Brock Yates Confirms It....
I love saying I told you so. I love it. I have been talking about this for months now on this page, and have gotten little feedback to such a crucial issue. Now, it's out there just a little bit more, and, hopefully someone will pick up on it and do something about it (AHEM! GM, FoMoCo, and DamChry).
In the latest November 2005 issue of Car and Driver ole Brock Yates rambles on about the downward spiral of the "Big Three" (or should we say diminishing three?). Market share continues to dwindle, and it doesn't look to pretty. Experts (Brock, of course, himself being one) predict that market share for the "Big Three" will fall below 50% in 2006. Considering that in the 1970s that GM ALONE controlled over 50% of the market, this is looking pretty grim.
Brock in his infinite wisdom did offer up a couple of solutions, but in my opinion missed the most important one.... BUILD A PRODUCT PEOPLE WANT TO F&&*%NG BUY!
Thank you, I'm here all week.
posted by Disgruntled Car Salesman @ 3:04 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Is it too late for big 3 to recover? the quality-value issue notwithstanding, isn't part of the crisis now simply due to more countries with the capabilities of producing an at least reasonably competitive product? as the author in your link said, "building cars is not rocket science."
Whenever russia gets their shit together, you know they'll retool their factories to take back and dominate their regional markets to choke off as much of the American or German influence they can. and they'll probably largely succeed for no other reason than that it's easier to send cars by the thousands out to the provinces on trains than it is for US or japanese companies to ship them.
i often wonder if the american auto industry doesn't secretly hope that the japanese, koren and soon-to-announce-themselves Chinese industries get embroiled in market wars within ASEAN markets.
and Brazil, they're coming up too. They already manufacture high quality regional and mid-range passenger jets. what if they get in the game?
it doesn't seem like the US really has the quality-problem theye used to have. though i definitely agree with you in that a
"pretty good" car is hardly a great car. there's a reason why Honda and (most models of) VW hold their value so long, while these new Cobalts will likely be a dime a dozen at used car dealers in 5 to 7 years.
Its a pickle. If there's one thing the US can not do under any circumstances is to let what's happening to the auto industry turn around and happen to the aero-space industry. Airbus is just the beginning.
forgive my terrabul spelingk by thu wae.
Thats just it, we cannot compete for several factors.
We DON'T live in a communist country (although sometimes it feels like we do) and because of this fact we cannot control labor pricing (Yes I know Japan isn't a communist country). We have the UAW. That's a huge factor.
In addition, product quality, desirability, etc.
The "Big Three" we need to collectively make a lot of changes if we are going to make it, and Brock outlines pretty well what they are.
Thanks, but my cars DO carry a tariff. See 5th grade history for a definition of Tariff....
I think what G's trying to get to is your despise and hatred towards
American products. Part of the fall of the American motorcar is you - traitors selling foreign cars which feed foreign families.
You have no remorse for what you are doing to the Big 3. They strive off loyalty and all you want to do is gloat and do a little jig on their graves.
You waltz around selling Nazi and Commie cars but you won't shop at Wal-Mart. Go figure you traitor. Go ahead, buy foreign. I'll buy American knowing that it might not be the best product but it supports American families.
Don't even bring up 'Well, American cars are built in Canada and Mexico, it's not even American!' Perhaps that's true but where do the profits go? Where are the R&D teams? Where are the corporate offices? Where are the stock holders?
You've got no excuse for being a traitor.
Holy shit! Nazi and Commie cars? Screw you, other Anonymous. Original Anonymous is totally standing by DCS on this one (I'm the first comment-poster). What an asshole you sound like. Nazi cars! I can't believe your choice of words man. And your lack of perspective is astounding. US products and services are in every major market in the world and you'd sure love them to buy them. So why is product diversity so bad at home? Hypocrite. Just another one of those "you'd all be speaking German if it weren't for the US of A" blowhards. And don't even get me started on walmart there "Captain America." I'm willing to bet over 90 percent of what's sold in Walmart was made OUTSIDE the USA. Man....
DCS,
there is a simple solution and it is happening right now.
Outsource the shit out of everything.
In another decade nothing will be maufactured here except R&D high-tech. Even that gets outsourced once manufacturing is perfected.
I hope you are willing to work for $3.50 an hour.
If not, we'll outsource you and your job. We don't need you. You are expendable. There is plenty of cheap young labor around the world the corporations can exploit.
Getting rid of the UAW won't solve anything. Not when you can find places in the world where workers make $0.20 an hour. America will never be able to compete against that.
Fortunately I am in R&D high tech so I don't worry about my future.
But what about you DCS? We can easily eliminate car salesmen and do all sales online outsourced in India.
The "Big 3" could save a ton of money if they just axed their sales force and went online factory direct.
We don't need car salesmen. But you do need R&D and High Tech. I'm set...what about you?
What's even better from your perspective is that if the Republicans maintain power for another decade then we will no longer have medical, medicare, foodstamps, wellfare, public schools, social security, or HUD housing.
So when you loose your job and get no assistance from the Gov't, I will drive by you on the street corner in my BMW, hand you a few dollars, and tell you to get a frickin' job. Government won't help you and won't save you.
I hope for your sake DCS that your family is wealthy.
If not, then I hope you are prepared to work two jobs until you are 72 while your wife works two jobs just so you can afford a one bedroom apartment, a car payment, feed and cloth your kids, and provide your family with health care.
Who knows, someday you may be washing my BMW at your second job in the future.
I'll be sure to tip you well.
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