Detroit-Three Math

•Market cap: $2.9 billion

•Employees: 252,000

•The company lost $38 billion in 2007

Rick Wagoner
GM's CEO is asking for loans and credit lines of $18 billion. He needs $4 billion this month and $4 billion next month to stay afloat.

How It Got Here: A long-term management failure, GM could not adapt its cars and production system to be consumer-focused and globally efficient.

How to Fix It: A new labor agreement will help, as will making its plants more flexible. But GM has to make cars people love so that its price per car — and profit — rises.

Best Hope for Future: Much is riding on the 40-m.p.g. Chevy Volt hybrid electric, but GM models like the Malibu have to produce too.

Read Is General Motors Worth Saving?.

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