Comments on: U.S. Auto Sales Revised Downwards: 14.95m in ‘08 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/ The Truth About Cars is dedicated to providing candid, unbiased automobile reviews and the latest in auto industry news. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:23:34 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: menno http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-241172 menno Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:03:52 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-241172 BTW just for laughs I drove through the local 'biggest dealer in town' where they have been making Kia (no joke) the best-selling car locally ("if you have a job and $111, you can have a new Kia for $111 a month" - they forget to mention, of course, that the payment will go on longer than the car). This, despite also having a Chevrolet franchise literally just up the street. The Kia dealership now has a used vehicle center sign up on half of the massive lot, with new cars now taking up about 1/2 the space that they did prior. As for the Chevy dealership space, they have about a zillion pickups all sitting there, and sitting there, and sitting there, and.... Thus it is pretty crystal clear that the smart and successful dealers are pulling back quickly with the knowledge that the market is tanking. So in that sense, the AA strike is a Godsend to GM, which no longer has to feel as if they must crank out unordered pickups and force them down the throats of the long suffering dealer network. Because, there aren't any buyers. BTW just for laughs I drove through the local ‘biggest dealer in town’ where they have been making Kia (no joke) the best-selling car locally (”if you have a job and $111, you can have a new Kia for $111 a month” – they forget to mention, of course, that the payment will go on longer than the car). This, despite also having a Chevrolet franchise literally just up the street. The Kia dealership now has a used vehicle center sign up on half of the massive lot, with new cars now taking up about 1/2 the space that they did prior. As for the Chevy dealership space, they have about a zillion pickups all sitting there, and sitting there, and sitting there, and….

Thus it is pretty crystal clear that the smart and successful dealers are pulling back quickly with the knowledge that the market is tanking.

So in that sense, the AA strike is a Godsend to GM, which no longer has to feel as if they must crank out unordered pickups and force them down the throats of the long suffering dealer network.

Because, there aren’t any buyers.

]]> By: menno http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-240812 menno Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:33:24 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-240812 By 2009, the pressure on the Detroit auto makers may well increase with the scheduled introduction dates of several Chinese cars (though they consistently over-promise and under-deliver in every aspect, including delivery dates) as well as Mahindra light trucks and SUVs from India, with diesels and later, promised hybrid diesels. Interestingly one of the first Chinese built cars (but probably not the very first) will be Chery vehicles rebadged as Dodge products (first in Mexico, probably followed by Canada then the US). Assuming Chrysler survives (which I suspect won't be the case). With the big 2.8 dealerships drying up left right and center, a lot of owners are going to be looking for the "next" Toyota, and a lot of them think that some Chinese company may be "it". Look for Chinese cars in the US within 3 years, at the latest. Chamco and Brilliance, for two, are supposedly ready to start imports within six months (and have been, for at least two years! - sarcasm). Brilliance even managed to redesign and improve their crashworthiness to something resembling 2nd world standards instead of non-existant 3rd world standards after some disasterous Euro NCAP tests which found their way onto YouTube. By 2009, the pressure on the Detroit auto makers may well increase with the scheduled introduction dates of several Chinese cars (though they consistently over-promise and under-deliver in every aspect, including delivery dates) as well as Mahindra light trucks and SUVs from India, with diesels and later, promised hybrid diesels.

Interestingly one of the first Chinese built cars (but probably not the very first) will be Chery vehicles rebadged as Dodge products (first in Mexico, probably followed by Canada then the US). Assuming Chrysler survives (which I suspect won’t be the case).

With the big 2.8 dealerships drying up left right and center, a lot of owners are going to be looking for the “next” Toyota, and a lot of them think that some Chinese company may be “it”. Look for Chinese cars in the US within 3 years, at the latest.

Chamco and Brilliance, for two, are supposedly ready to start imports within six months (and have been, for at least two years! – sarcasm).

Brilliance even managed to redesign and improve their crashworthiness to something resembling 2nd world standards instead of non-existant 3rd world standards after some disasterous Euro NCAP tests which found their way onto YouTube.

]]> By: Captain Tungsten (of GM) http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-239982 Captain Tungsten (of GM) Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:18:49 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-239982 Actually, why buy a new car when you can buy an often depreciation-ravaged 3 year old with the best years of it's life ahead of it? Actually, why buy a new car when you can buy an often depreciation-ravaged 3 year old with the best years of it’s life ahead of it?

]]> By: Geotpf http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-239712 Geotpf Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:26:23 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-239712 Because then you would have to live in Detroit. Because then you would have to live in Detroit.

]]> By: hltguy http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-239692 hltguy Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:24:52 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-239692 Time for another toe tag sale Time for another toe tag sale

]]> By: red dawg http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-239632 red dawg Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:59:51 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-239632 And i'll predict most of the sales decline will come from the domestic 2.8 with people that still can afford to buy going to the Japanese, Koreans and Europeans for more economical small cars.....ones they can actually afford to keep gsa in !!!!!!! Detroit will be SOL (shit outta luck ) once again. And i’ll predict most of the sales decline will come from the domestic 2.8 with people that still can afford to buy going to the Japanese, Koreans and Europeans for more economical small cars…..ones they can actually afford to keep gsa in !!!!!!! Detroit will be SOL (shit outta luck ) once again.

]]> By: Matthew Danda http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/comment-page-1/#comment-238892 Matthew Danda Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:47:49 +0000 http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/08-us-auto-sales-revised-downwards-1495m-in-08/#comment-238892 Why buy a new car when you can get 2 or 3 houses in Detroit for the same price? Why buy a new car when you can get 2 or 3 houses in Detroit for the same price?

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