General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) lost its crown as the world's largest automaker to Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) after 77 years. This is hardly a surprise.

As Bloomberg News notes, "GM's 2008 sales fell more than 11 percent to 8.35 million vehicles, according to a company statement today. Toyota posted a 4 percent drop to 8.92 million."

It's not worth crying about 600,000 or so vehicles. The U.S. auto industry has much bigger problems. Consumer spending is still moribund. Credit markets are still frozen so much that otherwise qualified buyers are having difficulty getting their purchases financed.

GM, for its part, continues to hang on by its fingernails. Last month, it received $4 billion in funding from the TARP which is supposed to hold the automaker over through March. It will need tens of billions more. Pimco has quit a bondholders committee set up to negotiate a debt-for-equity deal for GMAC, according to Bloomberg.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), flush with $13.4 billion in federal bailout cash, is going on a diet.

Media reports indicate that the beleaguered automaker is going to focus on four core brands in North America: Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner told Bloomberg News that the company may retain Saturn, though the once-cutting edge brand's future remains cloudy.

Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson said the company's "worst case scenario" indicates that it will need need more than the bailout money it has already received. Oy vey. That's not a good sign.

If there is to be a turnaround at GM -- and I realize that's a big if -- the automaker has to dispose of Saturn. Remember how GM trumpeted Saturn as a different kind of car company? It never quite worked out that way. I always found Saturns to be underpowered and ugly. Maybe one of the big European or Japanese car companies will purchase the division for the right price.

A recent post about the much anticipated Chevrolet Volt generated an unusual number of comments, and most readers seemed pretty optimistic about the battery powered car. I'm sure this makes the beleaguered executives at General Motors (NYSE: GM) breathe a little easier. But I wonder if those readers will maintain their optimism now that photos of the actual production Volt have been revealed.

As you can see, the production Volt doesn't look much like the original concept (see below for the original). The real world Volt looks much more like a Japanese hybrid (I see a Honda crossed with a Malibu) -- which is to say it looks like a smooth jelly bean that somehow got wheels.

I'm sure the design makes sense in terms of efficiency and air flow. But this Volt is far from what was implied by the original model.

Will the Volt provide the jolt that turns General Motors' (NYSE: GM) around?

In the interpretation of one critic, Chevrolet's Volt plug-in hybrid may end up being not so much a game-changer as an ice-breaker.

Stock Analyst C. Leonard Bauer, whose ownership of high-performance sports cars through the years has been exceeded only by, perhaps, Mario Andretti, says he doesn't expect the Volt, Chevrolet's extended-range electric vehicle, to overwhelm the public or generate rave reviews from critics, but those two conclusions still won't blot out Volt's positives.

"The key point, and one many have overlooked, is not the Volt, but the infrastructure behind the Volt," Bauer said. "The Volt as a model will most likely underwhelm, but the processes GM has put in place will pay dividends when advances occur." Bauer added that he does not own shares in or have a rating on any auto manufacturer.

Amped-up R & D

GM, Bauer says, has now committed a large amount of resources to electric and hybrid technologies, whereas previous commitments were modest. Moreover, "it would take an act of idiocy or $10 a barrel oil" for GM to dismantle its current research platform. Bauer expects neither, and as a result, he expects the 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations of Volt and its companions to achieve both battery power storage and power delivery advances not possible during GM's previous electric vehicle projects.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) CEO Rick Wagoner told the media this week that there would be no bankruptcy for the beleaguered automaker. While GM and rivals wind down SUV production and see what they can do with the glut of big, gas-hogging trucks in inventory, Wagoner assured the world that GM would not be shutting down any of its brands as a result of its current financial difficulty.

And then came the standard, boring corporate speak from Wagoner when he said that the company's focus is on evolving its various brands to make them more profitable and meet consumer needs.

Well, duh. Isn't that the SOP for every automaker during every quarter? GM has not marketed itself well to the gas-conscious crowd nor was it in a position to change its product mix swiftly as consumer attitudes towards gas efficiency changed almost overnight.

With GM shares trading for under $10 now -- the lowest price in about 50 years -- the company can't spin more rhetoric. It's put up or shut down time. That is, unless gas prices go down and the economy improves. I won't take that bet with anyone for the foreseeable future. Will you?

When my wife and I were in Europe a few years ago, we saw the "Smart Cars," vehicles so small that they look like they could have come off an assembly line at a toy plant. The reason we were told that they were so popular in Europe was that gas was expensive and people there did not need to drive huge distances over crowded highways. Well, I thought these sort of vehicles would never sell in the U.S. where we like our cars as wide and free as freeway at the crack of dawn.

Thanks to $4 gas, my theory has been proven wrong.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) may start producing the Chevrolet Beat in the U.S., a vehicle which according to Bloomberg News is more than a foot shorter than any other vehicle and whose 40-mile-per-hour fuel efficiency is only topped by hybrids. The new service points out that the the automaker has little choice because its current market value is SMALLER than Matchbox car maker Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) and a 10th of what it was in 2000. It only took GM billions of dollars in losses but hey better late than never, right?

Don't get be wrong. I have nothing against the Chevrolet Beat. Judging from the pictures I have seen online. it looks okay, not my cup of tea, but then again that's why we have chocolate and vanilla. Thanks to Al Gore, I understand about global warming and feel guilty that I own the small SUV that I drive. Nonetheless, the Chevrolet Beat and other cars like it scare me.

General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) investors, as well as auto industry trackers, will want to read Jonathan Rauch's "Electro-Shock Therapy" in the July 2008 issue of Atlantic Magazine. Mr. Rauch was given unprecedented access to all personnel involved in GM's company-wide commitment to have a market-ready electric car by late 2010. GM personnel note the Chevy VOLT, as the car is named, will not be a hybrid per se, but will be the first mass market electric car with a range of 40 miles per charge, enough to cover the daily commute of 75% of American workers. The car's small gasoline engine will be used to recharge the battery, while only electricity will be used to power the wheels. GM is trying to wow consumers by manufacturing an affordable electric car that will sever the connection between driving and the gas pump.

GM lost the engineering and publicity wars on electric cars to Toyota's Prius years ago. Toyota has been eating GM's lunch ever sense. According to GM's VP Bob Lutz, it's payback time. Using the same rhetoric President Kennedy used to launch the Apollo space program and race to land on the moon, GM has sectioned off the Volt division and given it complete decision-making and spending authority to reinvent not only the electric automobile, but also the company itself. In one Volt engineer's words: "Go big or go home."

Yes, there are problems with the weight to power ratio in the battery. And yes, production of both the battery and the car body are being rushed towards production without the normal period of evaluation. But GM has staked its future on the Volt, and unlike my colleague Michael Rainey who isn't that positive on the Volt, there's reason for at least cautious optimism, a quality currently in short supply coming out of Detroit.

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

When it comes to comparing the pick-up trucks of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and Chevrolet by General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), I can honestly say that I've owned both brands. I bought one F-150 off the showroom floor. I also bought one that was very well used. Both my Chevy Silverados were low-mileage, used models. I leased one of them from my dad and the other one I bought from my brother. I have also had opportunities to drive multiple specimens of each brand that were owned by friends or associates. I like both brands as far as their trucks go. Their cars are a story for another day.

To me, Chevy trucks always seem a bit more solid, with interior appointments a little more lush and inviting. Ford trucks seem to focus more on utility and usability within a bit roomier interior. The Chevy trucks always exhibit deep power, easily delivered upon demand. Fords trucks always seem a bit more spunky with their aggressiveness always close under foot. Chevy trucks appeal to the gentleman in me but they've always done any job I asked of them. Ford trucks appeal to the workman in me and they sometimes seem immortal.

The big auto companies have seen lots of bad news lately. General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) just announced a record loss of $39 billion, and even though the number reflects one-time tax losses, it still managed to shock Wall Street. A week ago, Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) also stumbled badly when Consumer Reports downgraded the reliability ratings of several of its most popular vehicles, including the V6 Camry. And with the US economy heading into what may already be a recession, the outlook for car sales is pretty grim.

However, a bit of good news for GM emerged this week as the 2008 car reviews came out. The new Chevrolet Malibu is finally here and it looks like it could help GM regain ground it has lost to Toyota and other foreign manufacturers in the last few years. I was a bit worried a few months ago when Chevy failed to make the Malibu available for early review. In Hollywood, this is a sure sign that the product is a dog and beyond repair, and I was afraid that this was true in Detroit as well. But the reviews are coming out and they are all positive.

Venture capital is flowing, engineers are chomping at the bit and layman sources claim that mechanical components of the Chevy Volt are already being road tested on the streets of Detroit. General Motors (NYSE: GM) is not letting anything get in the way of its plans to place a successful electric car on the streets of America and the world by 2010. A report by RedHerring outlines the broad and powerful collection of top tier companies which are coming together to help GM bring its mission to fruition.

Two new research projects targeted towards electric car development were recently announced by General Electric (NYSE: GE) and are specifically geared towards the needs of the Chevy Volt. GE has been asked to design high density electric capacitors and hybrid drive train components in pursuit of our first generation of truly plug-in electric cars. It would seem that GM, GE and the Department of Energy are not willing to settle for an automobile with simple hybrid status. The goal would appear to be full blown electric automobiles at a price within reach of the public. Once the car is built, add the current advances in solar technology and you'll have an automobile that can be charged from a solar powered battery array at home.

Bloomberg.com reported today that unnamed sources privy to Chevrolet's plans for their version of the hybrid, the Volt, say that General Motors (NYSE: GM) hopes to build as many as 60,000 of the vehicle in the first year of production, 2010-11.

In its current iteration, the car would be capable of traveling up to 40 miles on its lithium-ion battery alone, or 640 miles between gasoline fillups. A (much more expensive) fuel cell version is also in the works for the Chinese market.

Industry experts are skeptical of the company's ability to reach such lofty goals. The process will be expensive -- GM expects to spend a least half a billion dollars in bringing the vehicle to market. The plan compresses GM's normal development cycle, and will test its corporate flexibility. The projected quantities also represent a real gamble on the car's popularity.

Chevy is also depending on the timely development of a new type of battery to power the E-Flex system. This system would allow the car to cruise at highway speed on battery alone, and could be recharged via house current, overcoming the limitations of current hybrids from Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) and Honda Motor Ltd. (NYSE: HMC).

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) has announced that it will spend $100 million this year to advertise the Chevy Malibu as a suitable alternative to the best-selling Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) Camry. Although GM recently lost the top global spot to Toyota as the world's largest automaker this year, this advertising bet sound a little hokey to me. Can GM really convince Americans that an aging nameplate like the Malibu can compete against the rock-solid image of the Camry? Although it's an all-new design, that may not be enough for most customers.

The Camry, I suspect, sells in such great volume because of the perceived reliability and reputation just the name has. I can't count how many times I've heard a "300,000 mile" story from a Toyota Camry owner. By my estimation, Camry owners (and even prospective buyers) have more loyalty to the Camry than all other cars combined -- ever.

What could GM pit against the Camry for a winning proposition, though? Invent a new nameplate (or re-badge one) and build a reliable and comparison-based marketing campaign? The perception of the "Malibu" nameplate is not even in the same ballpark as the long-standing reputation the Camry enjoys. It may be true that GM's cars are just as reliable and as solidly-built as Toyota's vehicles (many of which are built in the U.S. by Americans). But I'm not sure that's how people buy cars in most cases. Past reputations, word-of-mouth and perceived benefits are incredibly strong here. Can the Malibu dethrone that thinking from a prospective Camry owner? I doubt $100 million will even make a dent.

Although General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) saw a pretty disappointing June in the U.S. -- sales were down 24% -- the automaker's India division saw an increase of 43% during the same period. Quite a disparity, eh? GM's Chevrolet brand is cited as one of the reasons why the global automaker did so well in India this past month. Even so, in terms of absolute volume, GM's India sales of 4,779 vehicles in that country pale in comparison to over 326,000 vehicles sold in the U.S. in June.

The bulk of GM India's sales were smaller, fuel-efficient cars and midsize SUVs like the Chevy Aveo, Optra, Tavera and Spark (some of those are not available in the U.S.). Can GM continue increasing its market share and volume sold in one of the most heavily-populated nations on the face of the planet? If so, GM's rescue won't come at the hands of product and fuel innovations in the U.S., but from international sales.

Yes, that sounds pretty goofy -- GM's sales volume in India is a pittance compared to the U.S., but what keeps the automaker from becoming the manufacturer of choice in certain growing international locations? GM predicts a 10% share in India by 2010, and with a new India plant having a yearly capacity of 85,000 units, it may just get there.

Vandalism can be fun. Just ask General Motors (NYSE:GM). Its latest promotional stunt, in England, rewarded contestants for keying a Chevrolet SUV, the Captiva.

The keying had a purpose, however. For its "Scratch car-d" promotion, the company first had the entire car covered with the same paint material used to conceal numbers on lottery cards. The surface was then sectioned into almost 17,000 (the price of the car in pounds) small boxes. Under one of the boxes was a symbol which meant the winner had won the vehicle. The company estimated it would take 14 hours to scratch all of the boxes, and had 13,995 pennies (or 1 Pence coins?) on hand for the contestants to use as scratchers.

I'm hoping they collected the coins afterward. And I'll bet the company executives didn't park their personal vehicles anywhere nearby.

A tip of the hat to Evan Bass at engadget.com for the lead.

One of the stocks that I like to keep an eye on is AutoNation (NYSE: AN). It interests me due to their number one position in online auto sales and because of their robust size. I'm getting a bit curious about how quiet it is over there in terms of news items. I'm not the least bit worried about what they're up to. As I've said before, generally a lack of news means that things are going in a business-as-usual fashion.

As of this writing, the most current news item you'll find on the AutoNation website is their Oct. 26, 2006 news release of their third quarter earnings report. . The most current news piece I can find on the web is a reference to the AutoNation Inc. presentation at the China Auto Services Market Summit, December 5, 2006 at JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai . What this signals to me is that AutoNation is yet another active participant in the massive movement to exploit China's blooming economic opportunities. The summit seemed to be geared more towards automobile service operations than towards outright retailing of automobiles. The logistics of moving cars to market, the financing of new vehicle purchases, underpinning the retail segment, leasing, renting and mechanical service were among the topics of focus. The entire summit signals to me that the groundwork is being carefully laid for a major influx of automobiles into mainland China.

I like the feel of the whole thing. "Detroit's" big three are surely in full preparation for this impending boom. Aren't they? I want to see some advertising fliers showing Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) Silverados parked along the Great Wall. I want to see pictures of the streets of Peking jammed with Nitros (NYSE: DCX) and Explorers (NYSE: F). I want to see some of the money we've spent on cheap Chinese die cast tools and toys coming back as wages for American workers. I want my piece of their economy now. C'mon gang, it's time to bring it on home!