| Author | Message | ||
     Vladimir Ivanovich Kirillov Grand Master Username: soviet Post Number: 789 Registered: 2-2013 |
Yep that's right jetsetters, the OZ car manufacturing industry is deader than dead and you still can't import a 1996 Cadillac Fleetwood here because of bloody minded and totally useless governmental interference. Every single manufacturer has packed it in here and yet we still have governmental legislation in place touted to protect the Aussie car manufacturer. I have zero sympathy for any Aussie car maker because they went from making half decent cars in 1978 to producing the equivalent of Asian trash. Take the Holden Commodore for example. A low class chuck down from Germany. Horrifically, poorly made out of the most flimsy of materials and butt ugly from day one to boot. I have a 1990 Falcon Panel Van which I have trashed mercilessly over thousands of kilometres of bush roads. The 250 Crossflow inline six cylinder is bulletproof. In fact I know of not one that has blown up -ever. The gearbox is also strong along with the final drive. THE BODY IS CRAP and was the day it was on the showroom floor. This car is an example of what happens when you try to beat the Asians at their own game of selling the public trash on wheels. But they all did it. GM, Ford and Chrysler all travelled the road to doom. Just have a look at the insane prices that are asked for Australian made cars prior to 1978. These were the better made cars and the public has put their loot behind them whereas later cars you need to pay somebody to take them away for wrecking or crushing because nobody wants the blood things going or in the garden. Ah yes I like a good death and certainly the OZ manufacturer is as dead as the dodo. | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 1613 Registered: 5-2015 |
The UK went the same way with cars like the Marina and Allegro. The rot set in in the 1970's. However in the UK we have lots of car specialist makers. I suspect OZ will go the same way. | ||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 1674 Registered: 9-2004 |
Bob we still export 80% of British built cars, automotive industry is worth 75 billion. IMO there lies a hidden agenda for the future with the car manufactures here. If the production standards remain and we earn our way with free trading sales to the world, no longer being in the controlled EEC market then we will be well placed for the future. At first I could not work out why Vauxhall UK was bought by the PSA group but of course Peugeot Citroen did not have a manufacturing base in the UK, exciting time ahead. BTW I believe that there are ten leading car manufactures here. | ||
| Mark Luft Prolific User Username: bentleyman1993 Post Number: 151 Registered: 10-2016 |
I find it interesting that Holden is importing the Chevrolet Silverado P/U and the Chevrolet camaro BOTH AS CHEVROLETS. They both will be converted to RHD. I imagine the cost to you guys will be a killer, what with the conversion plus the shipping. https://www.autoblog.com/2017/12/07/camaro-down-under-holden-hsv-is-bringing-a-big-slice-of-murica/ | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 1614 Registered: 5-2015 |
Pat, I just checked your figures and you are wrong its only 79.9% and 75 billion and 4 pence I heard that BMW wants to make cars in the UK | ||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 1676 Registered: 9-2004 |
Bob, they already do with the Mini. Maybe they are going to revive the Marina, Allegro and A60 Cambridge! | ||
| Robert Noel Reddington Grand Master Username: bob_uk Post Number: 1616 Registered: 5-2015 |
A60 cambridge with 100 bhp would work well. BMW build RWD cars, use a 5 series platform. The marina was a great bit of parts bin engineering. The allegro could have been a much better car but the accountants kept penny pinching. I had the car before a 1964 Austin 1100 CGA 136B and I liked it and drove for 10k miles around town. Rampant rust killed it. The rear subframe fell off (1973). | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 2768 Registered: 4-2003 |
Mark, Ford has made a killing here in Oz after setting up the current Mustang for manufacture and export from the USA in LHD and RHD versions. The car import company formerly known as GMH has confirmed it is bringing in LHD Camaros for conversion to RHD here and the cost penalty is a price increase of around AUD20,000 compared to the Mustang. Guess which company made a sound marketing decision and which will suffer as a consequence? HSV have a niche market position with relative small sales volumes whereas Ford are selling Mustangs as fast as they can import them. Holden sent their local Commodore [originally based on a 1978 Opel] sedan to the USA which was marketed as a Pontiac G8 which received rave reviews and then GM stuffed up the marketing which resulted in sales not reaching expectations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_G8 . | ||
| Maxwell Heazlewood Prolific User Username: tasbent Post Number: 130 Registered: 9-2017 |
Ford, GMH and Toyota are still alive although not in the manufacturing field. They all import various models to fill the local market with models from Asia, US and Europe. The spud kicking models died a natural death, they were well past their use by date, even though the last of the Falcons and Commodores were excellent cars, well built with modern technology and a world class product but the demographics have changed in this country....it's now inundated with poxy SUV's 'crossovers' and 'Jug Truck' 4x4's This is the age of the four door ute.....heaven only knows why but if you look at the demographic that buys these useless pieces of shite....usually between 30 and 50 and high pressure advertising to keep sales up....there was no room for the conventional 3 box sedan. the new KIA Sprinter and Hyundai Genesis just run rings around the olde schoole  | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 2530 Registered: 6-2009 |
The Hyundai Genesis line, as well as Jaguars, though very different cars, would both probably sell much better in the USA were it not for both companies having a history of producing cars that were, in their day, about as unreliable as they come. The early Excel and Sonata by Hyundai were reliability nightmares (as well as being very poorly made overall). Jaguar was notorious for being "in the shop more than on the road" for decades before Ford bought them and turned things around in the mid to late 1990s from a reliability standpoint. The Genesis line is full of great cars and Jaguar has been producing reliable vehicles for just short of 20 years now (in the US market, anyway). Consumers have a very long memory, which is a shame because so often that memory, while not at all faulty, has nothing to do with what's happening now. Brian | ||
| Maxwell Heazlewood Prolific User Username: tasbent Post Number: 134 Registered: 9-2017 |
Brian....yes, it's extremely easy to gain a bad reputation but a lifetime to shake off. People seem to enjoy hanging on to 'bar room myths' and embellish them...justified or not. Both Hyundai/Genesis and Jaguar have gone to great lengths to dispel these long held myths and their modern products prove this. | ||
| Paul Marshall New User Username: welshbentleyboy Post Number: 7 Registered: 4-2017 |
Surprisingly there has been very little said in the UK during the Brexit rumpus about the automotive industry. It seems blindingly obvious that a deal will need to be done to allow BMW,VW and MB to continue to have access to one of their major markets while we export Nissans Honddas Jaguar Land Rover etc to them. The balance of trade favours Europe. They have more to lose from "no deal" than the Uk Paul | ||
| Mark Luft Prolific User Username: bentleyman1993 Post Number: 153 Registered: 10-2016 |
Hyundai came to the US just a few months after Yugo. The Yugo was $3995 and the Hyundai was $4295. While americans want a cheap car, the also want reliability and bells and whistles. 3995 did not include those items. Yugo crashed and Hyundai, slowly came around. But as Hyundai came around, the price went up. Right now Hyundai (and Kia)'s saving grace is lower labor costs. Once these equalize with Japan, Korean cars will cost about the same. BTW, Yugo's are becoming collector cars. Who knew. |
