If General Motors Europe fails, it would cost up to 300,000 jobs across the continent, including workers at manufacturing plants, suppliers and dealers, GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster said. Speaking at a press conference at the Geneva Car Show with GM Chief Operating Officer Frederick “Fritz” Henderson, Forster said the company has about 30 per […]
Goodbye Commitment 2009 Says Renault
Prospects For 2009 Look Bleak And Red. For Those Willing To Look, There Are Positives. It has been obvious to investors for more than a year now, but Renault finally and officially ditched its ambitious targets, set by CEO Carlos Ghosn shortly after he took the job. Ghosn’s “Renault Commitment 2009” included the pledge to […]
Peugeot Survival Looks Assured Thanks To Government Help
Cheap Loan Avoids Rights Issue Blow. Small Car Portfolio Ideal To Exploit Scrappage Plans. Peugeot-Citroen lost almost €350 million last year and is likely to lose more than €1 billion this year, but still has some supporters among investors. According to Nomura International, Peugeot-Citroen’s finances deteriorated faster than expected in 2008, and earnings and cash […]
Mercedes-BMW Link, Mercedes-Opel Rumours Soar, Die
Daimler Results Distorted By Lingering Chrysler Interest. Prognosis for Mercedes Future Looks Good Though. The turmoil in car markets inevitably leads to wild rumours about takeovers and mergers as sales plunge and red ink engulfs balance sheets. The well rehearsed report that BMW and Mercedes are about to step up cooperation excited stock markets for […]
Pressure For GM Bankruptcy Mounts After 2008 Results
U.S. Government Apparently Is At Least Thinking The Unthinkable. Decision On Bailout Expected At The End Of March. Only a couple of years ago, the kind of red ink generated by General Motors would have been unimaginable. But with politicians talking about U.S. budget deficits in trillions of dollars, GM’s mere $9.6 billion loss in […]
Survival Trumps Technology At Geneva This Year
French Protectionism Means Jobs Will Go To China, India Later. E.U. Will Have To Relax Climate Change Regime. Car Makers Barely Have Funds For Survival; Greens Can Wait. “The green agenda is a luxury too much. This won’t be good news for the environmental lobby who will throw their teddy bears out of the pram, […]
Nissan Note review
Nissan Tunes Up The Note Minor Changes To The Front And Rear, More Colour Choices “Nissan Connect” Is A Major Plus For Audio, SatNav And Phone **** out of 5 “Being a Nissan, quality and reliability are bomb proof. I’m not sure how they do it with all that Renault stuff on board, but do it […]
Fiat 500 Abarth review
Fast And Tiny, Cute As A Babies Boottee Sporty Performance, But Looks Will Put Off Jack The Lad “rear passengers won’t fit if they are bigger than Gianfranco Zola” *** out of 5 POOLE, Dorset Let me reveal my prejudices right from the start. I detest souped-up, cheap cars which make outrageously fast machines available to the […]
Scrapping Schemes Gather Pace Across Europe
Can This Be A Rare Win/Win Situation? No. Negative Implications For Mix, But Beggars Can’t Be Choosers. Britain Strangely Reluctant To Join In. Government incentives for people to swap new cars for old seem to provide an almost magical solution where everybody wins. With many potential buyers sitting on their credit cards because they simply […]
France Plays Protectionist Card With Renault, Peugeot Aid
Sarkozy Orders Production, R&D, New Models Stay In France. Saves The Short-term, But Destroys Long-Term Profit Chances. Czech Republic Outraged, But Is E.U. Squared Away? France has bailed out Renault and Peugeot-Citroen, but investors worry that some of the terms of the loans may be threaten the companies’ long-term profitability, as well as possibly undermining […]
Europe Must Act Soon To Avoid Car Industry “Catastrophe”
Scrapping Incentives Will Give Short-Term Boost. France Action Risks Protectionist Vicious Circle. Hundreds Of Thousands Face Unemployment. “getting it wrong could turn out be unprecedented, catastrophic” The European Union is dithering while its car industry faces a challenge so desperate it could lead to the bankruptcy of some of its must important companies and force […]
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic review
Ford Claims 76.3 Mpg For Fiesta ECOnetic Will This Claim Stand Up To Real-World Test? Ford Claims “Independent” Analysis Backs Up Numbers But Read “CleanGreenCars” Quote And Make Your Mind Up Ford’s greenest car, the Fiesta ECOnetic, is now on sale, but a combination of factors raise doubts about its usefulness. Can it really achieve […]
European Auto Financial Results For 2008 Will Shock
Only VW Will Be In The Black, Thanks To A Little Trickery. Renault In Trouble As Megane, Laguna Flop. If you thought you were ready for the worst because of the horrendous sales performance of Europe’s car manufacturers in the 4th quarter of 2008, even you are about to be shocked, according to Bernstein Research of […]
