12-18-2008, 05:51 PM
Congressional Motors! *shudder*
*edit*
Sorry I don't have much useful feedback for this perfectly good thread topic Goodspeed. But I have no freaking clue what's happening in '09. 6 mo ago I would have said for sure we would finally be getting some more diesels. Now that fuel prices are back to 10 years ago prices, I don't know.
I'm guessing the big 3 aren't going anywhere in the next couple years now that we've committed to some form of bailout. Might have been a bluff anyway.
Will the unions eventually choke them out anyway? Or is customer confidence already so damaged that they're doomed?
What do customers even want (if anything)? Big? Small? Fast? Utilitarian?
The only thing you mentioned I agree with is that brands are likely to disappear. We'll end up with fewer choices as they cut options and reduce inventory to reduce costs.
Maybe if 1 of the big 3 fail or close some factories, we'll see some room made for a new or small company to do something different? Zaap or Tesla maybe? :dunno: Would Hyundai be interested in producing more here?
And on the topic of motorsport, I don't see much changing in club racing level stuff, but it's clear the pro market is drying up fast. I'll put my money on club racing actually becoming more popular as those drivers will still want to race. Maybe GRM subscriptions, NASA and SCCA memberships will grow, and we'll all be watching Spec E30 and Miata on TV. 8)
More questions than answers.
*edit*
Sorry I don't have much useful feedback for this perfectly good thread topic Goodspeed. But I have no freaking clue what's happening in '09. 6 mo ago I would have said for sure we would finally be getting some more diesels. Now that fuel prices are back to 10 years ago prices, I don't know.
I'm guessing the big 3 aren't going anywhere in the next couple years now that we've committed to some form of bailout. Might have been a bluff anyway.
Will the unions eventually choke them out anyway? Or is customer confidence already so damaged that they're doomed?
What do customers even want (if anything)? Big? Small? Fast? Utilitarian?
The only thing you mentioned I agree with is that brands are likely to disappear. We'll end up with fewer choices as they cut options and reduce inventory to reduce costs.
Maybe if 1 of the big 3 fail or close some factories, we'll see some room made for a new or small company to do something different? Zaap or Tesla maybe? :dunno: Would Hyundai be interested in producing more here?
And on the topic of motorsport, I don't see much changing in club racing level stuff, but it's clear the pro market is drying up fast. I'll put my money on club racing actually becoming more popular as those drivers will still want to race. Maybe GRM subscriptions, NASA and SCCA memberships will grow, and we'll all be watching Spec E30 and Miata on TV. 8)
More questions than answers.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a van is a good guy with a van