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Carlos Ghosn’s the only CEO in the auto world to inspire his own comic book. But even the Brazilian with the yen for Japan can’t balance three car empires on his modest shoulders, it turns out — so Ghosn is giving up his role as operating chief of
Nissan North America.
Nissan’s sales are soft in America, but they’re also slack in Japan—to the point where
Nissan is cutting production at two plants in Japan because of falling demand for its vehicles.
But here in America, things are probably going to get worse before they get better.
Nissan sales were off 5.3 percent last year in the U.S., with sales of
Infiniti luxury vehicles off more than 11 percent. New products are on the way, but Nissan’s Titan has been a slow seller from its introduction—so slow that a proposed heavy-duty version has been iced. And Ghosn’s decision to move headquarters from L.A. to Nashville left more than half its brain power back in California, a move that could haunt Ghosn’s full-court press on costs.
Right now, there are more soft spots in Ghosn’s empire than a month-old apple. Which makes his desire for another alliance—potentially with Chrysler—seem all the more strange.
GHOSN LETS GO OF AMERICA—TheCarConnection.com
Posted in : 2007, Industry News, Infiniti, Japan, Nissan, North America, Renault
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And the winner is…Tupelo, Miss. For all the states that missed on Toyota’s latest plant—don’t worry, they’re like trains, there’s another one coming in six months.
Is
Ford finally getting its act together?
Some sales are getting stronger, and
a subcompact is coming, thanks to
Mazda. Plus, Dearborn finally got a Target.
Magna and FAW are on the
short list of those who might want Chrysler. We’d take any of the personnel we know – but that
Sebring? Whuff.
Speaking of whuffs, we’re kind of glad
the revamped Jaguar XJ is a short-term prospect.
BMW and DaimlerChrysler building hybrid drivetrains together: it’s a match made in conference-call hell, we bet.
Senator Clinton wants standard back-up cameras. An unkind soul asked us if that applied to her as well as other moving vehicles. We’ll take the nonpartisan high road and suggest a good spin class.
Christie’s Auto Union auction is back on, thanks to a clearer picture of the 1939 D-Type’s racing history. It turns out there was nothing to the rumors of drag racing, though some German party members of the time were known to wear pretty dresses.
Parting pre-Geneva shot: do
those new Benz bikes come with a clean urine sample?
Posted in : 2007, Advertising/Marketing, Asia, BMW, China, Chrysler, Classics, Crossover Vehicles, DaimlerChrysler, Dodge, Europe, Ford, Geneva Motor Show, Hybrid Cars, Industry News, Japan, Jeep, Just for Fun, Luxury Cars, Manufacturing, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, North America, Sedans, Shoppers, Styling, The Week in Reverse, Toyota, smart
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Winding Road says the
Honda Civic Type R is coming to the U.S.
Driving other
Hondas on a backgrounder event, the online magazine’s man in Japan got lots of “heavy hints” that the 220-horsepower hot Civic would cross the Pacific in 2010.
The U.S. version would likely be a four-door, the magazine says. And a limited-slip differential would be standard, to keep the Type R’s power moving to the wheels efficiently. An illustration on the site shows their interpretation of how it might look.
Winding Road speculates the four-door would be an easier body style to sell, given that the Civic hatchback sold in Europe (like the Type R above) wasn’t developed with the U.S. safety regs in mind.
Read more
Posted in : 2007, Asia, Cars We Love, Coupes, Enthusiasts, Hatchbacks, Honda, Japan, Racing/Motorsports, Sedans, Shoppers
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Nissan says it's offering buyouts to all its Tennessee hourly workers in a move announced today, proving that the pain in the auto-industry slump isn't being doled out entirely in
Detroit.
While GM,
Ford and
Chrysler have sliced large chunks out of their workforces, the Japanese brands have largely been immune to major cuts. That is, until now.
Nissan, faced with slowing sales around the world but most pointedly here in the States, needs a jump-start to keep Carlos Ghosn's star all shiny and pretty - and to keep Renault's expensive product realignment on course.
Get
the full story here, and the
official press release here.
Posted in : 2007, Industry News, Infiniti, Japan, Manufacturing, Nissan, North America, Renault
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