Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Automakers Drive Toward the Cliff...

Awhile back, we posted a Daily Sprawl update on the likelihood of a major U.S. car maker hitting the skids [see "Is GM Going Bankrupt?"].

Well, it looks like that prognostication is gaining credibility:
Some experts fear that GM, Ford and Chrysler - their sales plunging as fewer consumers buy gas-guzzling pickups and SUVs - could be forced to head for bankruptcy.

Last week, General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) reported a $15.5 billion second quarter net loss. While its operating loss was only $6.3 billion, that's still more than the market value of the company.

GM's loss followed an $8.7 billion loss at Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) and came on the same day that the industry reported a 13% drop in sales, its worst month in 16 years.