Bursa's World
By: Mark Bursa
Mark Bursa's in-depth look at key trends and companies across the automotive world.
ANALYSIS: Qoros of approval
20 February 2013
Is the world’s newest car brand a Chinese export, or a global brand that just happens to build its cars in China? Mark Bursa reports on the first steps of Qoros.
CHINA: Sunlight powering production at Dongfeng Honda plant
16 August 2012
A spokesperson for Honda has told a cautiously questioning just-auto that there is indeed truth in reports that solar energy is being harnessed for the production of vehicles at a Dongfeng Honda plant.
ANALYSIS: Is there a viable scenario for the Saab brand?
3 July 2012
Saab’s new Chinese-Japanese owners need to understand the brand’s history – and get back to first principles – if they are to revive the much-loved Swedish car maker, says Mark Bursa.
EMERGING MARKETS ANALYSIS: Chinese exports finally start to gain traction
2 March 2012
China’s car industry has been on the steepest of growth curves for a decade now, but the growth rate is starting to slow. So is now the time to turn to Plan B – exports to the West? Mark Bursa reports
EMERGING MARKETS ANALYSIS: India is becoming an export powerhouse
3 November 2011
Hyundai has used its Indian plants as a major global export source. Now other manufacturers are following suit, says Mark Bursa
October 2011 management briefing: Chinese electric vehicles
31 October 2011
In this instalment of October's management briefing looking at world automotive markets, we take a closer look at an aspect of China's vehicle industry that is now commanding more attention: electric vehicles. Indeed, China is slowly positioning itself to become a leading player in the electric vehicle market, believes Mark Bursa
EMERGING MARKETS ANALYSIS: BYD and the power of nightmares
21 September 2011
China’s BYD was hotly tipped to become a global player. But the company that promises to ‘Build Your Dreams’ is seeing its own dreams dashed. Mark Bursa asks: What next for BYD?
June 2011 management briefing: Russia
17 June 2011
In this month's management briefing, Mark Bursa reviews developments in Russia's automotive market and industry. In this first part, he looks at the current market position.
March management briefing: China's emerging auto industry (Part 3)
24 March 2011
In this month's three-part management briefing, Mark Bursa takes a close look at the development and changing structure of China's automotive industry. Part 3 examines the rise of the 'independent' OEMs, their growing pains and export strategies.
March management briefing: China's emerging auto industry (Part 2)
14 March 2011
In this month's three-part management briefing, Mark Bursa takes a close look at the development and changing structure of China's automotive industry. Part 2 looks at JV strategies as well as new brands for the Chinese market.
March management briefing: China's emerging auto industry (Part 1)
7 March 2011
In this month's three-part management briefing, Mark Bursa takes a close look at the development and changing structure of China's automotive industry. Part 1 considers the current state of China's auto industry and the outlook.
ANALYSIS: Volkswagen redefines the London taxi
17 December 2010
Volkswagen wants to change the taxi – and radically – as part of its broad strategy to overtake Toyota and become the world’s leading car manufacturer. And big cities like London are part of that plan, writes Mark Bursa
BRIEFING FEATURE: Estève’s Russian Revolution
25 October 2010
The man who led the modernisation at Dacia has repeated the trick at AvtoVAZ. Renault’s Christian Estève talks to Mark Bursa
ANALYSIS: Renault’s really useful factory
20 September 2010
Renault bought Samsung Motors to gain a foothold in the Korean market – but the company’s highly advanced and flexible plant is bringing many more benefits. Mark Bursa reports from Busan.
ANALYSIS: Big, bold and blinged-up. It's boom time again for Korea's car market
15 September 2010
Mark Bursa is in Seoul for the first time in seven years – and judging by the cars on the streets, the economy is looking up again. Here's why.
ANALYSIS: Ford unravelled [includes audio]
17 June 2010
Mercury axed, Mazda and Volvo gone. Alan Mulally’s One Ford is almost a reality. But some links may be harder to untangle, writes Mark Bursa
ANALYSIS: Has Giugiaro got the timing right?
26 May 2010
Selling ItalDesign to Volkswagen will mean a very different future for Giorgetto Giugiaro’s company. But maybe the time is right for a change. Mark Bursa reports
BURSA'S WORLD: Range Extenders – the wilderness years
30 April 2010
Lively discussions of late on the relative merits of battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, range-extenders, and so on. And while there are commendable features of all the systems, I keep on coming down on the side of the range-extender as the right way forward.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Muller on Saab’s retro future
17 March 2010
Modern versions of classic Saabs are very much on the agenda for the company’s new owner Victor Muller, much to the delight of Mark ‘Coolbear’ Bursa
RESEARCH ANALYSIS: China's recession-defying automotive market
11 March 2010
With the world’s economies in turmoil, China’s star continues to rise. Indeed, China has remained the only one of the world’s major economies that continued to show growth through the global recession of 2008-09. In this extract from a just-auto research report looking at the Chinese auto industry and its prospects, Mark Bursa considers the causes of continued - and seemingly inexorable - market growth.
