?! You are insane!
I'm going to have to take Pockets' stance on this: show me proof.
I've said it before and i'll say it again, Toyota has no interest in buying GM. There is no advantage, nothing to be gained. Only a huge financial burden that is GM's healthcare program. They would basically be purchasing the highest interest loan available today.
BTW - Toyota got it's "hybrid technology" from GM. GM has moved onto other programs that may actually have a shot at becoming a mainstay. Hybrids are a fad, not a solution to the world's energy crisis. Ideas such as fuel cells offer a much more promising future.
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Originally Posted by Tofu
On a related note, Ford and GM's financial troubles are primarily due to the overwhelming amount of healthcare and pension related costs each company is dealing with. Overseas, the governments of Japan, Germany, Korea, among others, contribute to or pay for healthcare, which lowers the operating costs for the manufacturers significantly. In the US, it's estimated that the healthcare and pension costs for GM and Ford employees can add thousands of dollars to the cost of each car, costs that eat the already razor-thin profit margin- one of the reasons that the Big Two concentrate so heavily on their pickups and SUVs is that the profit margin on those vehicles can absorb the overhead, unlike pretty much every actual car they sell.
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However, that is a good point.