Comments on: Rough Road Ahead In Nippon. And The Winner Is?

By: Phil Ressler

Phil Ressler — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:45:45 +0000

In North America, Toyota used to earn half of its worldwide profits.

Coupled with the headline and content of this article, so much for the specious argument often ventured here that there’s no such thing as profits returning to HQ.

Phil

By: Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:05:51 +0000

@bluecon: What a silly post in Chinacarforum.

Market observers yesterday said they remained skeptical about whether lowering prices would be helpful in spurring sales. – Jeeez! We are in China! The land of eternal haggling.

Not here but on the original post:

Rising raw material prices, rising ore prices etc: Under which rock have they been? Commodities, especially steel is at an all time low!

By: Banned User

Banned User — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:29:53 +0000

Not quite so good in China

VW fires the first shot in car price war

THE unexpected sales dip in China’s auto market has prompted car makers to join a new round of price wars across all market segments.

The return of the price wars has ended an upswing in car prices since the beginning of this year, triggered largely by soaring raw material costs.

Market observers yesterday said they remained skeptical about whether lowering prices would be helpful in spurring sales. The price reductions have also triggered market concerns the sustained growth of the whole industry could be damaged, which would further erode car makers’ already declining profits.
http://www.chinacarforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=621&page=12

By: Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:29:17 +0000

Good one, yankinwaoz

By: Hippo

Hippo — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:22:36 +0000

In the US context, the problem with any bailout of Detroit is that it not only punishes the taxpayer but also the consumer. People get hit twice. Rewarding the extortionists puts an extra burden on those providing a honest product with good value content.

By: yankinwaoz

yankinwaoz — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:12:22 +0000

VW… the Steven Bradbury of the car industry.

By: rochskier

rochskier — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:07:06 +0000

As someone who can’t stand VW and its products this is very dire news indeed.

By: Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:43:04 +0000

Being of German descent (despite the Russian pseudonym) I’d like to see VW crush the Japanese in the New World Auto Order.
Then again, I think back to the cold January day when my brother’s Beetle caught fire on our way to work and left us stranded, yet entertained. This was all pre-cell phone time BTW, so we walked….for a long, long time.