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Domestic Automakers stopping making cars.

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JPSmit

JPSmit

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I know we have discussed this before but, very interesting stats here:

Whole article

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vi...=email&utm_content=Daily_News_Thursday_Dec_19

relevant bits:

For example, if you’re wondering why Ford is largely abandoning the car business, consider that, for the first six months of 2019, the combined sales of seven Ford models of passenger cars—in current production or as existing inventory being sold down—did not add up to even half of what the Ford F-series pickup alone sold in the same period. During that stretch, Ford sold five trucks for every car it moved. Excluding sales of the Mustang, all of Ford and Lincoln’s current car line together—Fiesta, Fusion, Taurus, MKZ, Continental (Focus production ended in May 2018)—was handily outsold by the Honda Civic. At Ford, the car business is not a business, it’s an expensive hobby.

In July, BMW CEO Harald Krüger resigned after four years in the job, a relatively short tenure for chief executives at the Munich maker. Among the problems, BMW’s small-car offshoot, Mini, has been in free fall. Increasingly irate dealers—a former chairman of the dealer council is suing BMW of North America for failing to invest in Mini—managed to move only 17,583 cars. Yes, the entire Mini marque, seven distinct models, is being outsold by the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. At least this isn’t as dire as Fiat: With 5103 sales racked up in six months, the Italian brand is being beaten in the States by the Nissan Leaf electric. Alfa isn’t doing much better, at just over 9000 cars sold.

fascinating - I would also personally comment on how quickly we forget gas at $100+ a barrel.
 
Trucks do have their uses for carrying stuff, but I've always preferred a sedan for traveling. Times change for sure, but I sometimes wonder if it's the "big and tough factor" in trucks that leads to sales. I may be biased, as most of the trucks I see around here are either (1) brand new, covered in chrome, full of fancy options, polished and shiny 24/7 and used for carrying family groceries, or (2) "mudders" used for mud racing.)

OK - back to my cave.
Tom M.
PS - really enjoy the Christmas theme!
 
Not sure why this was posted in New Members, but I'm moving to Pub.
 
I think its a no brainer. People just want SUVs and Trucks. The only people buying sedans are the people that can't afford the SUVs and Trucks. (you can't hardly find a stripped down truck). Yes you can sell sporty GTs and the like but that's not the large market. Big companies can't survive on the size of the sport GT and sport sedan market. You got to hit the masses and that's SUvs and Trucks.
 
I bought a sedan 9 months ago... I could have bought an SUV but I didn't see the need for it since my wife has one. Why have two in a family?
I would never consider getting a truck. I have a small (8ft.) trailer that I use occasionally.
My 2019 sedan suits me just fine. It gets good mileage and is quite comfortable.
 
A 2 SUV family is perfect for us. Albeit hers is smaller than mine. Mine tows 7000 lbs. Hers tows the grandkids. With the snow & ice here in Pa ( you obviously have the same) she has informed me that she will never go back to even a front wheel drive vehicle.
Could I ask, What model sedan did you buy?
 
I bought an AWD 2019 Mazda3... the only thing I wish I could have gotten was the 6-speed manual. The manual is only offered overseas for the sedan.
 
Me, one fancy Silverado 4 door truck that does everything but drive it's self, the wife has a new car, which she loves, and of course the TF. I pull a couple trailers with the truck moving tractors around, so it is a necessity as well as a mode of transportation. but, the wifes new car gets such great gas mileage, it makes the truck look like a gas hog! It is! :disgust:
 
Two of my grandsons came over yesterday on a Christmas run in the oldest grandsons new Tesla AWD duel motor with a performance package, whatever that entails. He's single makes tons of money, even bought another airplane a couple weeks ago! He had a few girlfriends and I asked him once why he isn't married, he said all girls want is your money! Smart kid!:highly_amused: The car, quite impressive and makes zero noise. He said the battery package, which is under the floor, is supposed to last over 100k miles and $2,000 to replace. He didn't say how much it cost, but I know it's slightly more than I would pay! :rolleyes2:

View attachment 61660
 
Seems to me the younger folks are not into automobiles at all. Only as conveyances. I see mostly SUV's and trucks, a smattering of Prius' and even fewer Teslas. The newer domestic sedans are usually driven by seniors (I say that with respect now), and those are usually Lincoln and Caddy models. The rest seem to ALL be Civics or Camrys. From new ones, to decades-old ones plugging away. Very few domestic makers' new examples (Mustang, Camaro, Charger and Corvette excluded, I'd consider they're niche products). And I'm given to understand a lot of those are re-badged ones of Asian origin.

Sad, really. Something that has so radically influenced and changed this country's way of living is being outsourced. The "family sedan" is becoming extinct. And what was the last "station wagon" domestically made? I've no clue.
 
I think the SUVs & Trucks are the new family sedan. The market speaks its what the majority want. Having said that I think the demise of the sedan as we remember it is because the domestic OEMs stopped putting development into them.
They saw more profit in the SUV & Trk segment. So yeh the market speaks but the manufactures hold sway. In reality the government holds sway. One reason the OEMs would push the market towards the SUVs & Trks is because they have the profit margin to absorb all the mandated regulations. You wonder why the trucks are so big... safety standards have forced bigger wheels & tires, bigger chassis & more electronics to keep YOU safe. The governments knows better than you what you need.
 
vette said:
I think its a no brainer. People just want SUVs and Trucks. The only people buying sedans are the people that can't afford the SUVs and Trucks. (<snip>)
Click to expand...

I love my Santa Fe. It drives as nice as a sedan but is more utilitarian. Lots of storage which comes in handy on long trips and with the tow kit I added I can tow small trailers when needed.
 
Ever notice how some companies advertise just trucks & suv's?

In Eureka,we had neighbors who had three pickups - a Dodge -
1 ton Megacab 4WD that the mother used for grocery shopping & hauling
grandkids to/from school,a new Chevy crew cab 4WD that the father used
for the same thing,and an older single cab Dodge 1/2 ton 4WD that they
would use when the actually hauled something.
We had another neighbor (housewife) that had a newer (bought new)
Ford F250 crewcab diesel 4WD that she used for hauling kids & groceries.

Rather than those,I'd prefer a small car for driving around town.
 
AngliaGT said:
Ever notice how some companies advertise just trucks & suv's?

In Eureka,we had neighbors who had three pickups - a Dodge -
1 ton Megacab 4WD that the mother used for grocery shopping & hauling
grandkids to/from school,a new Chevy crew cab 4WD that the father used
for the same thing,and an older single cab Dodge 1/2 ton 4WD that they
would use when the actually hauled something.
We had another neighbor (housewife) that had a newer (bought new)
Ford F250 crewcab diesel 4WD that she used for hauling kids & groceries.

Rather than those,I'd prefer a small car for driving around town.
Click to expand...

I've heard that comment that part of the issue may be that the big three don't advertize cars. (and frankly the other companies barely do)
 
End of the sedans brings more SUVs and Trucks and the demise of the manual transmission. We seem to be the only country that can't shift or do roundabouts. Firetrucks, ambulances and public transportation are now automatics. Trucking industry heading to autos. With the new engineered engines emmisions are down.
 
John Turney said:
With no more sedans, how will they meet the CAFE standards with big trucks and SUVs?
Click to expand...
oh I believe there will be plenty of options. I’m sure electric will be in the mix. I’m sure u know about “displacement on demand “ where they drop half the cylinders when cruising. GM calls there new system “Active Fuel Management” . They also shut the engines off at red lights. This technology is proving seamless but of coarse I don’t like it. Ford & GM are big time into it. Of coarse the Government didn’t ask me when they mandated the CAFE standards. It’s ironic & contradictory what regulations are doing to our vehicles and the industry as a whole. The safety regulators mandate bigger, stronger, defensiveness. The enviro regulators mandate less fuel, less carbon footprint and more from less. There contradictory. The OEMs have to build it big and strong but use less energy to drag it down the road. Actually they are doing pretty good at making that happen. But the last people they are trying to satisfy is us. So they go with the product that has the greatest profit margin. Then spend another fortune to convince us that it is what we want or need.
 
It already has driven me to buy older classic models. Cheaper to fix, mileage pretty good, good designs that are familiar to us. Can but 2-3 for the price of anything new now. Only thing, Illinois now double taxes by taxing new and trade-in, the double plate fees. No regard for emissions, as we have only one station in three counties. Electric might be good, but how much can the old plants take to produce the power for the extra charging stations.
 
Larry - I feel the same about "moving to electric". We just don't have the infrastructure for all those charging stations at present, and beyond that, most of the electric for charging will come from the same plants and grids which can barely support the current we use today. Not even considering the environmental and safety problems all the batteries will bring. Siince WW2, we've eliminated public transport systems and replaced with highways jammed with individual cars.

Still not sure that trucks are getting bigger due to increased safety regulations. Wouldn't SUVs and sedans be getting bigger too? Trucks with huge cabs, all the bling, big diesels, lower mpg than sedans ... just to carry groceries and take the kids to schools and malls? Manufacturers want to increase profits, so they build bigger vehicles that are more appealing than the lowly family sedans. This is happening in housing too, where few small houses are being built, but large numbers of McMansions are going up all over the country. Friends in their 30s, no children desired, spent two years looking for a 2 BR 2 bath house near their jobs, with no luck. Had to borrow $600K for a "starter" four bedroom, three bath, three car garage for only $650K.

Anyway, think I'll keep my 2018 4 cylinder Altima for a while; best car I've ever owned. Then if I'm still around in a few years, move to a 1954 Nash or Chevrolet two door. :wink:

1954NashRambler.jpg

PS - back in college I had a 1961 Valiant V100. Simple, reliable, easy to fix. I remember the floor shift - which was cheaper than three on the tree, the slant-six engine I could easily work on, the Clardy under dash a/c, and the fake continental trunk lid!
 
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