The New York Times recently reported that in June, the sales of new cars and trucks dropped to their lowest level in 10 years – maybe 15 years!
Here are some staggering facts: Ford was down 28%; General
Motors was off 18% (and their stock has been at its lowest level in 50 years); Chrysler
dropped 36% and Toyota was down 21%.
Certainly the consumer shift from large to small cars due to the crazy gas prices and the economy is a key factor, but there is so much more wrong with the domestics.
When was the last time you heard someone say, "You gotta get that new (freely insert Ford, GM, Chrysler)
new car/truck? It’s a beauty!"
The domestic’s plants aren’t as flexible as the Japanese plants in terms of scaling quickly to meet the demand of more smaller vehicles so more tough times are on the horizon for them.
However, it’s hard for me to realize that so many people have been caught blindsided by the current economic challenges. Maybe it’s time to roll lots of fols in upper management – not just the good folks on the assembly lines.
Because think about it. If the economy was good, I still doubt you’d hear someone say, "You gotta get that new (freely insert Ford, GM, Chrysler) new car/truck?
For Detroit to truly rebound and lead, they need to leapfrog foreign
makes, not just try to catch up in terms of design, alternative fuel
etc.,
Enough with the sexy concept cars – make one for sale for crying out loud! What a concept!
