While America Slept. Thursday, February 5th 2009

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt
An overview of what happened in other parts of the world while you were in bed. TTAC provides round-the-clock coverage of everything that has wheels. Or has its wheels coming off. WAS is being filed from Tokyo this week.

GM flirting with FAW: GM is holding discussions with major Chinese automaker FAW Group to form a partnership for light commercial vehicles, Reuters reports. The two parties have already registered a name with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which is the first step of Chinese joint venture courtship. GM already makes light commercial vehicles in China in a three-way tie-up with SAIC and Liuzhou Wuling. GM manufactures Buicks in Shanghai with SAIC, China’s largest auto maker. FAW, one China’s three biggest automakers, operates car manufacturing ventures with Volkswagen and Toyota. SAIC is also in a joint venture with VW. SAIC and FAW have been considered bitter rivals, although there are reports of a thawing. GM said its commercial vehicle venture in China sold 19.7 percent more vehicles in January than a year earlier, helped largely by sales of the Wuling Sunshine minivans.


Mitsubishi abandons Dakar: Mitsubishi Motors Corp will pull out the fabled Dakar Rally as part of steps to cope with worsening earnings, the Nikkei [sub] says. The move “is expected to cut costs by a few billion yen,” a company official said. Mitsubishi Motors won the rally 12 times, including a seven-year winning streak. Through a motor sports subsidiary, the firm will continue to support the rally by offering technological information and supplying parts to teams of individuals participating in various events.

Arigatou, but no arigatou: Mitsubishi Motors does not intend to seek government funds, the Nikkei [sub] reports. Mazda also said it “is not considering receiving public funds,” according to Nobuyoshi Tochio, general manager of the financial services division.

Honda’s new hybrid: Honda introduced an all-new Insight hybrid that the firm hopes will help it overtake rival Toyota in one of the few auto segments not yet affected by dismal sales, the Nikkei [sub] writes. Slated to hit dealerships Friday, the car will carry a starting price of 1.89 million yen, about 20 percent less than Toyota’s best-selling Prius hybrid. Honda’s proprietary new technology enabled it to make the vehicle lighter and more compact than its existing hybrids, thus pushing down production costs by about 40 percent.

Fiat tries again in China: Fiat has found new Chinese partners after its Nanjing fiasco . Its multiple tie-ups with Chery Auto, Guangzhou Auto and Changan Suzuki are awaiting the approval of China’s auto regulatory bodies, Gasgoo reports. The joint venture applications may have results next month. Changan Suzuki will make Fiat’s Sedici, a crossover model jointly developed by Fiat and Suzuki in Europe. Suzuki’s European facility has OEM operations for Fiat, and the Japanese carmaker’s Chinese venture said it could do the same job.

No foreign brands allowed: Volkswagen’s central parts depot is in Baunatal (in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany). It’s a huge place. If you want to do business with them, you’d better drive a car made by VW (anything from a Seat to a Bugatti will do). If you arrive in a competing make, you will walk, Automobilwoche [sub] reports. Even if you deliver a truck full of parts.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Fincar1 Fincar1 on Feb 05, 2009
    No foreign brands allowed... I remember when I first saw a convoy truck load of new 1959 Buicks. They didn't look like any car I'd ever seen before, and the series names on the sides didn't even help. Finally I saw the chrome BUICK on a trunk lid. But before that I knew they were something GM because the truck was a GMC. It seemed more often than not that you'd see a truck from the same manufacturer as the cars in the load. Not so much anymore.
  • FreedMike Off topic, but folks, this site is not working well for me from a technical standpoint, and it doesn't matter if I'm using my phone, or my computer (on two different browsers). It locks up and makes it impossible to type anything in after a certain point. Anyone else having these issues?
  • Syke Kinda liked the '57, hated the '58. Then again, I hated the entire '58 GM line except for the Chevrolet. Which I liked better than the '57's. Still remember dad's '58 Impala hardtop, in the silver blue that was used as the main advertising color.
  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
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