According to the official statement, the number of GM automobile architecture will drop from 30 in 2010 to 14 in 2018. Their engine platforms will take a dive from 20 in 2009 to just 12 in 2018. Their long term goal is to make the engine platform figures to just 10. According to executives from General Motors, the number of unproductive development practices is causing them almost $1 billion annually. This is supported by the claim made by Senior Vice President, Mary Barra who confirmed that they lost almost $1 billion annually because of inefficient production practices and that they’ve been in an up-down cycle when it comes to product investment.

Barra added that the launch dates for the Buick Enclave, the GMC Acadia and the Chevrolet Traverse continue to take a drawback due to fluctuating financial conditions. Having common architectures will help the company take the product lines to the show rooms faster.

The press release also mentioned that the American brand will begin producing Cadillacs in China by the bulk late in 2012. Additionally, GM is will set up another assembly plant in Russia and about four more in China. Lastly, GM is said to be planning to debut about 16 new models in China in the span of five years.

The 734-page file also includes the state in which senior management is being paid an uncompetitive salary because of the limitations that comes from the government’s aid to the GM.  There is also the matter of unhealthy financial controls inside the company the negative effects of GM’s deflating dealer body to its market share and sales in the U.S.

According to GM, the sales and market share will suffer when they decide to let go of several brands and cut down their U.S. dealer network.  In 2009, there were approximately 5,600 GM dealers in the U.S.  In June 2010, the figure goes down to 5,200.  The initial plan was to cut down the dealerships by 3,600 to 4,000 in the long run that in 2009, the automaker has ended their franchise deals with over 2,000 dealers. But the new federal law urged GM to revive at least 700 of these terminated dealerships while some were restored through government mandated negotiations.  GM now plans to cut their US dealers to around 4,500 towards the end of this year.

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This is huge – for everyone and as of September 1st, they finally are able to bring the funds back up and while the senior executives are not the ones that get to take advantage of this … well, the workers do.  GM has actually saved $50 million dollars by giving those cuts during the last four months and right now – they are able to give it back.

To me, that is something that is really good for the blue collars, while the white collars might have to suffer a little bit – they don’t get to get their third car this year … big deal right?

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First the Pontiac Vibe is going to be gone and then the next car that is on the line is the G6 and so on and so forth, but really … I think that Pontiac is a fantastic brand and I think that they should have figured out something else to phase out – however, that is my opinion and mine alone.

What do you guys think?  Do you believe that the Pontiac brand should have been phased out at all?