Holden and the future

[mr.jones]

Ranger was designed in Oz a big song and dance was made about it at the launch. Much was made of Fords Design Centre being able to design cars for world markets pity about our market. I fear that in 10 years (or less) Holden will be gone and Ford too as far as building cars here goes.

[mauser]

I fear that in 10 years (or less) Holden will be gone and Ford too as far as building cars here goes.

I dont think it will take too long. Once the decision is made it will happen quickly. We cant keep coming up with stalling packages for ever.

Mauser

[Innuendo]

As soon as Liberal gains power they will swing the dollar bringing it down to a world rate of around $0.75/$0.80 cents USD.
This will increase the price of imports and make exports viable once again. Seen it all happen before....

[Blocker]

I agree in part Innuendo but it is not as simple as that though is it? I would like to see a more balanced dollar too, but I can't see it happening for a while yet.

The car companies will keep getting Govt. assistance because the supplementary industries associated with making local cars will also be affected by a total shut down and too many people (voters) will be out of work. Our biggest problem is Australia's unbalanced free trade agreement with a number of manufacturing countries that can dump cheap cars here without paying tariffs, yet our cars going overseas get slugged huge amounts of taxes to protect their industries.

The Aussie car industry has never really been a big exporter, not on the scale of the US and Asia anyway so exports for us were and are just cream. It's the Mum's and Dad's that buy cars here are opting for better optioned and cheaper variants. In general teen girls are driving hatches and little 4 cylinders, teen boys want to get into the ricers, families are buying family movers (and there are a heap to choose from).

I don't know the solution, but we all see the problem I hope that it does turn around though.

[Innuendo]

You remember the days of Mazda's carrying Ford badges, Ford Utes with Nissan badges, Commodores with Toyota badges, Suzuki's with Holden badges etc.
You are right about tariffs etc but in the end it all comes back to politics and how "they" want it to work!

Now keep talking war, we have uranium to sell.

[playwme]

There's too much choice. Look at the lineups of the big companies. BMW, toyota, Mazda all have 3 different sizes of SUV's alone with petrol or diesel options. Then they have the cars, plenty of choice in body style, size and engines. You can make it how you want it.
The Aussie built options are just a small fraction of what's available so they can only compete in a small section of the market sector where they have plenty of other competition.

[Blocker]

You are right about tariffs etc but in the end it all comes back to politics and how "they" want it to work!

Exactly!
I just can't imagine the risk some of these companies take when designing so many years ahead though. They don't know what the global market is going to be like in 5-10 years from now, yet they must design cars for the future not kowing if it is going to be a boom or bust economy... and it is global now, not local like it was in the 70's.

1974... OPEC oil embargo turned our car industry on its tail because petrol went from 10 cents p/l to 20-30 over night! Can you imagine petrol doubling/tripling in a matter of a few weeks today?

Now keep talking war, we have uranium to sell.

I got out of the defence industry because things were slowing down quickly. European allies and then the US announced withdrawal of troops and immediately the Govt. here shutdown multi million dollar projects. Only last week I heard from old colleagues a 5bl contact got canned, they are going out of work because we aren't blowing shit up! (not that I want that).

[Innuendo]

All great innovation from the last 100 years or so was driven by war and the sanctions they introduce.
Unfortunately we "now" don't sit in a very good industrial place. But then, nor do the USA.

This harps back to the other thread where I mentioned if you were watching a 90's or eariler American movie you could pick it by the cars alone. Today, it could be any city in the world.
Same, same everywhere. I mean even the Commodore is a Euro design. Wack a BMW badge on one, stick in Europe and most people wouldn't even blink!

Still, I don't want a JVC VHS or Sony Betacord machine today either.

Things move on, you MUST put desire into a product or be left behind. Currently I don't see any desire, but it's not limited to Holden.

[wbute]

We can all enjoy driving our imported cars to the shops to buy imported food. Go back home to watch imported tv shows on our imported electronic devices sitting in our imported furniture.
The problem is no one will work for $5 an hour in Australia to compete with the countries that will. We cant afford to build anything here.
Either that or we are too lazy. Try and find someone now who will repair something like a starter motor. They tell you to throw it away and fit the u-beaut imported one from China. Same goes for any repair. Not only are we getting lazy, we are getting dumber as we loose all the basic trade skills we once had.
We are all to blame. We support this lifestyle by happily buying the stuff and telling our selves we have to because its cheaper. Its a viscious cycle.
If it wasnt for export money from mining Australia would be rooted. (we are too lazy to actually make anything with the raw products mined here of course).

[Innuendo]

Well said James, we are on the same page on this.