Volvo
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...
FCA: the future after Marchionne
It has been no more than 8 months, even if it seems more, from when the Market value of FCA with Ferrari and CNH has reached the value of 73 billion dollars compared with the 63 billion of GM; which once was THE colossus of the automotive industry.
The capitalization of FCA was close to $ 29.5 billion; after the spin-off of Ferrari that alone had a value of about 18 billion.
With the death of Sergio...
The tsunami autonomous car is drawing near the automotive
Getting into a car, which is able to drive autonomously, will become a habit?
Probably yes and one day cities will become similar to the minority Report metropolis.
These evocative and suggestive images, however, are only the visible part of an iceberg that, although not as dangerous as the one which sink the Titanic, will be able to overturn the whole automotive industry.
Insurances, for instance,...
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...
The car dealers are sick. What about those of Trucks?
The world of HCV and Trucks changes much faster than the one of the automobile!
The truck dealers – who are still snubbed as ‘truckers’ with spicy calendars by those who work in the chain of Passenger Vehicles – they are ahead of the “obedient car dealers”.
A forced change: the cataclysm feared by the Italian dealers federation is already a reality from some years among...
Italy: whilst Penske is arriving, Marchione is… departing?
With trumpets and drums Mr. Rob Kurnick announces the landing of the Penske Group into the land of Fiat: “In Italy the economy is recovering and there are opportunities to grab!”
A few days ago the associations of Dealers and Manufacturers – Federauto and Unrae – had spoken a “bit differently” regarding the dramatic situation of all those spitting blood in the italian...
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...
A new European Brand: QOROS.
QOROS. Remember this name.
This is a new official brand since November the 28th, founded by a joint venture between Chery and Israel Corporation, with active operational participation of Magna (who wanted to buy Opel in 2009). A powerful agreement between the largest Chinese Car provider (for the last 8 years at least) and one of the biggest Israeli Holdings.
The news was not emphasized enough...
When the Chinese acquire…
photo credit: *helloharry*
After seeing their great ability to compete in terms of industrial by Chinese companies, we can determine (after a few years from the first major acquisitions) what they produced.
One thing: in only three years (from 2003 to 2006) the value of M& A Chinese rose from 1,6 to 18,2 billion dollars. This dynamic has caused in the world the fear of being bought.
The excellent...
