Ask the Car People.SM


Japan's Cash For Clunkers Program - READ ONLY

38 messages,  Last post on Mar 05, 2010 at 7:52 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views-Archives Forum.

What is this discussion about? Automotive News

Messages Page 2 of 4

#9 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [surrfurtom] by fintail

Feb 04, 2010 (8:01 pm)

Replying to: surrfurtom (Feb 04, 2010 7:57 pm)
Which American cars could be sold in viable quantity in Japan, given their road system and cost of motoring? Have you been there or seen what sells there? I can't think of many cars that would sell in anything more than a handful here and there. They aren't going to snap up our Malibus and Avengers when they have so many competent products already. I am all for fair trade, but I don't see any kind of wrong here. You can't export what isn't demanded.
 
Europe is much more open to American cars, and they barely sell there, too.

#10 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [fintail] by rockylee

Feb 06, 2010 (10:20 am)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 04, 2010 8:01 pm)
Fintail, it's the principle of the matter. I know the Japanese, are a very nationalistic society and the Big 3 might not sell large numbers of cars to the Japanese. However again it's the principle of the matter and who knows they might snap of some Buick LaCrosses, Volts, etc, if ou products weren't basically banned from there country.
 
My point is I as an american am sick and tired of it being a one way street on these free trade agreeements and this type of stuff is why I'm so strongly opposed to "Free Trade" as we know it!!!!
 
-Rocky

#11 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [rockylee] by fintail

Feb 06, 2010 (12:33 pm)

Replying to: rockylee (Feb 06, 2010 10:20 am)
I can't imagine enough being sold there to make a venture worth it - not more than a couple mainstream American vehicles would sell more than a dozen here and there in Japan, and those who want them will just seek a private import firm and get them themselves. A certain number of vehicles has to sell to make it a worthy venture - and that number won't sustain a normal dealership. American cars do make it to Japan and elsewhere, albeit in tiny numbers...just not always via official dealer channels.

#12 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [fintail] by surrfurtom

Feb 06, 2010 (5:30 pm)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 06, 2010 12:33 pm)
Let's be honest here. For multiple decades the US Congress, US Presidents, the Wall Street greed mongers (yes the same greed infested bunch that recently stuck another knife into the heart of the economy), US business interests and others have been working more for Mexico, China and market opportunities than for the USA and the American taxpaying middle class public that has seen their wealth and wages and opportunities decline.
 
It is fair to say that most Americans will no longer be saying "my son's generation will do better than mine".

#13 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [surrfurtom] by fintail

Feb 06, 2010 (7:41 pm)

Replying to: surrfurtom (Feb 06, 2010 5:30 pm)
That last part (and most of the first) is the desire of globalization advocates. It's a race to the bottom. But I don't see Japan as part of the real evil here.
 
Regarding the Japanese car market - if it was wide open to American cars of all sizes, I would bet my life it would have a negligible-at-best impact on domestic production. They simply don't want almost all of what we make.

#14 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [fintail] by rockylee

Feb 08, 2010 (12:57 am)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 06, 2010 7:41 pm)
Well that is because back in the 80's they tariffed our cars to the point that a Chevy Cavalier would cost more than there premium models the domestic car makers there made. Japan has only like 8 GM dealerships in the whole country last I read. However again it's the principle of the matter and if they don't want to play fair fine. Then tell the Big Japanese Automakers to get the hell out of our country and they are banned from doing business with the U.S.....Why we are at it they can start protecting themselves!!!
 
-Rocky

#15 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [rockylee] by fintail

Feb 08, 2010 (9:26 am)

Replying to: rockylee (Feb 08, 2010 12:57 am)
You know Japan puts tariffs on all imported cars. Others deal with it.
 
It all comes down to the product matching the people. Their product matches American people more than American product matches Japanese people. How many cars have the big 2.5 designed for the Japanese market? Zero. Remember when a Toyota badged Cadavalier was made and sold in Japan? It was a flop.
 
Force people in domestics, and face a political backlash that no party would dare touch.

#16 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [fintail] by rockylee

Feb 08, 2010 (11:45 am)

Replying to: fintail (Feb 08, 2010 9:26 am)
So this country should just roll over and play dead because the Japanese propaganda machine is well funded??? I think somebody has to have enough guts to take the political fallout if any after that person gave a well explained answer. I again as american don't think trade deals should be a one way street. GM is making world class cars now that the Japanese, might buy but won't because they are uncompetitive due to the clunker program restrictions on american cars.
 
Perhaps now you understand why I'm strongly opposed to the free trade agreements as they sit. One way street and biased advantage for foreign countries. This along with currency manipulation is one of the many reasons why this country lost millions of jobs. Sure everyone likes to blame the UAW for the Big 3 ills but they weren't the only reason why GM went sick. Japan, isn't the only country where we have unfair trade agreements. Look at China
 
-Rocky

#17 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [rockylee] by british_rover

Feb 08, 2010 (1:33 pm)

Replying to: rockylee (Feb 08, 2010 11:45 am)
GM is making world class cars now that the Japanese, might buy but won't because they are uncompetitive due to the clunker program restrictions on american cars.
They are uncompetitive because they don't meet the typical needs of a japanese consumer.
 
What did Toyota do when they first brought the Cornet to the US in the 50s? They bombed because it wasn't designed for our roads. They left the market with the exceptoni of the Land Cruiser and came back with better cars.
 
Now they design cars just for the US market and so does Honda. The camry and Accord we get here are not like the Camry and Accord the rest of the world gets. They are larger cars with softer suspensions designed for our roads. Europe gets a smaller tighter Accord and the Camry in the rest of the world is different too.
 
If GM and ford and Chrysler had bothered to design cars for the Japanese market then they could have gotten a foot hold there and actually maybe sold some cars over the past few years. Now Ford has gotten a good market going in Europe with cars designed for Europe. They should be able to tweak those cars and create a niche in the Japanese market with say the Fiesta, Ka and Focus.

#18 of 38 Re: Cash for Clunkers - Japan Style [surrfurtom] by lemko

Feb 08, 2010 (1:53 pm)

Replying to: surrfurtom (Feb 06, 2010 5:30 pm)
Heck, I didn't even bother with having kids because they'd have no future anyway. I guess I was born with the wrong last name. The only reason I'm doing as well as I am is because I held off getting married for a long time and we both don't want kids. Even then, I still envy my Dad's generation. You have to have a Master's degree these days just to do as well as a 1960s factory worker.

Messages Page 2 of 4

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement