It wasn’t long ago that GM was on it’s death bed. Years of legacy costs, overlapping divisions and an industrial footprint that didn’t match it’s market share, all took it’s toll. A lot of folks (mostly in foreign cars,) were pretty vocal with their feelings about General Motors and were unsympathetic to American’s ailing icon.

They said “Let ’em go bankrupt!” while simultaneously demanding, “Locally owned businesses that build community, employ Americans and give back to the people!” Seems that biz blab only applies to produce as one sweep through a Whole Foods parking lot reveals a lot of  “local” lettuce, but few “locally” built cars. Oh, the irony…

An open automobile market in North America has improved quality from all automakers, and we certainly knowledge that, we just weren’t prepared for the vitriol that came from folks about our automotive home team. Especially people that talked about supporting the “99%.”

The old saying “Never let a good crisis go to waste,” certainly applies here. Today, the company is in much better shape, like the guy that had a heart attack, but is now twenty-five pounds lighter and runs marathons.

In the bankruptcy, GM was broken into two companies, the “The Old GM,” and “The General Motors Company.” Crippling debt, excess capacity and 4 brands were jettisoned with the old GM and the remnants emerged as a stronger, leaner entity.

GM went through several CEOs during this period until finally appointing the auto industry’s first female chief executive, Mary Barra. GM’s new wonder gal predicts the auto industry will change more in the next 5 years than in the last fifty, and has invested heavily in ride sharing, autonomous cars and alternative propulsion cars like the Volt and Bolt.

All that restructuring and painful culling has begun to payoff. The company just reported massive gains in profit. Net income more than doubled to $2 billion and adjusted profit rose to $1.26 a share,exceeding the 99-cent average estimate in a Bloomberg survey of analysts. Revenue increased $1.6 billion to $37.3 billion, topping the $35.6 billion average estimate.

Today, the company has red hot retail products including SUV’s, PHEVs, trucks, pony cars, and of course, the Corvette. With the arrival of the new gen C7, sales tripled and although lagging a bit this year, the “Plastic Fantastic” is stronger than ever. The new Grand Sport package and thoughtful tweaks to the existing C7 range should keep sales on the boil.

A profitable GM means R&D money for new Corvettes (and Camaros, V-Series cars, and Chevy’s SS) with product cycles that keep their performance offerings competitive. A strong GM means there will be a next gen C8, whatever form it comes in.

Ultimately, the health of GM is good for all Americans but Chevrolet fans in particular have much to be happy for. We have the best Corvette in history with multiple trim levels and performance capability that we could’ve only dreamed of a few years ago.

GM Performance is alive and well and better than ever too. LS/LT V8s are the standard of which all other V8s are measured. Chevrolet will gladly sell you one in your choice of displacement and power.

So next time you bump into the Mercedes guy at Whole Foods asking if the chicken breasts are “local,” say “I’ve got something “local” for you. When you’re done checking out, meet me in the parking lot,” Then lay down two smokey stripes of home grown LS rubber and blow his ascot up over his head.