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General Motors is making another move to respond to the changing economic times in the automotive industry. As part of a cost-cutting initiative, General Motors Corp. is postponing nearly all of its spending on product development in 2009 and 2010.

The spending will be postponed and held over in areas of engineering, design, and development, meaning that General Motors won’t be spending its budget on developing vehicles for the future. GM hopes to save as much as $1.5 billion as a result of this. The introduction of key vehicles such as the new compact Chevrolet Cruze, due to start production in 2010, could be delayed.

General Motors Corp. spokesman Tom Wilkinson told a throng of reporters that the company had a basic idea to follow the market where it went and that GM will align its resources around top-priority programs. “We adjust them where the market programs are going,” Wilkinson said.

GM has been hoping to improve production levels on many of its smaller vehicles, which is why the Chevrolet Cruze was such an important part of the company’s arsenal. If any delays are serious in production, the mandate of the company to go smaller may be impacted considerably. On the contrary, if more top-priority dollars are given to Chevy cars that will make a considerable “green” impact, GM could come out of this better than ever.

With the economic downturn, many car companies are cutting back. Chevrolet is not immune to the changing economic climate and has had to make some changes to its strategy, which has included some changes in production and some shifts in advertising.

Bloomberg recently reported that Chevrolet’s next move was to cut back on sports sponsorships. This cutback comes in light of falling sales and the economic situation, as the car company attempts to even out its financial forecast. The cutback involves Chevrolet cutting back spots for college sports and broadcasting advertisements only during games.

General Motors and Ford have reduced sports marketing as a way to cut costs in light of falling sales and plummeting stock prices. U.S. auto sales slid 27% in September. Deteriorating consumer confidence and a slowing economy may erode them further, which means these changes are necessary. Car companies like GM and Ford won’t survive if they can’t figure out a way to regain the lost ground.

Luckily, the economic downturn can benefit you as a consumer. Drop on by your local dealer today for more information on Chevy cars and trucks promotions. There are plenty of opportunities to save money now buying or leasing a new Chevrolet or GM car. Talk to your dealer today and see how you can benefit from the changing economic tide.

With the World Series underway, Chevrolet has started its third consecutive year of partnership with one of the biggest sporting events of the year. This year, the Chevrolet Traverse is the object of marketing desire when it comes to Major League Baseball’s big grand finale.

With Chevy sponsoring the “Pre-Game Show,” the car company will put ads for the new Traverse throughout the games and will provide a bit of a multimedia blitz for the potential consumers to contend with.  Promotions include opportunities for fans to win tickets to the 2009 MLB All-Star Game and a few other prizes, most of which have a lead-in to the Traverse.

“We successfully used the past two MLB postseasons to engage baseball fans in support of the Chevy Silverado and Chevy Malibu. This year, as the all new Traverse steps up to the plate, we’ll surround fans with on-air, onsite and online messages about Traverse’s segment-leading capabilities, design and fuel economy,” explained Kim Kosak, Chevrolet general director for advertising and sales promotion.

The partnership also includes Chevrolet’s sponsorship of the Player of the Game and raises the profile of the company in a slew of special spots sponsored by Chevy.

For more information on Chevrolet’s involvement with the World Series, drop by your local dealer or check online at the Chevy cars website.

If there were to be one Chevrolet car that sums up the company’s mission for the upcoming year, the Chevrolet Traverse does the trick.

The 2009 Traverse is a crossover with a difference, a vehicle that ought to make Chevy fans proud. It shares a platform with the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Saturn Outlook but has a look all its own that will make owners forget all about those other cars. Chevrolet has learned that lookalike cars aren’t exactly what the public is looking for, so it has tossed out the old-fashioned rulebook in constructing the 2009 Chevy Traverse. Other cars will follow suit with their own fresh looks.

The Traverse is focused on looking sporty, with a sloping roofline and the two-piece horizontal grille up front.

It also works beautifully from the inside, as driving the Traverse is a real treat. It is hardy and stands up to the rigors of the road, working well on stopping hard and cruising along with little to no lean. Early test drives come back with great reviews, as drivers have put the crossover through the ringer with tremendous success. In short, the Traverse rocks.

For more information on the 2009 Traverse or other Chevy cars, hop on down to your local dealer today and arrange for a test drive.

The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid has scooped the 2008 Green Car of the Year Award from Green Car Journal.

The Tahoe won the award in large part due to its fuel economy, as the mileage on the vehicle is better than other vehicles in the V8 category. And it isn’t just mildly better. No, the Chevy Tahoe offers mileage that is 30% better than any of its competitors.

While that is doubtlessly impressive, it is important to note that the Tahoe’s mileage improvements are really seen in an area where most mileage suffers: the city. In the city, it consumer nearly half the fuel of many of its closest rivals. 

The Green Car of the Year Award from Green Car Journal seeks to bring awareness to cars and vehicles that are using the best in new technology to improve fuel economy and help provide better cars and trucks for the environment. By winning the award, Chevrolet can, in part, ditch some of their reputation for being a less than responsible automaker. The Tahoe Hybrid represents a big step in the right direction for Chevy, providing a vehicle that is durable and driveable for customers.

Hopefully other Chevy cars will follow suit.

If you have a mullet and make no apologies for it, yesterday was probably a good day for you. Yes, it was the 50th Birthday of the Chevrolet El Camino.

The 1959 El Camino made its debut 50 years ago yesterday, marking the beginning of an era that would spark half of the redneck jokes ever written and introduce the concept of the truck-car hybrid to the public. Sure, today we have different concepts of hybrids, but perhaps more is owed to the El Camino than any other entry in the early hybrid category. After all, who can beat a truck AND a car? That’s right: nobody.

It’s easy to discard the El Camino as a terribly ugly entry and, in all truth, it is not an attractive vehicle given today’s standards. Often featured in rather obnoxious or less-than-flattering colour schemes and gobbling up plenty of gas, even for its time, the El Camino stood apart from other Chevy cars in that it represented one core group of potential customers more than any other.

And yet, having one of these babies in today’s world could raise your cool factor ever so slightly in that ultimately ironic way. Over the years, Chevrolet has produced plenty of magical moments. As to whether the El Camino was one of them remains to be seen, of course, but for the time being it sure is a lot of fun to remember that the truck-car is 50 years young.

General Motors is preparing to start taking orders for the brand new Chevrolet Camaro. The order-taking process will commence on Thursday, October 16, at dealerships across the country.

This means that dealerships will be able to submit customer orders on the Camaro for the first time, allowing the 2010 Coupe to fill orders across the land.

“Even before pricing in Canada has been finalized, Camaro enthusiasts are anxious to get their orders on the books,” said Marc Comeau, vice president of sales, service and marketing.

General Motors is saying that those who order the vehicle early will be given priority. The individual orders can be placed through any Chevrolet dealer, with information provided regarding vehicle packaging, design, and additional specifications. Consumers will also be able to find information online at the official Camaro website for Chevrolet.

Production on the 2010 Camaro Coupe is set to begin in the middle of February, so consumers will have plenty of time to wait before slipping behind the wheel of this beautiful car. For more information on the Camaro or any other Chevy cars, drop by your local dealer today.

For those among us in love with the idea of a big engine and a big, powerful car at our fingertips, the Chevrolet Camaro has probably long been a part of our dreams. With years of big-ass power, the Camara is somewhat of a thing of legend among gearheads and car fans around the world. Perhaps it is not quite on the level as the Chevrolet Corvette, but the Chevy Camaro is still a car well worth a look if power is your game.

Enter the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, the company’s latest incarnation of the speed and power demon.

The 2010 Camaro comes in V6 LS trim and in monstrous V8 SS model, both of which ought to be gutsy enough to turn some heads out there on the roads. The sticker price for the LS will start at $22,995, while the SS commands a price of $30,995. All things considered, the price of these bad boys isn’t too bad. With an economic crisis well underway, it’s nice to know that some things can still be afforded a little bit of luxury.

For more information regarding the Chevrolet Camaro for 2010, which goes to pre-order today, or any of the other powerful Chevy cars, your best bet is to stick around and keep your web browser locked right here for the definitive source of all things Chevrolet.

When the 2009 World Touring Car Championship season takes off, Chevrolet will use its brand new 2009 Chevy Cruze to turn heads.

The Cruze was revealed as the company’s car of choice recently, showing onlookers that the car is based on the new model that recently premiered at the Paris Motor Show. Chevrolet has used the Lacetti since moving into the WTCC, but the switch to the Cruze for 2009 ought to be an exciting change of pace.

Sneak peeks of the Cruze had been circulating since before the Paris Motor Show, with various industry analysts getting an early glimpse at the car. It is a global compact car, one which may well become the flagship vehicle for Chevy cars around the world. Its sleek design and driveability add up to perfection behind the wheel.

The car is being built on the Chevrolet Cobalt, Cobalt SS, and the Cobalt XFE with hopes of leading the Cobalt line to higher sales as well.

Many critics are chastising Chevrolet and General Motors for bringing the Cruze around too late, but others are suggesting that the timing is just right. With the current economic crisis swelling over our heads, perhaps the time isn’t ideal for the introduction of a brand new vehicle. With the Cruze, however, heads will turn without much damage to the bank account. It is an exciting new entry for Chevrolet and General Motors.

It wasn’t too long ago that we reported on the closing down of Bill Heard Enterprises. Now lawyers for a former company worker are alleging that Heard broke labour laws when thousands of employees were terminated before the company sought bankruptcy protection on September 28.

According to the lawsuit, Bill Heard Enterprises and about two dozen affiliates were required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act to give at least 60 days advance written notice of the employee terminations and continue paying certain wages, salary, and benefits during the notice period in accordance with federal law.

Edward Kratzel has brought the suit against Bill Heard Enterprises. Kratzel worked at a Las Vegas facility until September 24. He filed his lawsuit in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District in Decatur, Alabama.

Kratzel’s suit seeks WARN Act required wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, holiday pay, vacation pay, pension and 401(k) contributions, and other benefits that would have been paid or covered during the notice period. The lawsuit also seeks attorneys’ fees.

Kratzel’s legal team is attempting to have the suit termed as a class action lawsuit that would include all persons terminated by Bill Heard Enterprises during the company’s march to bankruptcy protection. This includes those terminated at Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee, and Texas plants on or about September 24.

Those selling or building Chevy cars are important to, as John McCain would have it, “the fundamentals” of the American economy. Workers need to be treated fairly and if Bill Heard Enterprises is guilty of any wrongdoing, the workers will receive justice.