Paul Ballew
Paul Ballew
breaking certainly economy fuel regard
We are breaking all new ground, certainly with regard to fuel economy and safety.
certainly continue despite mix month october saw seeing wrap
Certainly we did not see the surge we saw ...back in October of '01 or ...last July, ... But despite the ebbs and flows, we're going to wrap up this month pretty much as we thought it would play. And we're seeing mix continue to richen.
certainly demand forecasts four months remains underlying year
Underlying demand remains very strong. The first four months of the year certainly exceeds our forecasts and the forecasts of everyone else in the industry.
certainly consumers denying economy fuel gas interest prices realize saw seeing shift understanding
We realize that gas prices are important to consumers and we're certainly not denying that there's an impact. We are seeing more interest in consumers understanding fuel economy of vehicles. But there's not the shift we saw in the 70's and 80's.
certainly current levels pleased run satisfied share
We're certainly not pleased with current share levels and we're not satisfied with it, but we have to run this play.
arms breath deep
It's something to monitor. Let's just take a deep breath and get our arms around it.
aggressive industry pressure remain
Everyone is going to remain aggressive in the marketplace, ... ...I think the industry as a whole is just grappling with pressure on pricing.
accept complicate entitled everybody
Everybody is entitled to play this game. We accept it for what it is, but it does complicate some of the things we're doing.
below somewhat
That is somewhat below what we were anticipating.
compelling conclude consumers course diversity interest lost offers rate run side
Not all consumers want an interest rate or a contract. We'll get a little more diversity going forward. But I wouldn't conclude that compelling offers on the interest rate side have run their course and lost effectiveness in the marketplace.
anytime degree economic economy high industry looking prelude prospect shown soft suffer talking
Anytime you're looking at the prospect for a soft landing, there's going to be uncertainty and risks. If what we're talking about is a prelude to an economic downturn, the industry will suffer over a two-to-three-year time. But the economy has shown a high degree of resiliency.
offset varies
It varies by category, but it's a significant offset in many cases.
continue deliver good inform message people
We have to continue to deliver our message to inform people just how good we are.
coming hopefully
What's going to be coming to G.M. hopefully through this process, will be a leaner and more competitive manufacturer.