• December 15, 2008

As the federal administration figures out an end run around its own party to fund the Detroit automakers, which have been pummeled by the credit-market freeze and consumer fear, General Motors announced plans for major production cuts next year.

The company, which says it will run out of cash by year's end if it doesn't get a bridge loan, is taking production of several vehicles off the table for 2009.

The company, which saw sales drop 41% last month, announced that it will temporary idle about 30% of its North American assembly plant volume, and remove 250,000 units from production.

Fourteen plants will be idled in the U.S., per the company--affecting operations in Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.

The closures will affect pickup trucks, vans, the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook and Chevy Traverse crossovers.

The cuts will also slash production of cars like the Chevy Malibu, Saturn Sky and Aura; Cadillac STS, DTS, CTS, and XLR; Pontiac G6 and Solstice, Buick Lucerne, and Corvette.

GM says it will also idle three plants in Canada and three in Mexico.--Karl Greenberg