Now we're down to 2 US automakers

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Neal, I'm not aware the UK has any Brit car manufacturers these days.

Morgan?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

Morgan?

Right...I obviously should have been more detailed and typed 'mass production'

[Jimbuna]

Looks like it was just a formality then:

Shares in the Italian car giant fiat surged over 15% on Thursday following the announcement of its plan to buy the remaining 41% of Chrysler it does not own.

Fiat has owned a majority stake in the US company since 2009.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25571200

[Feuer Frei!]

Top 3 Car manufacturers by sales in US, 2012:

GM
Ford
Chrysler

EDIT:

Chrysler slipped, or they were forecast to slip in December 2013, below Toyota:








FIAT gets a foothold in the North American market.
They want to, and need to cut their losses in Europe.
This may be a good thing for them.

The Italian Job on the smallest of the Detroit 3

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Right...I obviously should have been more detailed and typed 'mass production'

[Jimbuna]

I must be missing something here Jamie...as far as I'm aware all production line vehicles are now owned by foreign parent companies

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I must be missing something here Jamie...as far as I'm aware all production line vehicles are now owned by foreign parent companies

Indeed, but at least they're still building them here, which at the end of the day is what really matters in terms of employment.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Indeed, but at least they're still building them here, which at the end of the day is what really matters in terms of employment.

True that and none more so than Nissan in the north east.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I must be missing something here Jamie...as far as I'm aware all production line vehicles are now owned by foreign parent companies

That's probably true, but it brings up an interesting point. If Fiat has already owned the controlling interest in Chrysler for the past five years, what has changed? What will change? Will Chrysler start building Italian cars? Probably for the average car owner nothing will change at all. Perhaps construction techniques will improve. Perhaps the opposite. Perhaps more jobs will be sent overseas. Perhaps not.

That video on British manufacturing was startling, to say the least. I'm reminded of a conversation between my friend Rocky and a biker. The part of the talk involved the fact that, until found out, Harley-Davidson used Keihin carburetors, along with several other Japanese-made parts. Harley had to spend some money overcoming that embarrassment. The point of the argument was that when the biker proudly said "My Harley was made in America!", Rocky replied "So was my Kawasaki."

And it's true. In 1974 Kawasaki became the first foreign company to manufacture motor vehicles in the United States with their plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. They save time and money not having to ship products from the home country to the point-of-sale, and employ local workers and management. Only the ownership is actually overseas. So what is the difference between that and Chrysler now being owned by a foreign company? I don't know.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That's probably true, but it brings up an interesting point. If Fiat has already owned the controlling interest in Chrysler for the past five years, what has changed? What will change? Will Chrysler start building Italian cars? Probably for the average car owner nothing will change at all. Perhaps construction techniques will improve. Perhaps the opposite. Perhaps more jobs will be sent overseas. Perhaps not.

That video on British manufacturing was startling, to say the least. I'm reminded of a conversation between my friend Rocky and a biker. The part of the talk involved the fact that, until found out, Harley-Davidson used Keihin carburetors, along with several other Japanese-made parts. Harley had to spend some money overcoming that embarrassment. The point of the argument was that when the biker proudly said "My Harley was made in America!", Rocky replied "So was my Kawasaki."

And it's true. In 1974 Kawasaki became the first foreign company to manufacture motor vehicles in the United States with their plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. They save time and money not having to ship products from the home country to the point-of-sale, and employ local workers and management. Only the ownership is actually overseas. So what is the difference between that and Chrysler now being owned by a foreign company? I don't know.

I find it rather embarrassing they can buy our companies and run them for profit in the same country we couldn't. It's not just car manufacturing either power and water companies as well a host of others are joining an ever lengthening list.

Pretty soon there'll only be the crown jewels left...or have we already sold them?

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

It's not just car manufacturing either power and water companies as well a host of others are joining an ever lengthening list.

Funny, our own Utah Power and Light is wholly owned and operated by Scottish Power.