1  2  3  Next

Ford has announced that it plans to close 14 plants and lay off between 25 000 and 30 000 employees. Not a nice way to start the year for many. Foreign imports are blamed for the 40 % downturn in purchases. Any auto workers out there being affected?

   

Yeah I didn't see this coming. Where is Buzz his little cabal is to blame for this.

   

Unionized labour priced themselves out of the market. There's a difference between a decent wage and one that verges on extortion and the CAW has to realize this.

   

You are right. Additionally, if the big 3 back in the 1970+80s hadn't treated the NA market with a level of arrogance typically only personified in a Librano, I dare say they wouldn't be in the dilemma they are today.

   

Not to mention pensions. Think of all the Money that the big 3 need to give to people that no longer work for them, compared to the smaller and newer Asian manufactures. That cost shows in the price of the car. There are other factors at play too, young people think that Japanesse cars are cool while the stuff designed in Detroit is crap. That has an impact as well.

   

I arrived in Canada in 1987 and was immediately shocked at the poor design and quality of the 'big three' cars.
Wanting to be faithful to the NA car industry I bought a GM vehicle that was a total lemon, Stuck with it for 2 years and sold it.
Went back to a Ford which have for the most part been ok.
What amazed me was the lack of modern vehicle technology in the big three cars.
Some cars still had leaf spring suspension this went out with the arc.

Neither Ford, GM, nor Chrysler can fit decent brake rotors. The cast steel used was probably made in a butter factory.
Poor suspension design, like driving a marshmallow.
Turn indicators that are just flashing brake lights.
Racy looking exhaust systems that do nothing for performance.
Electric everything that malfunctions after 1 year.
Put the word "Sport" on the trunk (boot) lid and charge $1000 more.
Put the words "Off Road" on a truck.
Put the word "Sport" on a minivan.
Put a roof and leather seats in a pickup truck and call it a SUV

People are now wise to this chrome plated nonsense and their buying habits show it.
Does anyone know when GM last designed a new vehicle, I mean new, not some revamped stuff?
The big three have been trying to catch up with the European and Japanese manufacturers but have failed.

What will happen when the Chinese cars hit our market?

I feel sorry for all the car workers who may lose their jobs.

   

American car manufacturers will look passable again.

   

Not neccesarily. I think it's safe to assume that the Chinese companies have designed cars to fit into the NA market as much as possible. They probably won't be like the first Japanese cars I'm sure.

I saw two of the cars on The National a week or two ago. They didn't look like crap at all. And if they're priced a few thou less than Ford or GM claptraps, then watch them sell.

   

I feel for the folks across this continent that are loosing their jobs with Ford, but I agree with Pluggy. I have owned 6 cars from new and I have never bought one from the big 3. Taking the exact same car and sticking 3 different names on it does not make a new car. My cars have come from Germany, Japan and Korea.

   

Only 1100 jobs being lost in Canada. This is because of the strength of the unions(Buzz) lobbying the governments to keep universal health care funded. It's also the main reason why cars are cheaper to produce here in Canada than in the US and why new manufacturers like Honda and Toyota, and numerous parts suppliers, are locating their facilities in Canada.

So I guess we blame Buzz and the CAW for keeping jobs in Canada and bringing more high paying manufacturing jobs into Canada. Way to go Buzz!!!!

The Windsor Ford Casting plant is closing because it's old, cost to much to rebuild, Ford has capacity elsewhere and they are downloading the manufacturing of components to parts suppliers and have been doing so for many years now.

   

Are you sure your 'Japanese' model was built in Japan?? Volkswagon is in talks with Daimler-Chrysler to build mini-vans in NA at a Chrysler van plant that is not operating at full capacity. The van will be built on the Chrysler van platform but the interior and exterior will be designed by Volkswagon.

Look for more 'foreign' cars being built in NA in the not too distant future.

   

So without Buzz and the unions there would be no health care, my, thats a leap of faith???????.

It's true the health care reduces the vehicle cost by $4.45 per hour, it's mine and your taxes. Buzz did it..... I think not. All Buzz has done is price himself right out of the market, and taken a lot of car workers with him.

   

OK, and Quebec too!!! Unless you can prove otherwise.....

   

Please clarify.

   

1  2  3  Next