GM's vast scale and complex network of partners make the ramifications of a bankruptcy highly unpredictable, especially given the uncertainty about the global economic conditions that pushed the auto industry to the breaking point in the first place.
“The biggest difference is scale: GM is a much larger company,” said Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis for the consultancy AutoPacific.
GM has more plants, nearly five times the number of employees and twice as many dealers as Chrysler, whose own bankruptcy proceeding is not guaranteed to run as smoothly as the promised lightning-fast timetable of 30 to 60 days would suggest. In addition, GM's larger footprint means that auto parts suppliers are more reliant on it.
“When you look at … all of the, let me say,
