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Automotive Industry
GOLFEN: Looking for Roses Among the Thorns
Random thoughts on the automotive landscape to tide you over until things start looking better
Bob Golfen  |  Posted February 03, 2009   Phoenix, Az.
The 2009 MiTo: Even when Alfa-Romeo designs an enonomy hatchback, it still looks super cool. Credit: Alfa-Romeo
Some random thoughts on the current state of the automotive world. Not all bad, either:

Let’s start things off with a joke, Johnny Carson style.

“So, I heard things in the auto industry are looking kind of grim these days. How bad is it?”
“It’s so bad that even Honda is tanking.”

Ha ha hmmm.

Yes, Honda Motor Co. just reported that in its third fiscal quarter (October-December), sales were so bad that profits dropped nearly 63 percent from the year before, largely because of dismal performance in the United States. As a result, the company has adjusted its forecast of profits for the year ending March 31, down a whopping 81 percent from the year before.

But just when you think that if Honda can’t make money in this financial environment then no one can, along comes Subaru, which reports a U.S. sales increase of eight percent last month. Then Hyundai reports a 14.3 percent gain and its sibling brand, Kia, shows a rise of 3.5 percent. Those three were the only automakers posting gains.

But that’s good news, right?
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OK, so here’s some more good news. If the Chrysler/Fiat deal comes together as planned, a fringe benefit will be the return of Alfa-Romeo to the United States. Largely forgotten by younger drivers because of its decade-long absence, the Italian automaker is known for its nimble performance cars and great styling.

If you have any doubts, check out the photo of MiTo, which is Alfa’s handsome take on a little economy car. Nice, huh?
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General Motors is trying to shed three of its less profitable brands: Saturn, Hummer and the Swedish automaker Saab, which GM picked up during better days.

Saturn can be seen as a lesson in squandered opportunity. Created to do battle against the powerful forces from the East, i.e. Honda and Toyota, Saturn caught everybody’s attention with innovative little cars, revolutionary no-pressure showrooms and a clubby charm.

After that, GM let Saturn just lay there with no fresh ideas or new products. So guess what? Everybody forgot how cool it was. Now that some new stuff is finally coming in, mostly superior products from Opel, GM’s German subsidiary, nobody seems to care.

And what can you say about Hummer? Excess doesn’t really fly in hard times.

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