On one automotive forum that I frequent, there is a discussion of which car brands should be the next to leave the US market. Poster after poster lists their choices and the reasons why they believe each should no longer sell their wares in the US. Most of the opinions are based on biases formed from personal experiences with these brands…some of which are quite out-dated. But it’s an interesting discussion.
My opinion, as a car fanatic, is that more is better than less. I’m an American and proud of it. I wish American manufacturers were not losing market share to the imports, but it’s not, in my opinion, completely undeserved. But I would not want any brands to go away to simply save a domestic brand name (domestic jobs, however, are another topic for another time).
With the Chinese brands knocking at the door, this discussion takes on added fervor. Many of the people involved in this discussion believe that the Chinese are the next wave of automotive competition to beat up the American companies, and I have to agree. Where the Japanese were laughed at just 40 years ago, today they’re among the most admired automotive manufacturers in the world. The Korean brands were in the same boat just 25 years ago and today Hyundai and Kia are respectable names in many parts of the world.
Along with a few Indian companies, Chinese companies are looking to the US for market expansion.
Many people have heard of Chery since they have been in the news for the past few years while they prepare to enter the US market. Today, Chrysler is working with Chery to produce an entry-level Dodge product for the US market. And Chery will take what they learn from Chrysler to become a global brand on their own.
There’s also Nanjing and Shanghai and Great Wall and Geely and a dozen others that are looking across the Pacific. Nanjing owns the MG brand and will, most likely, use that name in its global expansion. Shanghai has been working with Volkswagen and General Motors for a number of years to increase their hold on the Chinese market, but exports aren’t too far away especially since they bought out the Rover side of the former MG Rover company, but need to establish their own brand name (they’re currently using Roewe, almost pronounced “wrong way”) since the Rover name did not come with the package. Great Wall has light trucks and Geely has economy cars and both have eyes on the US market. Brilliance and Wuling and Landwind could be in the next wave as well.
But, from what I’ve seen, none of these companies are ready for the US market quite yet. The Japanese entered the US market with cars too small for American tastes but quickly tailored their products with US buyers in mind…and raised their quality to class-leading levels. The Koreans learned from the mistakes made by the Japanese and brought true entry-level product to the US. Although they made their own mistakes along the way, they were competitive players in just over 25 years from producing their first car (the Japanese took about 40 years. The Chinese seem like they’re on the 20 year plan, which would bring them to a competitive nature in just a few more years.
Once in a while, one of my cars impresses someone. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s a nice feeling that someone likes your choice of car. The only person who really matters about my choice of car is me. And that’s how it should be with everyone’s choice. The fact that I don’t care for a single guy buying a Ford SuperDuty just to commute to his office doesn’t matter as long as the owner of that big pickup likes his choice. This laissez faire attitude should extend to brand names as well. If Isuzu finds enough buyers for their products, more power to them…it’s a capitalist marketplace. Not too many would be sad to see Isuzu (or Mitsubishi or Suzuki or Buick or Mercury or…) go, but the reduction in choice would be a sad thing.
So here’s hoping that we see a return of Alfa Romeo (discussed for a year or two from now), Citroen and Peugeot (oft-rumored), Fiat, and MG. Perhaps then the Americans can bring back Duesenberg and Packard and Stutz and AMC and Edsel and…
Okay, maybe I've gone a bit too far.
Showing posts with label automotive industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label automotive industry. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Oh, the People You Will Meet!
The September issue of Car and Driver arrived the other day and one particular road test gave me a flashback.
I’ve been working in and around the automotive industry for a number of years and it always amazes me that there is such a wide variety of abilities in the people who are supposed to be the face to the public and the media. There are people who you will go out of your way to see at every event and there are people you will avoid as if your life (and more importantly, your sanity) depended on it. I remember a woman who worked at Honda that everyone spoke of in only the most glowing terms and there were similar people Subaru and Ford. But unfortunately, it’s the people on the other end of the spectrum who you tend to remember the most.
This particular issue of Car and Driver features a test of a Slovakian kit car that looks quite exotic. So exotic, in fact, that I went out of my way to catch a look at one a snap a picture or two.
I was walking around a car show where the K1 Attack was shown. As I walked over, I noticed that someone was being interviewed just in front of the car. The videographer was setting up so I quickly snapped a picture before they were ready for the camera to roll.
As I walked away, the interviewer tried to impress his interviewee by making some disparaging remark about any shmo with a camera, obviously trying to put himself on a plane higher than me. He was obviously younger than me so I was to assume that, unless he had being interviewing people since he was in diapers, I had more experience than him. But because I didn’t have an entourage or a broadcast-quality video camera, I must be one of the unwashed masses. I felt secure enough that I didn’t have to flash the media credentials in my pocket just to make myself feel important.
And because I’m a nice person, I didn’t embarrass this cub reporter in front of his “big interview.”
Now, as I’m reading what I’ve written, I feel like you, the reader, are going to get the wrong idea of me. I love working in this industry. Aside from that rare person, I’ve enjoyed the company of most automotive people (media, PR, and others) that I’ve met along the way. I do not, in any way, want you to think that I think highly of myself, because I don’t.
But when others put me down, I will get a bit defensive.
There’s a pecking order in this industry, and you’re made aware of it quite often. There are precious few people you must bow down to, but you also know that your experience and stature places you on a certain rung of the ladder. Just because you have a cameraman with you doesn’t put you near the top and just because you carry a lowly digital camera doesn’t mean you’re on the ground floor.
If I were to run into you at a car show, I would treat you just as you would treat me. If you’re taking a picture, I will step back and help prevent others from stepping into your frame. But I would hope to have you treat me just the same. When someone acts as if they’re more important than anyone else around them, they’re not going to get any special treatment from me.
I’ve been surprised by the people who are nice to me and sometimes equally surprised by the people who weren’t.
There was a gentleman from a Washington DC TV station. You wouldn’t know him to see him, but if you lived in the area, you would know his voice. We ran into each other a few times and each time he would re-introduce himself as having “an old car and a young wife,” and then proceed to show me a picture of his ’59 Rolls-Royce.
Another car show, another DC personality. I was fighting through a crowd at the New York Auto Show, looking down and trying my best not to step on anyone’s feet, when I caught a glimpse of a name tag. I read “John Harter” and I immediately remembered that I watched his on-air road tests on WJLA. I told him that I watched him every week and he replied by joking that he thought only his mother watched.
I was reporting on an awards ceremony where a rather famous and prolific automotive writer was honored. After I took his picture, I told him that he had authored the first automotive book I was ever given. He is quite the writer so he started to name off some of his most important works, but I just answered no. When I named the book, he laughed and said, “the funny thing is, I don’t remember writing that one.” Apparently, the book had been culled together from various pieces he wrote so he never specifically sat down to write that book, but we had a laugh about it.
These are the people you want to meet. These are the people who make the automotive industry so dynamic and interesting. From the most experienced CEO to most-knowledgeable historian to the private car collector to the budding enthusiast, there’s nothing quite like the automotive world.
I wish I could introduce you to some of the people I’ve met along the way. Some are funny (intentionally or not), some are scholarly, many are respectful, and all add some color to the world. And you can meet some of them on your own; just visit a local car show or cruise night. You’re bound to find some colorful people there. And then you’ll have a few stories of your own to share. I’d love to hear them!
I’ve been working in and around the automotive industry for a number of years and it always amazes me that there is such a wide variety of abilities in the people who are supposed to be the face to the public and the media. There are people who you will go out of your way to see at every event and there are people you will avoid as if your life (and more importantly, your sanity) depended on it. I remember a woman who worked at Honda that everyone spoke of in only the most glowing terms and there were similar people Subaru and Ford. But unfortunately, it’s the people on the other end of the spectrum who you tend to remember the most.
This particular issue of Car and Driver features a test of a Slovakian kit car that looks quite exotic. So exotic, in fact, that I went out of my way to catch a look at one a snap a picture or two.
I was walking around a car show where the K1 Attack was shown. As I walked over, I noticed that someone was being interviewed just in front of the car. The videographer was setting up so I quickly snapped a picture before they were ready for the camera to roll.
As I walked away, the interviewer tried to impress his interviewee by making some disparaging remark about any shmo with a camera, obviously trying to put himself on a plane higher than me. He was obviously younger than me so I was to assume that, unless he had being interviewing people since he was in diapers, I had more experience than him. But because I didn’t have an entourage or a broadcast-quality video camera, I must be one of the unwashed masses. I felt secure enough that I didn’t have to flash the media credentials in my pocket just to make myself feel important.
And because I’m a nice person, I didn’t embarrass this cub reporter in front of his “big interview.”
Now, as I’m reading what I’ve written, I feel like you, the reader, are going to get the wrong idea of me. I love working in this industry. Aside from that rare person, I’ve enjoyed the company of most automotive people (media, PR, and others) that I’ve met along the way. I do not, in any way, want you to think that I think highly of myself, because I don’t.
But when others put me down, I will get a bit defensive.
There’s a pecking order in this industry, and you’re made aware of it quite often. There are precious few people you must bow down to, but you also know that your experience and stature places you on a certain rung of the ladder. Just because you have a cameraman with you doesn’t put you near the top and just because you carry a lowly digital camera doesn’t mean you’re on the ground floor.
If I were to run into you at a car show, I would treat you just as you would treat me. If you’re taking a picture, I will step back and help prevent others from stepping into your frame. But I would hope to have you treat me just the same. When someone acts as if they’re more important than anyone else around them, they’re not going to get any special treatment from me.
I’ve been surprised by the people who are nice to me and sometimes equally surprised by the people who weren’t.
There was a gentleman from a Washington DC TV station. You wouldn’t know him to see him, but if you lived in the area, you would know his voice. We ran into each other a few times and each time he would re-introduce himself as having “an old car and a young wife,” and then proceed to show me a picture of his ’59 Rolls-Royce.
Another car show, another DC personality. I was fighting through a crowd at the New York Auto Show, looking down and trying my best not to step on anyone’s feet, when I caught a glimpse of a name tag. I read “John Harter” and I immediately remembered that I watched his on-air road tests on WJLA. I told him that I watched him every week and he replied by joking that he thought only his mother watched.
I was reporting on an awards ceremony where a rather famous and prolific automotive writer was honored. After I took his picture, I told him that he had authored the first automotive book I was ever given. He is quite the writer so he started to name off some of his most important works, but I just answered no. When I named the book, he laughed and said, “the funny thing is, I don’t remember writing that one.” Apparently, the book had been culled together from various pieces he wrote so he never specifically sat down to write that book, but we had a laugh about it.
These are the people you want to meet. These are the people who make the automotive industry so dynamic and interesting. From the most experienced CEO to most-knowledgeable historian to the private car collector to the budding enthusiast, there’s nothing quite like the automotive world.
I wish I could introduce you to some of the people I’ve met along the way. Some are funny (intentionally or not), some are scholarly, many are respectful, and all add some color to the world. And you can meet some of them on your own; just visit a local car show or cruise night. You’re bound to find some colorful people there. And then you’ll have a few stories of your own to share. I’d love to hear them!
Alone in the Car World
Growing up, I was always into cars. When I was not quite three years old, I could name cars from their headlights or taillights as they passed my parents car at night. I was dragging my parents to the car dealerships every September and October until I was old enough to drive there myself. I've "designed" cars and trucks since I was six even submitting a design to Ford before I was eight.
But it was always just me. My folks thought of cars at merely transportation. Some of my friends liked cars, but none were nearly as fanatical as I was.
I was so starved for automotive companionship that I would talk anyone's ear off if given the chance. I couldn't hold a conversation without it somehow leading to cars. It was the one topic I knew. It was a curse, atleast that's how my parents saw it.
When I was twelve or so, my father sat me down once and told me that I had to find more interests. I liked music although I couldn't play an instrument or hold a note. I liked art but I was far from gifted. Cars were my world.
After my father's brief talking-to, I left his room dejected. He left the room shortly afterward to find me looking into the toilet bowl. "These toilets are very interesting," I told him. He never brought the subject up again.
I met my first automotive professional when I was about thirteen. He was an editor of a car magazine and a friend of my uncle. I knew car salemen but they were salemen, not car people. This was a real, honest-to-gawd car person. And I'm sure he couldn't wait for me to leave that evening. I talked cars for as long as he sat still.
Years passed and I went off to college and graduated. With my degree in hand, I went looking for a job. I sold cars. I worked on cars. I wrote about cars. I worked with many, many people but still couldn't find car people like me. I even joined the Antique Automobile Club of America and found them not to be interested enough in cars for me.
One evening I was watching a show on the A&E network. It ranked the top 10 cars of all time and had the usual suspects such as the Model T and the Beetle. As the show counted off each car, people discussed why this car was so important. Of all the people interviewed, one woman changed my life.
Her name was Beverly Rae Kimes. The caption below her name read "President, Society of Automotive Historians."
What kind of group is the "Society of Automotive Historians," I asked myself. I immediately went on a search to find this group. In the age before widespread use of the internet, I tapped into a friend who was a historian, albeit architectural. She quickly returned with a contact name and address.
At the first meeting, I felt right at home. It didn't matter that I was almost half the age of the next youngest attendee. There was a bond right away. These were my people...REAL car people. After years of searching, I was home.
Whether you're into tuner cars or old American hot rods or diesel trucks, finding people who speak your language is important. Having an outlet where you can explore things you know and things you'd like to know is a must in order to keep growing and keep your interests fresh. That group exists. If you haven't found them yet, keep looking. If you have found them, enjoy every minute.
And if you're lucky, you might fall into a crowd that speaks your language and lives your lifestyle...and earns a living talking and doing just that. I have been so lucky. And I hope you have the same sort of luck!
Keep Motoring!
But it was always just me. My folks thought of cars at merely transportation. Some of my friends liked cars, but none were nearly as fanatical as I was.
I was so starved for automotive companionship that I would talk anyone's ear off if given the chance. I couldn't hold a conversation without it somehow leading to cars. It was the one topic I knew. It was a curse, atleast that's how my parents saw it.
When I was twelve or so, my father sat me down once and told me that I had to find more interests. I liked music although I couldn't play an instrument or hold a note. I liked art but I was far from gifted. Cars were my world.
After my father's brief talking-to, I left his room dejected. He left the room shortly afterward to find me looking into the toilet bowl. "These toilets are very interesting," I told him. He never brought the subject up again.
I met my first automotive professional when I was about thirteen. He was an editor of a car magazine and a friend of my uncle. I knew car salemen but they were salemen, not car people. This was a real, honest-to-gawd car person. And I'm sure he couldn't wait for me to leave that evening. I talked cars for as long as he sat still.
Years passed and I went off to college and graduated. With my degree in hand, I went looking for a job. I sold cars. I worked on cars. I wrote about cars. I worked with many, many people but still couldn't find car people like me. I even joined the Antique Automobile Club of America and found them not to be interested enough in cars for me.
One evening I was watching a show on the A&E network. It ranked the top 10 cars of all time and had the usual suspects such as the Model T and the Beetle. As the show counted off each car, people discussed why this car was so important. Of all the people interviewed, one woman changed my life.
Her name was Beverly Rae Kimes. The caption below her name read "President, Society of Automotive Historians."
What kind of group is the "Society of Automotive Historians," I asked myself. I immediately went on a search to find this group. In the age before widespread use of the internet, I tapped into a friend who was a historian, albeit architectural. She quickly returned with a contact name and address.
At the first meeting, I felt right at home. It didn't matter that I was almost half the age of the next youngest attendee. There was a bond right away. These were my people...REAL car people. After years of searching, I was home.
Whether you're into tuner cars or old American hot rods or diesel trucks, finding people who speak your language is important. Having an outlet where you can explore things you know and things you'd like to know is a must in order to keep growing and keep your interests fresh. That group exists. If you haven't found them yet, keep looking. If you have found them, enjoy every minute.
And if you're lucky, you might fall into a crowd that speaks your language and lives your lifestyle...and earns a living talking and doing just that. I have been so lucky. And I hope you have the same sort of luck!
Keep Motoring!
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