Few Know WHY General Motors' Problems Exist: Insider Provides Answer in New Book 'PROJECT 2000'

MIAMI, Feb. 7, 2006 -- The well-documented woes of General Motors, which lost nearly $4 billion during the first three quarters of 2005, followed by word that the company would close a dozen plants and eliminate 30,000 jobs, comes as no surprise to Robert Horvath.

Horvath, who for 40 years sold GM's once-mighty, but now-defunct Oldsmobile brand, had a front seat to a scheme hatched by GM to consolidate dealerships, which he details in his book "Project 2000: The Rise and Fall of Oldsmobile, a Division of GM," that he says helps put GM's current problems in perspective.

"GM sought to destroy small dealers through their so-called secret Project 2000, which GM defined as the systematic elimination of small dealerships by the year 2000, and was designed to consolidate car sales at large auto malls," Horvath says.

But Horvath said Project 2000 contributed to the downfall of Oldsmobile.

"From 1970 to 1985 the Olds Cutlass was the number-one selling car in the U.S. and Oldsmobile was the most sought-after franchise in the world," Horvath says. "As a result of disastrous business decisions, Oldsmobile went from best to worst in 20 years and became a dinosaur in October 2005."

How does a company that used to make half the world's cars now only command a 25 percent market share and may soon become the number-two car manufacturer behind Toyota?

Horvath offers up an insider's viewpoint, backed up by hundreds of documents which are contained in the book, that spell out an answer he says is rooted in malice and corporate greed.

"As shocking as it sounds that GM purposely targeted small Olds dealerships for elimination," Horvath says, "GM also canceled employees' health insurance without offering Cobra -- a federal offense."

Horvath's wife, Evelyn, had been fighting breast cancer at the time GM cancelled her insurance. This prevented her from getting the life-saving bone marrow transplant she desperately needed. She sadly lost her fight as a result.

"American business is people, the abuse of whom leads to the collapse of business itself," Horvath says.

"Project 2000" is now available at www.project2000.biz and www.booksurge.com.

For more information, please contact Bob Horvath at (954) 458-9841, or Tracy Horvath Bazon at (828) 272-0936, or send an email to book@project2000.biz.