Not a good week for Toyota which dropped the ball a bit in Europe in the first half. Nor BMW which the analysts are eyeing as its financial targets look a little elusive.
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Still, this is a cyclical business – remember how long it took Toyota in the early 1980s to switch to front-wheel drive for smaller cars and how well it then did with them? Give ’em both time.
Follow the links in the Toyota H1 sales story and see how well GM and Ford are doing in Europe despite the slump in the US. Right products, right time, we reckon. Interesting how both are now closely looking at more European products for the US. Better than the ancient recycled Mark One Focus currently sold there – if the Yaris and Fit, virtually unchanged from Asia/Europe specs, suit Toyota and Honda USA, why change Stateside-bound GMs and Fords too much?
China continues its march – news this week of a brilliant move.
That grinding sound early in the week was GM accountants sharpening axes for more use in North America and another round of cuts descended. We looked at some of the more serious analysis in US specialist media this week and it seems the giant isn’t as terminal as some of the more hysterical daily newspaper writers would have us believe.
Nowadays a week rarely goes by without mention of something electrifying. In this case it was Opel saying an EV is going to cost ya.
Have a nice weekend. Rain here again.
Graeme Roberts
Deputy Editor
just-auto.com
