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I can still remember driving around as a kid in my dad's Chevrolet sedan, one with tail fins. Later, we had a Pontiac Ventura, and my mom drove a Chevrolet Malibu.
My first car in high school was a 1966 Pontiac Le Mans that I rebuilt myself. And my brother drove a Pontiac Firebird – all General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) cars.
Besides the cars in my family's driveway, I broke into the financial industry as a young analyst in Detroit covering GM. As such, I talked frequently with the chief executive officers, the heads of all the major divisions, and top auto dealers and union reps.
I visited auto plants around the country and saw how GM was leading the robotics revolution that greatly improved the quality of American-made cars. I also traveled to Germany to drive GM's European models and talk with top execs there.
In other words, I cannot overstate what a big role General Motors has played in my life.
So, it saddens me when I see the headlines about recalls over the past few years – about 29 million worldwide this year alone.
Last year, GM sold 2.8 million cars and trucks. So these recalls are the equivalent of a decade's worth of production.
Many on Wall Street and in the mainstream financial media are saying this is a "Buy" opportunity.
For instance, Daniel Howes, a business columnist at The Detroit News, says the recalls are giving GM millions of opportunities to lure customers back into showrooms and show off shiny new vehicles. "You can't buy that kind of traffic," Howes writes.
And The New York Times recently spun slightly increased sales as a huge victory for the company.
Now, you know that I'm a GM guy. So you know that I'm not making this next statement lightly.
About the Author
Michael A. Robinson is Defense and Tech Specialist for Money Map Press. He is a 36-year Silicon Valley veteran and one of the top technology financial analysts working today. That's because, as a consultant, senior adviser, and board member for Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Michael enjoys privileged access to pioneering CEOs, scientists, and high-profile players. And he brings this entire world of Silicon Valley "insiders" right to you...
- He was one of five people involved in early meetings for the $160 billion "cloud" computing phenomenon.
- He was there as Lee Iacocca and Roger Smith, the CEOs of Chrysler and GM, led the robotics revolution that saved the U.S. automotive industry.
- As cyber-security was becoming a focus of national security, Michael was with Dave DeWalt, the CEO of McAfee, right before Intel acquired his company for $7.8 billion.
This all means the entire world is constantly seeking Michael's insight.
In addition to being a regular guest and panelist on CNBC and Fox Business, he is also a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer and reporter. His first book Overdrawn: The Bailout of American Savings warned people about the coming financial collapse - years before the word "bailout" became a household word.
Silicon Valley defense publications vie for his analysis. He's worked for Defense Media Network and Signal Magazine, as well as The New York Times, American Enterprise, and The Wall Street Journal.
Michael is 100% independent and receives absolutely no compensation from companies he writes about. His ideas are completely his own.
So, it probably goes without saying that you won't ever be left in the dark about breaking innovations, ahead-of-their-time technologies, and breakout companies on the cusp of changing the world once you join this world.
10 million vehicles not 2.8 million.