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Attention Hollywood directors, file this idea in your list of movie ideas for Sammy L. The infamous snake-killer could very well be interested in this man from London, Ontario who's decided he needs "a new vehicle." But since the only thing he's got is $3500 in camera gear and — err — what appears to be a bunch of snakes. Seriously — snakes for a car. We're at a loss here ourselves. Full ad is filed for your amusement below the jump. [Hat tip to Hoser Dave!] – Ray Wert More »
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China just announced two trade policy changes which'll have some serious impacts on like — every automaker. Although China's selling the new controls as a way to "cut production overcapacity" — the controls look more like a "cut Chinese automakers a slice of production." The requirements will force international automakers seeking further expansion in the Chinese marketplace to only build new manufacturing centers if their current plants are operating at least at 80% capacity. Also, they'll have to build Chinese brands as well as their own. That's like requiring Toyota to build Dodge Calibers as well as the Yaris if they want to sell cars in the United States. Hmm — methinks the WTO should be having a problem with this. WTO? Hello? Are you listening? More »
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Well, it's good for US parts manufacturers. Although we really aren't talking about war, today the feds fired the opening shot over the bow of the manufacturing leviathan that is China. The US is upset over China slapping US manufactured auto parts with higher taxes than those paid by their domestic parts manufacturers. Interestingly enough, despite the domestic auto industry looking for movement on this for five years, this is actually only the first case where this administration has filed a manufacturing trade dispute through the WTO against China. I guess it makes sense that its taken so long. I mean come on, the auto industry...who are they? It's not like they represent more manufacturing might than any other industry in the country. Pshaw! SO not important! More »
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One of the many, little-known particulars of the automotive industry is a trade tariff economists call The Chicken Tax. Way back in the swinging '60s, Europe aimed to protect its chicken farms from the juggernaut that was the American poultry industry by tripling the tax on US-bred lunch-fowl. In response, we gave Europe's truck builders a collective Bronx cheer in the form of a 25% import tax on foreign-built trucks. Now, our lessez-faire-wether friends in Washington want to reduce the tariff in a free-trade agreement with Thailand, one of the world's largest markets (on both the supply and demand sides) for pickups. If the agreement goes through, the thinking is, scads of low-priced pickups could spill athwart these shores, severly pressurizing Detroit's light-truck profit center. Edmunds is for it. What say you? More »
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Sweet Peet D. You know, we agree with him somewhat. Other governments are more involved with growing their automotive industries than we are. And their manufacturing bases. And we don't think it's some sort of either/or case in a nation like ours where one can't do highfalutin' things like R&D and cost-benefit analyses and economies of scale and whatnot. We believe the gov't needs to step in at this juncture and allow our manufacturers the headroom to do better. At that point, the initiative is up to them. More »
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