More than half a century ago, General Motors was our nation’s biggest company. GM’s Chevrolet was our most popular car, and GM’s chief executive was “Engine Charlie” Wilson.
He became a good secretary of defense under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. But he got into political hot water when he was misquoted as saying, “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country.” His critics jumped on him for mentioning General Motors first — though he really hadn’t. But Wilson’s overall point was correct. When General Motors prospered, our whole country prospered, and vice versa. Alas, we wish General Motors were that prosperous these days.
GM’s cars are still popular, but we were surprised by a recent Times Free Press headline that said, “GM’s China sales pass U.S. for first time in history.”
The article by The Associated Press explained, “General Motors Co. sold more cars and trucks in China last year than it did in the U.S., for the first time in the company’s 102-year history.”
The next paragraph read: “Despite GM’s growth in China, Toyota Motor Corp. held onto the title of world’s largest automaker. The Japanese company reported 8.42 million sales worldwide last year. That’s 30,000 more than GM’s 8.39 million.”