Only 42% of those who currently own a General Motors car are even somewhat likely to buy a GM product for their next car. That figure includes just 30% who are Very Likely to do so.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of current GM owners are not likely to buy another GM car, while 16% are not sure.

Democrats who own GM cars are somewhat more likely than others to buy their next car from GM.

This data is the latest evidence of how steep a hill GM must climb as it hopes to increase sales and return to profitability. Only six percent (6%) of non-GM owners are now Very Likely to buy from GM.

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Overall, among all adults, 16% say they are Very Likely to buy their next car from GM. That figure is slightly below the auto giant's current share of the domestic auto market.

Another 10% of all adults are somewhat likely to buy from GM while 60% are not likely to do so.

Younger adults, those under 40, are less likely than their elders to consider a GM product for their next car.

The government bailout and takeover of General Motors remains very unpopular among the public. Just 26% of Americans believe the bailout was a good idea, and nearly as many support a boycott of GM products.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans nationwide say they are now more likely to buy a Ford since that company did not take any bailout funding. Only 12% are less likely to buy from Ford.

There is an interesting political twist to the attitudes about buying GM. Currently, among those who hold populist or Mainstream political views, 46% own a GM car. But just 15% of those in the Mainstream are Very Likely to buy their next car from GM.

Among those with Political Class views, 22% currently own a GM car, but 24% of the Political Class say it’s Likely that a GM product will be their next car. This may be a case of the Political Class expressing its support for the bailouts.

General Motors currently makes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer vehicles.

General Motors was once the world’s largest corporation, and its share of the U.S. auto market at one point exceeded 50%. A generation ago, economist John Kenneth Galbraith cited GM as proof that free market competition couldn’t work because no auto company could take on General Motors and win.

In dealing with the current economic crisis, most Americans now worry that the government will do too much rather than too little. Americans overwhelmingly believe that Big Government and Big Business are on the same team working against the interests of consumers and investors.

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