Will Detroit Fix It's Problems? (Echos MSNBC Poll)

I toyed with a third option of a partial comeback not in the MSNBC Poll...

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

To paraphrase Ahnold, "They'll be back." But it won't be like the 50s or 60s. It'll be a constant struggle. Some years they'll be on top. Others will see drops in marketshare.

I don't think you can lump everyone together. DaimlerChrysler isn't doing too badly right now. I give Ford a 50-50 chance of recovery (though it will take years). But IMHO Garbage Motors (GM) is a "dead company walking" -- doomed to eventual oblivion unless it soon takes the hard medicine of Ch. 11.

I tend to agree.

DaimlerChrysler will likely continue, although I doubt it will ever be a world shaker. I give Ford a better than 50-50 chance (perhaps 75-25), but agree that it has a long row to hoe. I am perplexed by GM. They seem to be trying to solve their problems bass-ackwards. But GM has done stupid things before and somehow pulled them off. Perhaps they can do it again?

I expect the future of the auto industry to be based on partnerships - product development, marketing, recycling, etc. It is a way of distributing costs over a wider base and thus freeing funds for development and stakeholders.

(It is interesting that Ford's hybrid team studiously avoided partnership with Honda, Toyota, or anyone else. Perhaps it was because they used internal partnerships with other Ford brands such as Volvo?

'06 FEH 2WD "Sainte Marie"

I tend to agree with tanstaafl14 that Detroit automakers cannot be lumped into "one sink or swim" barrel. I do (of course) disagree with his assessments of how each will fare in the long run. We do tend to take a US-centric view of the world and currently GM's performance in the US is spotty, at best. But performance in Europe is gaining momentum with both the Opel / Vauxhall brands and the Chevrolet brand. GM in general and Buick in particular are going gang-busters in China, and we're holding our own in Latin America and South America.

There's enough excellent product in the pipeline for the US and Canada to provide a fair shot at full recovery, provided the strategy is robust and marketing hits the right sweet spots.

The US and Canadian automotive markets have so many choices now and so many niche markets, that the days of 40 - 60% market share for any automaker (significant acquisition & merger activity aside) are over.

Peace,

Martin

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

I am NOT the official voice of GM with respect to Hybrid issues

They will bounce back but I don't think they will look like they do now. They will morph into something else ... sort of like Chrysler.

Support the Troops - Drive a Hybrid!

It seems to be a trend to me. About every 30 years American manufacturers hit a snag, they stumble and then they get up and go after it again. It is pretty predictable, and it seems to move with the condition of the economy.

However, their recent troubles are a creation of the fuel market and the products they painted themselves into a corner with. I'm not anti-suv, however they hinged their hopes on suvs. The American public couldn't get enough of them... until gas prices started to go up and then the love afair was over. And the domesitc manufacturers were caught with their pants down; or rather they were caught with no compelling sedans or fuel efficienct vehicles. Many consumers started moving toward foreign manufacturers because they continued to keep their sedans fresh and relevant and fashion forward.

Ford has the right idea, return to manufacturing compelling sedans. Ford, now owning Volvo and all their safety technolgoy and their AWD system and with control of Mazda and using some of their platform designs as starting points, has some relaly nice sedan designs. The 500/Montego is my second choice behind Prius, and it is AWD to boot. The Freesyle has been a darkhorse success, built off the same platform as 500. Fusion/Milan is nice and sporty and priced right and most folks who stumble upon it think it is a really nice car.

Chrysler is doing well becaue they have some brains from MB working with them, not that they were doing badly before Damlier came along and bought them out.

GM is the one I wonder about. I hope they survive. I don't like their designs or products, but I still hope they survive. I don't think that going Chapter 11 is a good idea.

However from a operating costs standpoint, what is killing the viability of domestic auto manufacturers is the unions.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)

I sincerely hope so.

Not because I'm a big fan of Detroit's former big-3, but because they -and their parts suppliers, dealers, etc- are still such an important part of the US economy.

Of course, people will argue that the vacuum left by them will be superseded, in some degree, by the "transplants".

But some US regions, which are suffering already, will feel much more pain.

If I were Ford, I'd make the Ford Reflex hybrid diesel a number 1 priority. Some might say there's too many places where the diesel passenger car won't fly right now-- but Ford is in a good position to lobby for the introduction of this hybrid diesel car in those places. If they could actually bring this car to market before Toytoa's CS&S and before Lexus introduces an SC 430 convertible, I think they have an opportunity to turn things around.



http://media.ford.com/newsroom/relea...?release=22296

Sorry, I should have added one more caveat: they've got to warranty the Reflex to run on B100 biodiesel.