What Happened to the All-American Truck?

Trucks have been symbol of the American way of life and an important part of the American automobile market for decades. Originally designed as reliable vehicles for hard-working men who needed to tow around a lot of equipment, pickup trucks were once some of the biggest money-makers for American manufacturers.  As different car designs came and went, trucks stayed. American manufacturers, Ford, GM, and Chrysler, used these trucks, as well as S.U.Vs to gain an advantage over foreign competitors. Those foreign companies could sell all the compact cars and sedans that they wanted, as long the American companies had control of the pickup truck and S.U.V market. By the late 1990s, trucks became more than just work vehicles. They became a sort-of fashion statement, loaded with luxury features including leather seats, loud stereos, and more room for passengers.

For awhile, these American car manufacturers had it made. Their pickup trucks and S.U.Vs were popular throughout the country. It seemed as if almost every family with children owned an S.U.V, and pickup truck drivers were becoming more widespread.

Then, as everyone knows, the economy began to decline and gas prices went up. Way up. Gas costs around $2.00 more per gallon now than it did 5 years ago, and that’s a problem if you’re driving a vehicle with a large gas tank that only gets 13 miles to the gallon. A big problem. No one wants to pay $80 every time they fill up, especially if one tank can’t get them very far. Also during this economic decline, people didn’t want to spend the money to buy new trucks with luxury features. The number of customers who own trucks because of their look rather than their function declined sharply. They want to save money, so they’re purchasing the smaller more fuel efficient vehicles. So today, trucks are only the reliable work vehicles that they were twenty years ago. In addition, families with children, are also choosing the smaller crossovers instead of the large S.U.Vs to save money at the pump.

This switch from pick up trucks and S.U.Vs to smaller, fuel efficient cars has led many American manufacturers to notice a large decline in sales and post losses in recent quarters. For example, Ford posted a $8.67 billion loss for the second quarter this year. As a result, these manufacturers need to focus more time and money on smaller, fuel efficient cars because that is what most of America wants right now. Yes, there will always be people who love their heavy-duty pickup trucks, but those people are not the majority of the population.

The Growing Chinese Automobile Market

The automobile market is one of the largest consumer markets in the United States. Almost every family owns at least one car, and even with concerns of emissions and global warming, cars are still the most popular way to get around. No matter where you drive, you always seem to hit some bumper-to-bumper traffic. On the other hand, cars are not as widely used in China, a country of 1.3 billion people. That doesn’t mean that the auto market is small, though. In fact, the Chinese auto market is heating up now!

Personal car ownership is driving the million-vehicle-per-year growth in China’s auto industry. Today, seven out of eight new cars are bought by first-time car buyers. Economic growth and the corresponding boom in the auto industry in China– and in the private passenger car market in particular — has attracted more than 100 global and domestic vehicle manufacturers to compete on the Chinese stage. Nearly all of them — including General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co and Chrysler LLC — plan to display their offerings, unveil new concepts and vie for consumers at Auto China 2008.

China’s growth is in stark contrast with what is happening in North America, which in 2007 experienced its worst sales in 15 years and where US automakers reported historic losses. In the last 10 years, China’s auto market has grown 500 percent. Experts at the Automotive News China Conference in Beijing forecast continuing annual increases of about 10 percent in the Chinese market for decades to come.

An interesting phenomena is that Japanese brand automobiles (Toyota, Honda, etc.) are taking the “leading roles” in both markets. The Chinese market has to face to some strong competitors from other Asian countries in order to win the market. Just like early Japanese and Korean manufacturers, Chinese companies have begun by focusing on the low end of the market, where profit margins are smaller.

With prices starting as low as $6,000, Chinese-made cars are attracting a growing number of Chinese motorists. Office workers are very keen to get their hands on their first car. The nippy Chery QQ is popular choice, and it comes in a range of bright neon colors. Labor is cheap, so the cars can be produced cheaply. Since Chinese car manufacturers have low prices as their main advantage, unfortunately the quality of their final product often suffers.

China is a huge market, which explains why domestic producers are preparing to serve their home market first before targeting global markets in earnest. Nanjing Automobile and Geely say they will build models for the foreign markets, but for now only a tiny number of Chinese-made cars are sold overseas. In 14 years, though, experts expect that there will be about 140 million cars on Chinese roads. That’s more than the United States has today!

The History of Chrysler

Founded in 1925 the Chrysler Corporation quickly gained status among the car industry as being one the pioneers of advanced engineering. Then in 1928, Chrysler bought the Dodge franchise and grew to include the Plymouth and Desoto divisions. In 1930 Chrysler was the first car company to create a car that was built and designed to make the car aerodynamic. The new aerodynamic car was not a customer favorite and they sold many Plymouth and Dodge models which kept the company afloat during the years of the Depression. By the late 1940’s Chrysler had become the 2nd largest car manufacturer in the United States. In 1951, Chrysler Corporation announced the released of their new Hemi V8 engine which had 180 horsepower and was produced in order to compete with their competitor, Cadillac. In the late 1950’s Chrysler then introduced Torsion-Aire suspension, which created and smoother ride for the passengers and improved handling. There was a great demand for these new cars which in turn caused a rush in production and then produced many quality control problems for the company.

Life. Liberty. and the Pursuit. The History of Cadillac

“When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?”

One American car company that has withstood the test of time is Cadillac. Over 100 years ago, the first Cadillac was introduced and since then has made a large impression on the car industry. These cars are known for their luxurious offerings and Cadillac’s mission for excellence. The company got its start in quite an unusual way though. Cadillac can actually thank its success to another American car company, Ford. In the early 1900’s, Ford Motor Company’s Detroit factory was at a standstill due to the fact that the owner, Henry Ford, was leaving the company. The financial bankers for the company, Lemuel Bowen and William Murphy, brought in Henry M. Leland to appraise all of the equipment that was inside the plant. Instead of selling the plant, Leland figured that the assets could turn into a goldmine and convinced the bankers to keep the factory. In 1902, the plant was reopened as Cadillac Automobile Company. The name comes from the French explorer and military commander, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who was the founder of Detroit. In 1909, General Motors bought Cadillac but still allowed Leland to run the company. However, in 1917 Leland left Cadillac and founded Lincoln Motor Company that was later bought by the Ford Motor Company. Cadillacs became the luxury division of General Motors.

The History Of Ferrari

Ferrari has been an integral part of the racing and sports car industry since it was founded in 1947. The founder, Enzo Ferrari, was born in Modena Italy on February 18, 1898. Enzo began his career as a test and race driver for Costruzioni Meccaniche Nazionali, which was a small sports car maker, after being turned down by Fiat. In 1920 at the age of twenty one, Enzo was named the director of the racing division of Alfa Romeo until 1939. He formed Scuderia Ferrari, a racing team, in 1929 that dominated until 1933. He quit Alfa Romeo in 1939 after learning that Alfa Romeo was attempting to take over his team.

What Makes A Classic Car, Classic?

Defining the term “Classic car” has been found to be quite difficult. Many people think that they understand what makes a Classic but really have no idea. A well known club, known as The Classic Car Club out of Illinois, lists their idea of Classic Cars. According to the club’s website, a classic car is “a fine or distinctive automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948…generally high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors, including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and ‘one shot’ or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a Classic”. A Classic Car does not have many others like it around, placing it in high demand for perspective buyers. Most of these cars are said to have been on the expensive side when introduced to the market. Some that made the list were all Aston-Martins between 1927 and 1939, Cadillacs from 1925 to 1935, and all 1919 Bentleys. The car did not necessarily have to be the most popular car during its first run of production to make it a Classic either.

Concorso Italiano Pebble Beach Car Extravaganza

Concorso Italiano’s New Venue at the Pebble Beach Car Extravaganza in August.

Concorso Italiano has announced that they will be moving to the Marina California Airport for this year’s show. The site gives them opportunity to expand and introduce new features including the fashion show, commentary from owners and celebrities, music, beautiful cars, Riva yachts, and a broad array of merchants to fuel the Italiano passion.