Recent Comments:
Hot Wheels Amy saves Shelby Automobiles, Inc {Autoblog}
Dec 20th 2006 7:13PM Frighteningly enough, I have to (basically) agree Lithous is on the mark...
6MM in the hole is (in this context) chump change. Shelby has a wide breadth of potential revenue streams, the name alone is pretty much a license to print money.
Anyone who can't understand how to make tons of money managing a cult product - like anything with Shelby's name on it - is not qualified to run a lemonade stand.
The fact that Shelby lost 38MM on that pathetic 'Series 1' is simply part the nature of the specialty auto game. Oops.
The larger question is what absolute incompetant allowed that Series 1 project to get that far into the red without slamming on the brakes?
The really scary part of the story is that old Shel' based (even part of) this executive hiring decision on the expedited delivery of tiny run of custom Hot Wheels?
We'll see what happens, and perhaps it'll go better at Shelby than it did at Mattel. But I wouldn't bet on it.
Bricklin loves Chery, but wants to see others {Autoblog}
Dec 11th 2006 10:23AM Gosh, I just hope that Malcolm's delusional/partner-in-crime punk kid chimes in hear soon.
I can't wait to hear (yet again) what an incredibly driven and successful guy his old pop is. I'm also waiting breathlessly for the documentary about Malcolm the Great and VV that the junior grifter was making.
Effen hilarious - all you gotta hear is that Malcolm Bricklin is involved and you know it's guaranteed to be nothing but smoke and mirrors.
Nothing Bricklin ever says or does holds up to any scrutiny at all - I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone would believe him.
Oh well, I'd wager that someday one of the 'friends' Bricklin has made over the years will pay him back with interest.
Honda tries Wal-Mart concept in Canada {Autoblog}
Nov 27th 2006 4:08PM Today's Episode:
"Back to the future"
or...
"dejavu all over again"
Back in the 70's/80's it was not that weird to have the Honda dealer selling cars and bikes out of the same showroom (at least, I've seen it more than once).
This was not limited to boonies locations, but major metropolitan areas. They also sold generators.
Of course,
Bulging Bulgarian: I2B Wildcat {Autoblog}
Nov 14th 2006 11:27PM Absolutely weird.
Which, in a world full of look-a-like supercars, is great.
Of course, I like the Spykers for the same reason.
GM's second-largest shareholder unloads some stock, yawn {Autoblog}
Nov 14th 2006 10:45AM Yup, just another day at the office...
They'd dump it all if they could wihtout collapsing the stock price and the company - and they still remember what happened when everyone tried to run out the doors of Enron at the same time.
Since everyone who understands how to read a 10K knows GM is headed for bankruptcy - you'll see institutional investors 'quietly' dumping GM stock in turns, as quickly as they can. ("Nope, nothing to see here, just another day at the office...)
The few brokerages that had GM rated as a 'buy' until recently, did so because they owed Kerkorian some favors and/or the house had holdings they wanted to sell before GM goes tango uniform.
There's a few of the naive (or plants to prop up the stock a bit longer) who are still rating GM a 'hold'.
GM won't be a buy until after it gets it's costs in line with a reorg. And that will only happen in court.
Ferrari + Corvette = Fervette (and dry heaves) {Autoblog}
Nov 13th 2006 7:08PM This is what happens when the guy with the horrible kit car in high school grows up and owns his own transmission shop (or whatever).
Gads.
It could be worse. Really.
Mulally recognizes it's the product, stupid! {Autoblog}
Nov 13th 2006 10:40AM Poleaxe,
Regardless of the minutae, the aircraft industry has several rather distinct differences from the auto industry...
Product life in the decade+ catagory. Huge markups and a captive audience. Most importantly, Boeing has/had one competitor - Airbus.
That being said, at least Mulally is talking the talk.
Now, if he has the gonads/power to fire about 1/2 of the overhead staff that is useless - maybe he can fix some of those 'corporate culture' issues that are dragging Ford down even faster than GM.
Though I haven't looked at the Ford org chart lately - IIRC, there's about 6 levels of management that don't need to exist on the vertical and about half the horizontal is redundant.
Sometimes you have to hire way outside, or get a consultant, to get someone to do what needs to be done. Everyone inside the org is too busy playing politics to keep their ridiculously overpaid job.
Australian Auction Action: Craptacular collection from the 70s and 80s {Autoblog}
Nov 12th 2006 1:39PM flow_aus,
While MK is certainly, umm, uninformed (to be very generous about it) - lots of business in the world does get done in USD regardless of location.
Not saying it's right or wrong - but (aside from the Euro) the US$ is the default international currency.
If you are counting on a large contingent of international high-roller participants at an auction, it will often be held in USD, often regardless of locale.
RR of the Day: 1984 BMW 745i Turbo {Autoblog}
Nov 10th 2006 11:59AM Kamil,
The "45" was obtained by multiplying 3.0 x 1.5.
1.5 was the old modifier for turbocharged cars in F1 at one point (IIRC)
Just like MBZ, most of the engine sizes do not match their assigned numbers, and haven't since the 70's.
As to how that 745 got here - 99 out of 100 chances it was brought in by one of the hundreds of graymarketers at that point in time - the same bunch who brought in my old 84 500SEL Euro.
One of my buddies had one a few years back and we threw in a late model 5 speed manual and built the 3.5 a bit. They're easily good for 500+ to the rear wheels.
Nice to see someone keeping one alive.
GM raises price on some '07 models {Autoblog}
Nov 9th 2006 9:31AM Like anyone will notice an extra ~$100, when they're buying a car/truck that has $2K-$8K knocked off sticker. (Or more.)
