Reply to: American car companies going bust

[planetit]

I thought delphi was a programming language?

DA in "trying to be technical" mode

No. It’s a big tier 1 parts supplier. Spun off from GM some time ago. Like Visteon was spun off from Ford (now being refinanced by them), and Denso from Toyota. Not that I work for any of these, but it's the same thing.

Don't forget, companies in the US are in and out of chapter 11 like no-one's business all the time. It doesn't mean much over there and nothing like calling in the administrators means over here.

True. And the rules for chapter 11 changed a few months ago. Leading to a rush of companies filing before the new rules came in.

[Spartacus]

Don't forget, companies in the US are in and out of chapter 11 like no-one's business all the time. It doesn't mean much over there and nothing like calling in the administrators means over here. And if you think the Fed will let GM go bust leaving all those key voters on the rock 'n' roll you're living in fairy land.

Mind you, I've got my hat and some salt 'n' pepper here all nice and ready.

[DodgyAgent]

And my contract's not being renewed! Times must be bad.

I thought delphi was a programming language?

DA in "trying to be technical" mode

[planetit]

Delphi (GM main parts supplier) has already filed for chapter 11. GM bonds are now rated "junk" by analysts.
Losses and debts at GM are abysmal.

And my contract's not being renewed! Times must be bad.

[sasguru]

What does this mean for Vauxhall/Opel? (part of GM)

Great minds think alike!

[Bagpuss]

Delphi (GM main parts supplier) has already filed for chapter 11. GM bonds are now rated "junk" by analysts.
Losses and debts at GM are abysmal.

What does this mean for Vauxhall/Opel? (part of GM)

[sasguru]

Interesting if GM goes bust. What happens to the regional subsidiaries/factories? Might be a way to get a mass production car company back into UK ownership - the latest Vauxhalls are competent enough.

[sappatz]

Gm

Delphi (GM main parts supplier) has already filed for chapter 11. GM bonds are now rated "junk" by analysts.
Losses and debts at GM are abysmal.

[Bagpuss]

Interesting article on the Japanese attitude to quality

http://www.iqa.org/publication/c4-1-110.shtml

[Spartacus]

As somebody earlier said, in all proper accounting definitions the US motor industry went bust years ago. In any case, there's far too many voters in Detroit for the Fed to stop pumping in tax-payers' dollars to keep the whole thing afloat.

[DodgyAgent]

Quote from Channel 4 news - "American car companies are going bankrupt due to globalisation - in the country that invented it"....

General Motors losing $4 billion in a year, Ford laying off 30,000....

Ho hum. Globalisation is a good thing, isnt it...?

The demise of the American car Industry is an example of all the good things about globalisation. It was during the 70s and eighties that the real damage was done when Japanese imports put the large cumbersome crap that the Americans churned out to the sword. US manufacturers believed that they could build cars without making any effort to modernise and the americans would buy them. The Americans have failed to catch up ever since, and it is only through niches (SUVs) that they have survived. Today they are going retro (Camaros, Chargers Mustangs et al) to try and stay in business.

[Rebecca Loos]

I agree, I agree

I've still got a bit of nostalgia for those cars you used to see in 50s and 60s films, or even later like Duke of Hazzard cars etc.... but yes you're right, they weren't that great from a technical point of view, and now they're all dead

[Bagpuss]

Yes to everything you said

But sometimes the Yanks do make beautiful and mad cars like the Ford Mustang Convertible.
Underpowered, thirsty, probably not-well built, probably gonna die after 5 years, but hey..... cool looks.

They've made some iconic cars, off the top of my head

1957 Chevy (IIRC it had electric windows and air con, something that UK cars didn't have until the 1980s)
AC cobra
Dodge charger/challenger or roadrunner
Ford Shelby Mustang Mk 1
Chevy Corvette stingray
Pontiac Trans AM/ firebird
Camero Z28

the days of the muscle car are long gone. The OPEC price shock of the 1970s saw to that. Since then america hasn't made many interesting cars.
And even in the 'good' old days the handling was sh1t.

[BoredBloke]

When I was out there, and out of the few cars I rented, the Nissan I had was way better than the awful ford Taurus (a really bad Mondeo), pontiac Grand Am and on a par with the Lincoln. However the Lincoln, although nice to drive (3.9l lump up front compared to the 2.5 in the Nissan) needed its own permanantly connected petrol hose. On the trip computer, when you booted it it simply took a couple of miles off the 'number of miles left in the tank' calculation.

The Grand Am was supposed to have a 2.5 litre engine but its speedo stopped at 110.

[Rebecca Loos]

Yes to everything you said

But sometimes the Yanks do make beautiful and mad cars like the Ford Mustang Convertible.
Underpowered, thirsty, probably not-well built, probably gonna die after 5 years, but hey..... cool looks.