[Frost__2001]

The End for Detroit's Big Three
The Daily Auto Insider
Monday, September 18, 2006
September 2006


Ford and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group acknowledged that their strategies for becoming profitable have “hit the wall,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

DaimlerChrysler said its Chrysler Group is on track to lose about $1.5 billion in the third quarter — more than double prior forecasts, and Ford said its core North American auto business won't return to profitability before 2009.

Taken together with GM's moves to cut costs and reform itself, the downsizings and management upheavals “point to a new order in what remains one of the most important industries in the U.S. economy,” the WSJ said, adding that the concept of a U.S. Big Three — GM, Ford and Chrysler — is obsolete (Toyota has pulled ahead of Chrysler by 200,000 vehicles in U.S. sales through August, and in July even outsold Ford).

In contrast to the dire straits facing Detroit, Toyota, now the world's No. 2 automaker, plans to boost overseas production by 40% of its 2005 level to 5 million vehicles by 2008, Japan's Nihon Keizai newspaper reported.

Toyota intends to increase production in North America, the world's largest auto market, by 20% to 1.84 million vehicles in that period, the business newspaper reported, and also expects to raise production for the first time above 1 million vehicles in Asia, excluding Japan and China.

Domestic production is seen rising to 4.15 million vehicles by 2008, bringing Toyota's global output to 9.1 million, Nihon Keizai added.

[DD1]

so how long till the USA is a 3rd world country?

[meford4u]

DD1,Sep 18 2006, 05:15 PM Wrote:so how long till the USA is a 3rd world country?
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Well that's a good question. I realize there may have been some sarcasm there, but if you buy Foreign cars, whether they are made here or not, the spending opprotunities and profits go back overseas and we as NA lose out.
That's one of the reasons the economy is taking a hit in the US.
So until we as automakers learn to turn things around, and the public decides that our cars are worthy of another purchase, the Big 3 might become the Big 2 or 1.

[darkpuppet]

^---- rag on the v6 mustang all you want, it's gonna be a classic!

[ANTHONYD]

I heard GM and Ford were considering a merger. :blink:

[Flofocus]

ANTHONYD,Sep 19 2006, 09:08 AM Wrote:I heard GM and Ford were considering a merger. :blink:
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Yeah i heard that back in 01 to. :lol:

[oldeguy]

Automakers have to build good cars, not cars that compromise the design. Use top quality parts, make them last more than 30 days without things starting to bad.
Autoweek.com has an article on how to "fix" Ford's woes. Item one was to bring the European Focus over here.

[Flofocus]

oldeguy,Sep 19 2006, 11:03 AM Wrote:Item one was to bring the European Focus over here.
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What weve been saying for how long???? :rolleyes: :lol:

[Frost__2001]

Flofocus,Sep 19 2006, 11:30 AM Wrote:

oldeguy,Sep 19 2006, 11:03 AM Wrote:Item one was to bring the European Focus over here.
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What weve been saying for how long???? :rolleyes: :lol:
[right][snapback]207649[/snapback][/right]

lol ever since the MK2 Concept came out in 2003 :lol:

[darkpuppet]

Flofocus,Sep 19 2006, 11:30 AM Wrote:

oldeguy,Sep 19 2006, 11:03 AM Wrote:Item one was to bring the European Focus over here.
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What weve been saying for how long???? :rolleyes: :lol:
[right][snapback]207649[/snapback][/right]

who here is willing to pay $30,000 for a focus? last time I looked around focus owners were cheap bastards...

considering the market segment the focus is catering to in north america, they could never afford to bring it over.

I still recommend that if you love the european focus, pony up and get the mazda. Maybe not as good looking IMO (which is subjective), but it runs on the new platform..