Have a look at GM and Ford's share price in the US over the last 10 years, and compare it with BMW and Mercedes over the same period, and also look at the dividend yield. All of them have had big bailouts from their respective governments, but I know where I'd want my hard earned dosh to go, if I really wanted to invest in a car manufacturer.
The corporate history books are littered with car companies who have gone under.
Yes, I'd like to see a local car industry too, and yes I'd like it to be Holden, but the reality is that it is much cheaper per unit to have a factory making 600,000 to 1,000,000 cars per annum than the 50,000 - 100,000 units the Australian market absorbs, to say nothing of spreading the $Billions of development cost across so few cars.
Based on current sales, GMH might be worth $1.5 Billion, so all you need is 149,999 other people to come up with 10 grand each and you might have a shot.
You can contact the GM CEO, Mary Barra, who is named after a Ford engine, at
[email protected]