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Opel director Sedran to succeed Docherty as Chevy Europe boss

When longtime General Motors executive Susan Docherty announced she would be stepping down from her post as the head of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe, there was some idle chatter that plans for the creation of a new global overseer position for the Bowtie brand was behind the move. And while US sales chief Alan Batey has indeed assumed control of Chevy worldwide since her departure announcement, Docherty's vacancy is being filled after all, with Opel chief strategist Thomas Sedran taking up the reins.
That's according to Automotive News, who reports that Sedran will be tasked with pulling Chevy out of a sales funk, much of it pegged on Europe's stagnant auto industry, which has sunk to a 20-year low. AN notes that Chevy's EU sales plunged 32 percent to 57,584 units through the first five months of 2013, but the everyday value brand is faring worlds better than Cadillac, which has sold just 167 units in Europe over the same time period.
Sedran, 48, has been in the auto industry for over 20 years. Most recently, at Opel he had been working on long-term plans for the marque, and was appointed to the brand's management board in April of last year. Prior to joining GM, Sedran was employed as a management consultant for AlixPartners, where he worked closely with Opel for six years. Sedran will assume his new duties beginning July 1.

GM laying off more than 4,000 workers Monday morning

According to reports from Automotive News, The Detroit News, and CNN, General Motors plans to begin laying off more than 4,000 salaried workers starting Monday morning. In a statement to AN, a spokesperson for the automaker said, "We are not confirming timing. Our employees are our priority. We will communicate with them first." We've been expecting layoffs at General Motors since November, 2018. At the time, the Detroit-based automaker announced it would seek to shed 8,100 salaried employees, shut down five assembly plants in North America, and kill off several slow-selling models. One month earlier, GM offered buyout packages to 18,000 workers and said it would seek to cut its global workforce by 25 percent. A spokesperson said at the time the moves were "proactive steps to get ahead of the curve by accelerating our efforts to address overall business performance." The cost-cutting moves are expected to save GM up to $2.5 billion in 2019 and as much as $6 billion by 2020. David Kudla, CEO and chief investment strategist of Mainstay Capital Management, referred to the impending culling as "Black Monday" and told The Detroit News that the layoffs would begin around 7:30 a.m. and continue in waves throughout the coming days and weeks. GM plans to deliver on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings report on Wednesday. President Donald Trump plans to deliver the annual State of the Union address a day earlier on Tuesday. We expect to hear plenty more from both sides over the next several days.

Lego's 18.5-inch Ghostbusters Ecto-1 will make you feel like bustin'

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, Lego has something to help you take care of those non-terminal repeating phantasms or class-five full-roaming vapors. This week, it announced a supremely detailed version of the Ecto-1, the iconic 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance from the 1984 film classic, Ghostbusters. The set is comprised of a whopping 2,352 Lego pieces and when completed, will measure 18.5 inches long. It's one of the more accurate Lego vehicles the company has created, and features a steering box connecting the steering wheel to the front wheels, hinged doors and an opening hood with replica V8 engine inside. Like the movie car, it's packed with ghost-fighting gadgetry. There's a rotating ghost-sniffer activated by the wheels, a gunner seat that deploys from one of the rear doors, and a roof rack stacked with loads of spirit-trapping gear. Lego says it's even got some easter eggs that will be discovered as the kit is assembled. Lego says that two automotive pieces were developed specifically for the Ecto-1: a 6x14 curved windscreen and a five-module steering wheel. These should translate well to other vehicles in the future or for custom builds. Notably, this kit was designed by the Michael Psiaki, who created Lego's James Bond Aston Martin DB5 kit. The set is released as a tie-in with the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie. It was supposed to be released this summer but was delayed until (as of now) June 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the Ecto-1 kit, it will hit shelves Nov. 15 just in time for holiday shopping.