David Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.comDavid Leggett's automotive industry blog - from just-auto.comTeen drivers taking a hit- June 30, 2008 "I sat the girls down on the living room couch one night and told them, 'the only solution this summer is car-pooling.' " Crikey, things really are getting pretty serious over in the USA now that gasoline has become more expensive than tapwater. Kids are having to share rides, forego the cruises and - as if that was not enough trauma to deal with - learn to walk. Poor lil mites. Heart 's a bleedin'.As Gas Prices Rise, Teenagers' Cruising Declineshttp://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1851 Who's going to be left holding the baby- June 30, 2008 You probably don't need reminding that some automakers and suppliers are being squeezed right now by stalling demand and surging cost pressures (and some also have unfavourable exchange rates to add in to this toxic mix). Market geography matters a great deal because some markets are depressed or in decline while others are growing. But there are lots of question marks concerning market prospects in the medium-term pretty much wherever you look. Even in China fuel prices have now spiked. The..http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1850 Eyebrow raisers- June 30, 2008 For those that don't know, The Sunday Times newspaper is heavy duty. It's thick. Much of it is superfluous to requirements, but I've got a long habit of buying it to skim through to the bits I like. This week two things in it stuck out. Jeremy Clarkson's column was one of them. No, it wasn't his review of the BMW M3 convertible. He didn't rate it too highly and had a particular problem with the sat-nav system. Nothing too surprising there. But in his 'other' column in the...http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1849 Embossed seats- June 26, 2008 I guess I don't give a second thought to the seat in a car unless there's a problem (say, related to driving position) or it's unfathomably comfortable. And the way the seat looks isn't really a consideration for me unless it's really bad taste plastic beige or something - but even then, I'm not fussed by the aesthetics. If the seat meets minimum comfort requirements, I've pretty much forgotten about the seat I am in. But some people are more interested in such things and seats are...http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1848 Special offer- June 26, 2008 People and businesses are having to adjust in all sorts of ways to higher gasoline prices and they impact some sectors of the economy more than others. And it's interesting to see how these adjustments take place. Below is a link to an unusual example. To be more serious for a moment and still on the subject of the impact of higher oil prices... Their impact on shipping costs will obviously be felt acutely in the auto industry. Will that make outsourcing production to far flung...http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1847 The sails are billowing (a bit)- June 26, 2008 Myself and j-a's news man Graeme Roberts yesterday found ourselves discussing how quiet things are on the news front at this time of the year. We're approaching the doldrums. The big auto shows are bunched around the first and fourth quarters of the year. Product news is thin on the ground. There will be Q2 financials to look forward to, but it's a slow drift into August when vacations kick in and automotive plants wind down for annual maintenance and retooling for the new model..http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1846 Guest blog- June 26, 2008 I sometimes get asked to provide postings for blogs externally - 'guest blogs' on other sites. Ron Hesse (sorry to see the Dutch go out of the Euro footie so early Ron!) and Michael DaMour at globalautoindustry.com are a couple of good guys I have known for a few years and I have just done one for them. They've got a sourcing portal going on - just launched - that looks like an interesting project and I agreed to give them a blog posting. Here's a link to it.EMs to the rescuehttp://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1845 Fiat's apology to China- June 24, 2008 Apologies are often necessary (tell me about it), but it's best to avoid having to find yourself saying sorry if at all possible. The thing with Fiat's Lancia Delta ad featuring Richard Gere playing with Tibetan boy monks is that it looks blindingly obvious that the Chinese wouldn't like it. Either someone made some crass errors and failed to do any research at all during the creative phase or the judgement was made that it was perhaps a bit edgy but wouldn't cause a...http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1844 It's clever, but...- June 20, 2008 Okay, the smart camera fitted to your car that reads road signs and displays the speed limit on the dashboard is certainly impressive sounding. But aren't most people well aware of the speed limit most of the time anyway, and also that there's a solid line in the middle of the road that means no overtaking Do we really want reminding How foolproof is it What if there's an error ('My readout said I was in a 50 limit area not a 30 officer - look for yourself, there it is on...http://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1843 Latest Lotus Engineering newsletter, proActive- June 20, 2008 The latest issue of Lotus Engineering's e-magazinenewsletter, proActive (we produce it for Lotus), is now available. In it I interview someone with an intriguing business model aimed at a sizeable niche vehicle market in the US. Clue: think Judge Dredd. Download it for yourself via the below link.proActivehttp://www.just-auto.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1842 |