Opel
THE CASE OF SAAB AUTOMOBILE AB – From core capabilities into core rigidities – A trajectory towards demise (Second Part)
THE FIRST PART
GM‘s decision to develop products for a wider market (thus losing appeal in the eyes of historical customers) and inconsistent industrial choices (“sometimes it seemed that everything had to be produced in Rüsselsheim, other times in Trollhättan, even Opel cars”) lead to an inevitable decline in sales.
Only the collapse recorded in 1996 (90,000 cars) convinced the Americans...
THE CASE OF SAAB AUTOMOBILE AB – From core capabilities into core rigidities – A trajectory towards demise (Part First)
Let’s leave for a post the flow of memories of managers, mechanics, racers, designers and specialized journalists to deal with how the academic world has recreated and explained an event that has left enthusiasts from all over the world and an entire nation stunned: the bankruptcy from Saab in 2011.
Giacomo Buzzoni and Magnus Eklund, students of the University of Gothenburg, analysed without biases...
2020, the list of the most read posts on Automotive Space
Also this year we like to publish the list of most read posts, from begin (about 10 years), of Automotive Space!
I chose to publish the 10 most read posts to understand what is more interesting for our readers and give a list of posts, to the readers, that the Community deem worthy of being read.
Automotive Space is on line since 10 years (with about 280 posts issued) at this moment we haven’t...
Turin and the art of coachbuilders (1946-1980)
First of all Massimo Porta is an “old” friend: I met him during the army service – 45 year ago more or less – and we did many things together.
For this reason, I can talk about his book “Turin and the art of coachbuilders (1946-1980)” without any fear of being biased.
Massimo Porta is neither a writer nor a designer and he has never worked in an automotive company.
In...
Why does PSA want to buy OPEL and VAUXHALL?
Why does PSA want to buy OPEL and VAUXHALL?
A truly intriguing question for the experts, because none of these, except of course ones PSA, are able to answer. And this because it lacks any economic or industrial or commercial evidence of where the winning secret of the takeover.
Opel has not exactly a story of success for the last years, and this it was emphasized by Harald Hendrikse of the Morgan...
Body shop mechanic and car manufacturers, bewitched by boats
It is nothing new that designers and coachbuilders of the automotive field have focused on boats project, in particular on large yachts.
Giugiaro has created partnerships with shipyards as Cranchi and Abbate and has signed a project about a new Baglietto long 48 metres, Antalia, in 2007.
Norman Foster (McLaren F1) has signed projects of some futuristic yachts that are been admired – or at least observed-...
Bertone, the epilogue of the last coachbuilder
It took little more than 100 years (102 to be exact) for a trademark, symbol of the design, to be smashed up in pieces.
This is the perfect example of how a generational shift is important in a company. No school, university or a master can ever transmit passion, tradition and pride.
Personally, I learned the news of the failure of this company symbol and its auction “of what is left” with...
Car colors: freedom of choice?
The Mass Customization should satisfy the desires of each individual client, preserving the typical efficiencies of the mass production, as low costs of production and sale.
To complicate matters, it often happens that customers and Companies do not speak the same language, also the excess of supply is confusing to the buyers.
In the age of mass customization, the color of a new car can accelerate...
2014: First quarter Sales for FCA
Waiting the launch of the new business plan FCA by Marchionne about the near future, planned for 6th,May in Detroit and that in addition to confirmations and new directions for the Group’s brands, it should finally clarify the expected developments of “Alfa Romeo”, meanwhile we comment the results referring to car registrations of Chrysler Fiat Group Automobiles in the first quarter of 2014.
We...
The customers will enjoy every comfort, but the Dealers?
The Chevrolet has officially announced the abandonment of the European market at the end of 2015.
The decision, which was declared at the beginning by the American headquarter, has been confirmed as irrevocable by the same top management GME. The Chevrolet won’t officially take part anymore both in the Western and in the Eastern Europe because of the high competitive business model and the severe...
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité! Vive la France, vive l’Europe!
Do you remember the article on car purchases by the Italian State, which has stimulated a heated debate on this blog? With all the related discussion on globalization, market and liberalization?
Well brace yourselves because while half of Europe is drifting, the other half knows where is going, and without wanting to be ironic, hats off to their rulers!
We start recalling that in the European Community...
Household Appliances or… cars?
Even if we do not know – at home – we ALL have a piece of the vehicle that has won numerous awards during the Rotterdam Shell-Eco Marathon, travelling along 5,000 kilometers with 1kWh of energy (the equivalent of a liter of gasoline).
The engine of this 100% Italian vehicle – built by the school “ITIS Rossi” in Vicenza – is the motor of a… washing machine! Manufactured...
In Russia Ghosn beats Marchionne 31 to 1. Nasdrovie Tovarish!
While in Italy manufacturers, importers and dealers are losing dozens of employees and millions of euro every day – and Fiat develops his worst results in the last 30 years – in Russia the Carmakers seems to play war games.
The Russian market is a great opportunity for manufacturers and dealers: last year, 2,652,000 cars were sold with a growth of 39.1% over 2010. As reported by Focus...
Interview to Marco Saltalamacchia
Interview Date: March, 14th 2012.
Professional Profile: Marco Saltalamacchia
Remarks: Interview carried by Pietro Montagna
I have asked Mr. Marco SALTALAMACCHIA (former Senior Vice President of BMW Sales & CEO of BMW Italy SpA) some thoughts about the future of our sector.
Good Morning Mr. Saltalamacchia, the current crisis of the European Automotive Market triggered a huge brainstorming...
Global cars sales outlook – March 2012
“2012 started full of uncertain for OEMs in the automotive industry” this was how I started my article last month. At that time reports on January Chinese market performance were not yet available and when they arrived, with an incredible 26% lost year on year, Car OEMs Top Executives become really nervous.
Chinese data were affected by the Chinese New Year falls, with fewer working days, but nobody...
Manufacturer Alliances: Good or bad?
The recent announcement by PSA and GM of their intended strategic alliance is one of many such alliances between various manufacturers.
But when do these alliances start diluting brand equity?
In the past the first tentative alliances were based on purchasing power formats. Then the inevitable creep sets in with manufacturers sharing platforms, major components, engines and indeed entire vehicles.
There...
FADA calls NADA for a worldwide car Dealers Association
FADA – Federation of Indian Dealers Associations – in concomitance with the New Delhi Auto Expo, organized Auto Summit, the convention dedicated to the Indian dealers of cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, three wheelers, four wheelers, buses and bicycles. Yes, even bicycles. What’s so funny? I met a dealer who sells in Delhi – with great revenues –...
XXI Congresso Fenabrave. Fiat: novo Uno or nuova Panda?
Everything has changed! In 2011, 370,000 Portuguese has ‘landed’ in Brazil and thousands of Spaniards have ‘invaded’ Argentina. With so many hopes and their workforce. The eighteenth century’s scenarios in black and white of Ellis Island and the migration to South America after the IIWW are unexpectedly reproduced.
Brazil, land of promise for the automotive (not only)....
Facts and figures unmask the 3 digit growth of the EVs theorem! Only Audi speaks clearly!
Jato Dynamics presented the data of the EV’s registrations in Europe. Hooray: compared to 2010, the sales grew by 938%! Nine-hundred-thirty-eight percent!! A successful market, despite the controversies. I feel the bad smell of lies. Over 7 million registrations, 5,222 were electric cars, less than 0.001% of the total market. Last year were 507. In Germany 1,020, France 953, Norway 850,...
Automotive, August 2011: STOP spitting out such nonsense!
Italian Market, August 2011: of the 70.307 total vehicles registered, more than 42% (29.929) have been matriculated during the last… 3 days of the month. From January 1st more than the 35% of the italian total registrations were developed in the last 72 hours of each month!
Let us understand this strange phenomenon. Some manufacturers contacted to give an explanation for this strange phenomenon,...
