Long before the first U.S. soldier laid a boot on Iraq soil in the first Gulf War, General Motors planned to build a manufacturing facility in the country. According to The Detroit News, the years since haven’t been entirely kind to the automaker’s sales efforts in Iraq. That’s no shock given America’s reputation in the Middle East nation, but its prospects are beginning to look up. Whereas GM once trailed even Renault in sales, the company managed to move 35,000 vehicles last year. Not bad considering the entire new vehicle market in Iraq totaled just 115,000 in 2011. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: GM and Disney sign new deal to replace 13-year-old Test Track attraction
General Motors has announced that it will continue to work with Disney. The two companies have agreed to renew their long-term partnership to rework the Test Track attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: GM leads worst performing auto stocks of 2011
In spite of General Motors standing poised to retake the top sales spot, Chevrolet perhaps breaking its all-time sales record, and an anticipated Buick and two new Cadillac models coming, GM’s stock price got beat like a goat in 2011. On January 2, 2011 the stock traded at $37.06, on January 2, 2012, it hovered a few dimes above $20, making GM the worst-performing auto-industry stock of 2011: with a 46.1-percent drop, it edged out Cooper Tire (-41.7), TRW Automotive (-40) and Ford (-37.3). Funk Flex
Auto Talk: GM hires agency to identify white-collar job cuts
General Motors isn’t happy that it’s five-percent operating margin is less than the predicted seven-percent at Ford or the 10 percent at Hyundai. To boost its number, Bloomberg reports that GM has hired consulting firm Hackett Group to identify areas in which it can save on white-collar costs, either through job cuts or efficiencies. Unlike in 2009, however, buyouts and tranches of layoffs aren’t on the table. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: GM schedules 21-week idle of three truck plants
Four of General Motors’ full-size truck plants, three of them in the U.S., will go intermittently silent for a total of 21 weeks in order to retool for 2013 model year production. The Fort Wayne, Indiana and Flint, Michigan plants have both been in the news lately as recipients of multi-million dollar investments for just this purpose. Funk Flex
Auto Talk: GM suspends production of Chevrolet Cruze due to supplier issue
General Motors has suspended production of the Chevrolet Cruze. The automaker’s Lordstown, Ohio facility suspended its third shift entirely and shortened its first and second shifts due to an unnamed supplier issue according to a spokesperson with the plant. Reuters reports GM has declined to elaborate on the nature of the kink in the company’s supply chain, but stressed that the automaker hopes to clear up the issue as soon as possible. The Cruze has enjoyed major success this year, becoming the second-best selling vehicle in its class, second only to the Toyota Corolla. Funk Flex
