leapingcat

Ford Motors Seeing Gains in Europe

Strong Ford sales in Europe are due in part to the various equivalents of the Cash for Clunkers scheme, but also due to a strong product line-up; the new versions of the Fiesta and Ka have proved very popular in an important sector of the market. Sales of US model Fords in Europe are negligible in any case, so the weakening dollar is unlikely to have any significant impact in that way, but the profits earned in Euros should be very beneficial to Ford Motor Company's results so the medium term outlook does appear promising.

Car Sales Will Rise Eventually

I don't see any evidence to support this assumption, for that is all it is. Demand will in the first place be determined by the availability of finance, whether cash or credit. It will also be affected by changes in the marketplace, for example whether or not greener cars are seen as desirable. In the meantime there are plenty of autos around with a good few years life in them.
A better strategy might be be to look to invest in component suppliers who are also strong in the aftermarket. Not necessarily win-win, but perhaps a lower risk approach.

The Current Stagnation of Natural Gas Vehicles in America

As some of you may know, I live in England and here there is a growing use of CNG and LPG vehicles. CNG needs a large tank, so tends to be used mainly for buses and larger vehicles operated in cities by local authorities. LPG is more common on vehicles such as SUVs, again a larger fuel tank is needed as well as a gas tank for when there isn't a convenient LPG station. Interestingly Vauxhall, the UK arm of General Motors, sell new cars ready converted to run on LPG, and with a normal warranty.
I think that the future will lie not with one fuel, but with a variety, each used where it is the most suitable alternative. So do keep up the pressure (no pun intended) to ensure that these alternative can play their part.
Disclosure (if that is the right word): my home uses propane gas for central heating and cooking. I am warm and well-fed, and so far it hasn't caught fire or exploded.

Auto Manufacturing: What Does 'Buy American' Even Mean?

Remember that the auto industry is more than just assembly, the engineering side and the development of new models is equally important. Here in the UK, the three largest car companies are Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, but they are merely plants for the assembly of Japanese designed cars. Vauxhalls, the British part of the GM empire, are merely badge-engineered Opels, and nearly all UK market Fords are even assembled outside of the UK. In fact Jaguar Land Rover are the only UK auto company with any engineering capability.
Don't make the same mistakes that we have made; make sure that you keep the engineering base in the US, once those skills have been lost it will be almost impossible to recover them and maintain a viable industry by developing the models that will meet tomorrow's needs.

Should We Really Bail Out the Big Three Automakers with $73.20 Per Hour Labor?

May I be allowed to make a comment or two from across the pond! The British experience has been that sometimes the cost to the economy of allowing an industry to go to the wall can be greater than that of subsidising it to give it the breathing space to reorganise and become more efficient. I'm of course not qualified to know whether or not alleged greedy unions or management are really the cause, but any industry hit by such a sudden downturn in demand would be in trouble in any case. Unfortunately, US cars are regarded as irelevant in Europe, eg in spite of a weak dollar and strong marketing, Cadillac have sold an average of about 200 cars a year in the UK per year, yes that's two hundred in a market of over two million, perhaps if the industry had been more outward looking then it would not have been in such trouble.
We have always admired your economy's ability to fight back, and I'm sure that in time it will recover, I just hope that it doesn't repeat the mistakes of the past. When you sneeze, the rest of the world catches a cold!