Analyst: GM Lordstown will survive

The Lordstown car complex will be part of General Motors’ future despite the plant closings and layoffs that are coming, an analyst said.

Lordstown should survive the upcoming cuts because it is scheduled to produce the Chevrolet Cruze, which is a centerpiece of GM’s plan to build fuel-efficient vehicles, said Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group in Ann Arbor, Mich.

In granting $13.4 billion in loans to GM Friday, President George W. Bush gave the automaker until March 31 to convince federal authorities that it can make cars and trucks profitably. Otherwise, GM will be forced to repay the money, which could push it into bankruptcy.

Virag said GM’s plan will include closing plants and trimming its lineup of models as it seeks to cut costs in a down market.

Read more in Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com