Romney was right--- (Canada, economy, state, support)
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The last two weeks should go down as a period of vindication for former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and earn him the nickname, “soothsayer of the Western World” — a modern-age Nostradamus.
On Jan. 14, Chrysler’s CEO acknowledged that Jeeps would be built in China, confirming a statement that unfairly earned Romney the moniker “liar of the year.” Score one.
At the same time, the CEO acknowledged that Jeep is an iconic American brand, and would always continue to be made here. He said the Jeep Grand Cherokee was the major reason for Chrysler's turn-around, due to it's high quality. Jeeps are now fully competitive with the BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Land Rovers, and other high quality, luxurious SUVs that are made in Europe. And none have Jeep's reputation for operating in all weathers and terrains.
All the U.S. made Jeeps need to succeed in Europe is a good sales and distribution system, and Fiat has all that in place.
Chrysler needs to become international, just like every other auto manufacturer, to succeed in today's market. Ford and GM have offered products for many decades for the Australian, British, and European markets that are not intended nor available here, and all auto companies are aiming at the exploding demand in India and Asia.
4WD vehicles sold in China and India are made to suit the roads, streets and demands in those countries. The Japanese have made 4WD vehicles that are not sold here or in Europe for a very long time.
The Chinese division could easily put Jeep as a solid competitor for vehicles that could be never popular here. I can see a Chinese Jeep light truck becoming more popular than the Nissans, Toyotas, or the Mercedes that are all over India, because Jeeps are just as iconic there for being workhorses as they are here.
But I also expect that a Jeep made for India would not need to have as nearly as luxurious an interior as a US Jeep. The Wrangler was once very utilitarian and stripped down, but it has grown continually more detailed and nicer because Americans demanded a higher level of nicety. The Indians will appreciate Jeep's mechanical durability much more than anything else. I think that the Jeeps sold there will be smaller, narrower, have smaller engines, and very few automatic transmissions, air conditioning, killer sound systems and electric windows.
Stripped down Jeeps could sell very well in Africa and the Middle East as well. And could find markets in the former states of the Soviet Union, too- nations like Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Siberia would all go for them in a big way.
And, in time, Chinese made Jeeps could pave the way for more expensive and luxurious American made Jeeps. Buick has made huge inroads into the luxury auto market in China, but there are thousands of places in China where a luxury Jeep would be better than any car. Fiat's move is very smart- using Jeep to position Chryslers as a US made competitor to Buick is very possible.
All the CEO is doing is maximizing the under-used assets and brand name recognition. I can see the newly independent Ram division going back seriously into the truck business overseas as well. Dodge 1-ton and heavier trucks were once good sellers here, and Ram could also easily fill a neglected overseas market.
This is a small world now. Every parts maker in the U.S. is going to do bigger business right along with the auto makers. Made in Detroit still has a powerful amount of favorability in the rest of world. It's a win-win, not a win-lose.
Last edited by banjomike; 01-20-2013 at 11:04 PM..
No! No American is going to lose a job. That's the lie.
In fact, more Americans will go back to work in all the parts and sub-assembly manufacturers who now supply Jeep. Just as U.S. made Toyotas and Kias still have most parts that come from Japan and Korea, the Chinese Jeeps will have U.S. made parts that are assembled there.
The parts business is where the steady money is for all car makers, especially in developing markets. Chinese parts competitors may have a very hard time trying to claim their parts are as reliable as Jeep's- the Chinese well remember the Jeeps of World War II, and they still have some of them running today.
I was wishing Gingrich would get it but we didn't have much of a choice after Romney was put up there. I think many conservatives just did not vote but that is not letting them get away from the mess we have now. They should have voted.
Get over it, Janelle. If you feel the Republicans didn't put up their best candidate, then go to work in the party and try to change things in it. That's what the Democrats did, starting in 2000.
When the Republican party gets it's house in order, conservatives will get out and vote. But as long as it is split down the middle, don't expect to see a winning Presidential election. No conservative candidate can win if only half his party supports him all the way to the polls.
That fact was driven home to the Democrats long ago, and that's why all the Hillary supporters turned out for Obama in 2008. The Clinton-Obama primary fight was a lot longer and stronger than Romney-Gingrich, and it went all the way to the very last primaries.
But once it was settled, there was no surliness and no bitter back-biting. There were no attempts to subvert the will of the party's primary voters, and there was no resentment from the losers. That's the way Presidential elections are won.
And it sure doesn't hurt to have an electable candidate to offer. Gingrich was old shopworn goods, only fit for a bargain basement clearance sale.
Wow. 30 mpg for a 2WD trailer hauler, 28 mpg for a 4WD with enough torque to climb a wall. Very impressive!
Clean diesel is the way Europe has gone for a long time. I can see Ram trucks getting this one, too. While all the truck makers have abandoned the smaller and lighter 1/4 and some of the small 1/2 ton trucks, I believe there is still a good market here for them; the Ford Ranger and Chevy S-10 both got people places where the larger trucks couldn't, and all they needed was more torque for pulling and off-road. Ram has a niche that could be filled all to itself with that engine.
No! No American is going to lose a job. That's the lie.
In fact, more Americans will go back to work in all the parts and sub-assembly manufacturers who now supply Jeep. Just as U.S. made Toyotas and Kias still have most parts that come from Japan and Korea, the Chinese Jeeps will have U.S. made parts that are assembled there.
The parts business is where the steady money is for all car makers, especially in developing markets. Chinese parts competitors may have a very hard time trying to claim their parts are as reliable as Jeep's- the Chinese well remember the Jeeps of World War II, and they still have some of them running today.
Actually, most of the parts for American made Toyota's are made in America. Toyota regularly meets or beats "American cars " for percentage of parts actually made here.
The last two weeks should go down as a period of vindication for former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and earn him the nickname, “soothsayer of the Western World” — a modern-age Nostradamus.
On Jan. 14, Chrysler’s CEO acknowledged that Jeeps would be built in China, confirming a statement that unfairly earned Romney the moniker “liar of the year.” Score one.
Car companies do local production in the country they are trying to sell in. That has always been the case and only makes sense. Romneys ad was a lie.
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