Theoretically, this is the time of year when, because the European auto industry, especially the French, should all now be down south on the beach, we on the just-auto.com news team should, in between our own summer ‘ols, be having an easy time of it. Lolling in the sun streaming through the windows (today, at least, it is), daily news and newsletters done and dusted by noon, lazily flicking thru the consumer mags’ websites and drooling over the upcoming motor show season launches like the new Jag F-Type.
But, to adapt the title of one of Kylie’s hits, We Should Be So Lucky… it’s been a bit hectic, again.
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For a start, in India, only Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar complex is shut, and not for summer holidays. We’ve been following the tragic industrial relations drama there for several weeks now and Simon Warburton’s latest story – this just in – is here. The mind just boggles at how it has got to the point that the government has to offer to provide a battalion of armed police for a year to the embattled automaker in an effort to entice a restart of operations. Suzuki has been coy about commenting about all this niggle and Simon has struggled to even reach ‘communications’ executives at the parent company, let alone engage with any willing to talk in any detail.
The annual autobiz Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan (a lakeside resort renowned for its good golfing, I am reliably informed) are also always good for news and Toyota US sales chief Jim Lentz has been talking to the press; it looks like more North American Lexus production is on the cards, this time in the US, rather than Canada. Given the currently Kyushu constructed ES is a popular model there, it would make sense to further Toyota’s build-’em-where-we-sell-’em strategy.
Lentz also talked future US market Toyota fuel cell cars; the number one global automaker is a bit behind arch-rival Honda on this in the US, which reminded me of the joint hydrogen refuelling station the pair set up on Toyota’s HQ campus last year; follow the links in the article if you’d like a quick history lesson.
Saab remained in the news, led by the extraordinary lawsuit Spyker chief Victor Muller had now filed in a Michigan court; our Mr Warburton also elicited some interesting comments from other key players in the failed rescue of Saab. You’ll know the whole saga has been running for aeons; we’ve grouped all our coverage here, including updates on what the new owners have been up to.
There also continued to be a dribble of H1/Q2 results – Magna’s today didn’t look bad – again, the whole crop is grouped here in a handy take-home pack if numbers are your thing.
Finally, let me draw your attention to two more stories very popular on just-auto this week: LMC’s latest forecast of 2012 global sales and – from new models, announcements of – a new version of the venerable ‘original’ Toyota Landcruiser designed specifically for Australia’s mining industry. Apparently, buyers were doing their own conversions until now.
Have a nice weekend. Beer and BBQ o’clock are on my agenda if this weather holds…
Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com
