Blamage! UK To Outproduce France
The UK, infamous for having lost most of its former automaking glory, and supplier of the short-lived “American Leyland” moniker for GM (“Government Motors” stuck) is roaring back. The island nation is set “to overtake France as Europe’s second largest automotive producer within the next five years if UK car sales and exports maintain current strong growth,” Reuters says.
Imagine the embarrassment in Paris!
“All the indications appear to be saying yes Britain will be second in a few years,” Tim Abbott, managing director of German carmaker BMW’s UK operations told the wire service. “It will be about the demand for the cars made in the UK but that looks to be there judging by the recent performance of the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and BMW.”
Last year 1.5 million cars were produced in Britain, compared to 1.9 million in France, according to ACEA data.. Volumes are slipping France, and is rising at Britain’s eight main car plants. Britain could hit 2 million by 2018. Europe’s biggest producer, Germany, made 5.5 million vehicles last year, about half of them exported.
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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The French are EASY to over take (short work week with a poor work ethic) and EASY to take over...Just ask the Germans...
Not much has been spoken on France. The French has much more restrictive workforce regulations. Flexibility is the answer. Look at Detroit, since the UAW has allowed workers to operate under more flexible workplace arrangements Detroit has improved. Michigan and Detroit should have an open shop policy, in other words remove compulsory unionism. Then Michigan/Detroit has a better chance of reviving its golden age. Or just let more foreign manufacturers into the US. It's working in the UK. The French will change, after a lot of screaming and crying. Also the French have never infiltrated exports markets as successfully as the Germans or even the British. In the 50s and 60s when Britain was the 2nd largest exporter of motor vehicles it still had close relations, both political and economic with its former colonies. This is not the case now. The foreign (global) manufactures in Britain are giving it an edge over the French as well. Maybe the French government should sell off all of its commercial interests. Let the private sector have more input France's economic direction. As we know government intervention in economies mainly panders to the big and powerful ie Unions and business. Then inefficiencies set in, look at Japan, UK, US etc. Free up the auto industry and let innovation and better management drive the business.
A lot can happen in 5 years. Remember how this website was predicting GM's and Chrysler's demise less than 5 years ago? The Brit's are so pathetic, the French navy is going to have provide planes and pilots for the UK'S aircraft carriers. Transplant car production is nothing to brag about it's kind of thirdworldlike, sort of like Kentucky, Alabama, Thailand or Mexico.
IKE threatened Eden with a run on the pound during Suez. Would help UK exports nicely now. Little hope for France - Hollande is stale already.