Building Cars No One Wants
by Stuart Livesey
Now the Australian car makers want the Government to help
If there is one thing that history teaches us it’s that we never learn a damn thing from history whether it’s ancient or much more recent.
In the United States Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are all in varying degrees of trouble because they have been building cars that the consumers aren’t buying. Increasing fuel costs, environmental concerns together with increased interest rates have led the American car buyer to look for smaller, cheaper alternatives.
But have the Australian off-shoots of the American manufacturers learned anything from that? Apparently not and now the word on the street is that all four Australian car manufacturers have gone cap in hand to the Federal Government to ask for a $10 billion bail-out because the Australian consumer is doing exactly what their American counterparts have done.
Even the Federal Government is concerned by figures that indicate that today the Australian manufacturers have just 20% of the market compared to 70% just 18 years ago.
December 20th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
It always amazes me how Aussie manufacturers continue to make big family cars, realize they are not selling, and then ask for money, so they can build more of these big family cars, and we, the tax payers, are funding their mistakes
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:19 pm
I bought a 4 cylinder car I don’t want or need speed,just comfort and safety.. I think a meduim car running on hydrogen would be the answer to their woes… cheap lean and green….. the technology is available….so come on…
March 15th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Yes a medium sized 4 cylinder car ( including a diesel) locally built is long overdue. How big is the average Australia family. 2 adults 2 children max.
Ford/Holden run from Detroit and we all know how fuel efficent Yank cars are. We desperatley need a lot more European influence in locally built cars.Smaller/lighter, fuel efficent, high on safety features is required.