Rumours

[sputnik]

But, they have lost money every year in Europe, (reported $15b), GM was foolishly given huge amounts of taxpayer funding by our last administration to keep the vote..........in the real world they should have taken chapter 11 bankrupcy, re-organized/slimmed down and emerged a more efficient and profitable corp

Feel pretty sure Ford did not really want to sell Landrover/Volvo at the time but economics always dictate in the end.

Ford never made Money on Volvo Aston Martin or Jaguar. The turnaround of Ford with there plan to concentrate on the blue oval only was startede with Alan Mulally borrowing alle the Money possible at the time resultingen in Ford beening the only of the 3 big USA automaker to cope without help from the state. Credit and respect

 

[Roger Perry]

Lets be honest, and with hindsight......Ford should never have bought those brands to begin with, they paid top dollar, invested on a huge scale and then dumped them.
Somewhat of a disaster but I guess stuff happens all the time.

 

[Chae1]

Still haven't forgiven GM for finishing Saab!

 

[phillipe]

as said in the times yesterday, 90 percent of new cars are on finance,so when paying 300 a month are you having a bmw/audi or a vauxall?

 

[Magnum Man]

Actually GM is part of the Fiat, Chrysler, CNHI group of companies so while quoted on the NYSE, they are kinda European. Weren't PSA subject to huge French Government intervention a while ago??? With the tighter employment laws in France and particularly Germany, it's no wonder there is concern for the two British plants. No doubt Brexit concerns will appear somewhere in the "blurb" that appears over the next few days/weeks/months

I respectfully reckon you're wrong there, Martin. Fiat does own Chrysler, as you say, but I'm pretty sure it holds no interest in GM if you look at the relevant websites. And although the Agnelli (Fiat) family's holding company Exor owns the largest shareholding in CNHi, it is only just over a quarter of the shares, so technically Fiat is not the owner of CNHi, just the majority shareholder. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group is a totally separate entity, as Fiat demerged its two industrial (trucks/construction/ag) interests when it spun off its Fiat Industrial and CNH Global businesses to form CNH Industrial.

 

[Martin Holden]

I respectfully reckon you're wrong there, Martin. Fiat does own Chrysler, as you say, but I'm pretty sure it holds no interest in GM if you look at the relevant websites. And although the Agnelli (Fiat) family's holding company Exor owns the largest shareholding in CNHi, it is only just over a quarter of the shares, so technically Fiat is not the owner of CNHi, just the majority shareholder. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group is a totally separate entity, as Fiat demerged its two industrial (trucks/construction/ag) interests when it spun off its Fiat Industrial and CNH Global businesses to form CNH Industrial.

I bow to your better judgement and knowledge. Keeping up with the comings and goings in the GM/Fiat group world isn't easy. Nevertheless, the Americans have ditched loss making Opel/Vauxhall. PSA have to rationalise the number of plants they have otherwise they've just wasted £2billion! If l were them (and I'm not!) I'd ditch the Vauxhall brand and promote Opel hard and use it as the quality brand in the PSA group as VAG do with Audi. Vauxhall is only a U.K. brand in reality.

 

[Magnum Man]

Yes, it's surprising the GM bean counters didn't suggest long ago that buying two sets of badges and two sets of headed notepaper didn't stack up economically! And as you say, I'm sure that Opel has a least a little bit of brand-edge when it comes to quality.

 

[Magnum Man]

PS - am presuming you're not paid from Italy yet...?!

 

[SilliamWhale]

as said in the times yesterday, 90 percent of new cars are on finance,so when paying 300 a month are you having a bmw/audi or a vauxall?

you say that but look at Nissan qashqai's and the like. Lots of people want a Leaf. I don't think the Vauxhall brand is dead and buried. To lots of society they don't fancy bmw/audi for various reasons!

The Mokka is pretty cheap on monthly finance deals. My sister has one and its ok. I think its on some surprisingly cheap finance deal

 

[Honest john]

Working in the French labour straight jacket is one of the more difficult & costly places to do Buniness.

If we end up with a lower cost, low tax, trade deals around the world, open for buniness Brexit type of Britain..

We could be the step the French need to trade with the world without the costs of trading though the EU.

It's a glass half full moment.

 

[Cowabunga]

Vivaro vans made in the UK are a great success. Astra is surplus to requirements to an extent, with 70% of its components imported and 80 of assembled vehicles exported, so I suspect that once the current model comes to the end of its life cycle, the factory will probably close and more use made of the surplus factory capacity in France and Germany. Its just good business when massive savings in production efficiency and reduction in surplus capacity is essential.
The Mokka and other vehicles come from Korea and will probably be kept by GM and revert to using the Chevrolet brand in the fullness of time. Doubt whether PSA will wish to continue marketing them for too long.

 

[Martin Holden]

PS - am presuming you're not paid from Italy yet...?!

Sorry you're behind the times. I'm no longer linked to the grass/soil products since the change. I'm looking for pastures new (pardon the pun!) now so for the first time since 1980 I may well not be mowing and chopping grasss in May! Change is in the horizon!!

 

[Martin Holden]

Vivaro vans made in the UK are a great success. Astra is surplus to requirements to an extent, with 70% of its components imported and 80 of assembled vehicles exported, so I suspect that once the current model comes to the end of its life cycle, the factory will probably close and more use made of the surplus factory capacity in France and Germany. Its just good business when massive savings in production efficiency and reduction in surplus capacity is essential.
The Mokka and other vehicles come from Korea and will probably be kept by GM and revert to using the Chevrolet brand in the fullness of time. Doubt whether PSA will wish to continue marketing them for too long.

Ah so this was the big news you referred to a couple of weeks ago eh? Only joking, there is more change and consolidation in many industries now especiallly as since the American election, globalisation seems to under the microscope. Suddenly countries are starting to look inwards! Interesting times ahead me thinks!

 

[Martin Holden]

as said in the times yesterday, 90 percent of new cars are on finance,so when paying 300 a month are you having a bmw/audi or a vauxall?

Precisely! With all the private finance rental deals these days just look at the number of folk driving new cars and compare this to 10-15 years ago. Must have made the used car market quite tough for those traders I would have thought!

 

[Campbell]

Still haven't forgiven GM for finishing Saab!

As a sort of Saab enthusiast it pains me to say, but Saab finished themselves off. Clarkson did a good piece on how their demise unfolded.

 

[db9go]

Precisely! With all the private finance rental deals these days just look at the number of folk driving new cars and compare this to 10-15 years ago. Must have made the used car market quite tough for those traders I would have thought!

I think the end of life directive were the manufacture is responsible for it has something to do with it

 

[Martin Holden]

Saab were always a bit quirky but that was part of their appeal! However at least Volvo are still going with a good product. Just look at last Sunday's Top Gear. Good advert for them and Merc! Can't see many of us driving old Taxis though!!

 

[Chae1]

As a sort of Saab enthusiast it pains me to say, but Saab finished themselves off. Clarkson did a good piece on how their demise unfolded.

The bit on the sat nav was a prime example!

 

[sc4545]

Agco buys lely it's been confirmed

 

[Cowabunga]

http://news.agcocorp.com/news/agco-...uisition-of-the-forage-division-of-lely-group

A few days late, but never mind. What the heck they gain apart from balers is beyond me. They've now got two manufacturers of mowers, tedders and rakes in the same stable. Perhaps they will keep the brands separate with their existing dealers, apart from the balers of course. Kubota have gained control of their existing baler supplier, Galignani, which are intertwined with Kv which is now owned by Kubota.

They do 'take out' a competitor of course.