GM v Ford (From N.Y. Motor Show)

[Ian]

Forget the Ford v Holden Battle in Aus, these 2 look great, if the Chev concept car goes ahead, it will most likely be built on the next generation Comodore platform.

Ford, Shelby and Hertz revealed the 2006 Ford Shelby GT-H this week at the New York Autoshow


And the Chevrolet's Camaro concept car

[Dogsbody]

That Mustang looks bitchin'!

[Rik E Boy]

The cars look fantastic but the horrible future of the auto industry is this - there won't be a manufacturing plant in the western world within a decade. Take not Mitsi and Holden workers in Adelaide.

regards,

REB

[Dog_ger]

How true REB...! But will there be a Petrol driven vehicle in ten years...? If so what will be the price per Litre...?

[Ian]

The cars look fantastic but the horrible future of the auto industry is this - there won't be a manufacturing plant in the western world within a decade. Take not Mitsi and Holden workers in Adelaide.

Rumour has it, the next generation Commodore will be assembled in China.

[Rik E Boy]

More than just a rumour Ian. If anybody you care about is still working in manufacturing, tell them to get trained up in computers or service industries because we can't compete with the low wages that get paid in other countries. Multinationals don't give a stuff about the blokes at Tonsely and Elizabeth, they just want greater profits to go to the parent companies. Get out now while you still can.

regards,

REB

[MW]

All true....I work in the manufacturing industry and the move to china is well and truely on the cards for us and just about all our competitors

[Wedgie]

I love American Fords, I could never understand why Mustangs weren't mass imported to Australia as they're relatively cheap and I'd be in line to buy one straight away.
That Shelby looks hot but I've previously posted pics of a previous model on The Roost which looked even hotter, here's the link:
http://www.rocketrooster.com/NAFC/Forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2126&highlight=shelby

[Ian]

I love American Fords, I could never understand why Mustangs weren't mass imported to Australia as they're relatively cheap and I'd be in line to buy one straight away.

US$30K, + unfavorable exchange rate + Shipping + Duties + conversion = 1 bloody expensive (and only average) car (A$100K+)
Although they look great, all American cars are about 20 years behind the build quality of an Australian car, and if you wanted a manual, you'd want a size 4 shoe size, the yanks build Mustangs, Corvettes etc, with the tunnel off set to the RH side to allow more foot room for the driver in LHD configuration.
They all look good, but are not 1/2 the car of a XR8, GT, GT-P, and as much as I hate to say it, SS, or Clubsport.
There's one thing that the Japs did for Aussie cars, force them to improve build quality.

[Interceptor]

Somewhat ironically, the Yanks introduced quality control to Japan sometime after WWII and that went a long way to making them the industrial powerhouse they are today (although now you'll find more and more Japanese electronics being manufactured in cheap labour countries).

American auto manufacturers have probably relied heavily on marketing, loyalty and cheap fuel to sell vehicles over the decades.
However, with consumers buying cheaper and better quality imports, their home grown gear is on the slide.