Saturday, November 22, 2008
Hybrid Sales: See the Problem?
Labels:
auto industry,
Big Three,
Ford,
GM,
Honda,
hybridcars.com,
hybrids,
Mercury,
Toyota
4 comments:
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Nice. I grew up in Burton in the 80's. I live in Tacoma now. I'll be back.
ReplyDeleteFound this yesterday on Andrew Sullivan's Atlantic blog:
ReplyDeleteAmerica's Other Car Industry, Ctd.
A reader writes:
Ford has owned a majority stake in Mazda for decades. Nearly every vehicle in Mazda’s lineup is platform shared with a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, or Volvo.
Until last year GM was the majority stake holder in Subaru. GM sold off their shares to Toyota. Ditto Isuzu.
Mitsubishi has been kept afloat for decades by Chrysler. In the 80’s and 90’s about half of the entire lineup at Chrysler was platform shared with Mitsubishi. Engines and transmissions are still shared today.
Toyota and GM share a factory in California. The factory produces the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe.
well the problem isnt that people like the foreign cars better... its teh fact that gm cars are trash, drive like trash, rattle like trash and are severely overpriced no thanks to the UAW making it so shop workers can come to expect $30/hr to put switches in a car door.
ReplyDeleteAt 19 I was working at Buick City making $20/hr on the line with full benefits. Something is DEFINITELY wrong with that system.
IF they could afford it, GM needs to re-invent themselves. Slowly replace ALL of their union employees with non-union employees. In this day and age, a union is a useless organization and serves no purpose other than to suck the blood out of these corporations.
Weed out the UAW, then the shop can hire people who actually have to work for their money which frees up ALOT of cash, turns out a better product and ultimately sells better.
Get rid of the UAW!!! (dont tell my dad I wrote this, he'd disown me LOL)
There are numerous causes for the problems with the world economy right now. The auto industry is the same, in my book. There are numerous causes for the problems. Yes, the union wages and contracts need to be reworked. But management agreed to the contracts. And management picks the cars and trucks that will be built. And management approves the marketing strategy. And management approves the lobbying strategy.
ReplyDeleteI just don't see how this can all be blamed on the UAW.