'Major announcement' from Toyota this afternoon

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Fair enough, each to their own.

I agree Jap cars do have our measure, I won't argue too much there. But US and especially Euro (considering their pricing here) are simply ridiculously overpriced or just plain ordinary IMHO.

The lower end of market gets buyers based on price and warranty no doubt. Still, I think far too many (and I also mean close to home) just have had blinkers on before even trying.

As poster said ^^, it has just been a massive change of mindset to fit in with fashion.

Euro's overpriced ?

Nope look at a new Skoda, Renault, or Peugeot for starters.

Don't only look at BMW or Mercedes to support your argument.

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Too expensive to make cars here? Remember the news item a short while ago that revealed it cost only about $3500 less to make a car in Asia than it does here...? Surprised the hell out of me.

You may find that the $3500 is probably about 25% of the cost of building the car - IMHO the selling price is probably triple the build cost and the Government gets a HUGE chunk of that in taxes and other hidden costs - everyone in the food chain after the build cost has to be paid and it all adds up to big bucks.

[Charliewool]

What a lot of us are missing here is that WE never HAD a car industry!..
All 3 are huge foreign owned global corporations and that we were just an "outpost" or a cheap (WAS) simple alternative to them importing their products here.
Look at Europe.. Germany, Italy, France.. Even Czech Rep... All MAKE their own country owned vehicles.. UK, USA... China, even India... Same...
To these giants of industry, Australia simply became too bloody hard, too expensive and a damn inconvenience!
It was NEVER "ours"....

[zipping]

Found this on an economics based forum

A panellist on a current affairs program related an instance many would have missed. Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda, was giving a luncheon address to a business group, (paraphrased):
“Two years ago we were working so hard to create conditions whereby we could stay in this wonderful country and produce cars.
“We had restructured the business and, despite acceding to recent union demands for even better wages and conditions, we were seeing a dim light flickering at the end of the tunnel.
“We were honest with our employees and had explained the seriousness of the company’s economic plight.
“They had assured us of their cooperation, so we determined to all pull together in a desperate attempt keep the company viable.
“There was an air of camaraderie, a feeling of hope.
“It was Australia Day that week and it fell on a Thursday. On the Friday thirty percent of our workforce didn’t turn up, thirty percent called in sick.
“That’s when I finally realised we were stuffed.”

Searched to see if made up found this
http://www.afr.com/p/national/work_s...z5dtUNGF1rdhaN

[Trump]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

What a lot of us are missing here is that WE never HAD a car industry!..
All 3 are huge foreign owned global corporations and that we were just an "outpost" or a cheap (WAS) simple alternative to them importing their products here.
Look at Europe.. Germany, Italy, France.. Even Czech Rep... All MAKE their own country owned vehicles.. UK, USA... China, even India... Same...
To these giants of industry, Australia simply became too bloody hard, too expensive and a damn inconvenience!
It was NEVER "ours"....

Agreed, we never owned the car industry, but when Australians are employed in the manufacture of said cars, it can be called an Australian automotive industry.

Another article I found about British manufacturing:

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2014/...ring-strategy/

[b0son]

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Fair enough, each to their own.

Don't get me wrong. I just stepped out of a euro (Renault RS250) and back into a falcadore (GenF R8). I accept it will have niggles.... but there's no question that despite the improvements they've made, euro cars just tend to be better designed.

[jay289]

Originally Posted by Charliewool

What a lot of us are missing here is that WE never HAD a car industry!..
All 3 are huge foreign owned global corporations and that we were just an "outpost" or a cheap (WAS) simple alternative to them importing their products here.
Look at Europe.. Germany, Italy, France.. Even Czech Rep... All MAKE their own country owned vehicles.. UK, USA... China, even India... Same...
To these giants of industry, Australia simply became too bloody hard, too expensive and a damn inconvenience!
It was NEVER "ours"....

Yes we did have one, not for long though.

The Australian Six motor company, yes it did use a lot of imported parts.
But it was Aussie owned, and I can't help thinking that if the Government of the day supported them things may be different today.

1919-1925

Australian_Six_radiator_badge.jpg

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by zipping

Found this on an economics based forum

A panellist on a current affairs program related an instance many would have missed. Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda, was giving a luncheon address to a business group, (paraphrased):
“Two years ago we were working so hard to create conditions whereby we could stay in this wonderful country and produce cars.
“We had restructured the business and, despite acceding to recent union demands for even better wages and conditions, we were seeing a dim light flickering at the end of the tunnel.
“We were honest with our employees and had explained the seriousness of the company’s economic plight.
“They had assured us of their cooperation, so we determined to all pull together in a desperate attempt keep the company viable.
“There was an air of camaraderie, a feeling of hope.
“It was Australia Day that week and it fell on a Thursday. On the Friday thirty percent of our workforce didn’t turn up, thirty percent called in sick.
“That’s when I finally realised we were stuffed.”

Searched to see if made up found this
http://www.afr.com/p/national/work_s...z5dtUNGF1rdhaN

Australia Day fell on a Sunday this year

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

...and if the locally made cars aren't what people want? You have no problem with people being "pushed" to buy large sedans when that's plainly not what people need or desire anymore?

I don't know. Look at other countries where people buy local cars.

Australians in general have become lazy.

[Vormund]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Australia Day fell on a Sunday this year

He wasn't referring to this year. On the other page I said the last time it fell on a Thursday was 2012. I do believe cracks were showing back then too.

[BroadyFord]

New reports suggesting Alcoa and SPC to announce their closures next week.

Australia is undergoing deindustrialisation right before our very eyes.

Come 2017 we will be like Norway or Finland; a nice place to visit but no economy other than a bit of farming, some transport/distribution, seafood, hospitality and mining.

[XR Martin]

Im thinking more like Greece (they dont even produce their own milk on a commercial scale)

Oh btw, Norwegian farmers get 65% income support from the Gov, Australian Farmers get 3%...

[BroadyFord]

The other thing to consider is that services will not fill the void left by manufacturing.

I have a friend who owns a taxation firm with about 300 staff. He's started shifting staff to Fiji as costs here are far too high.

In his words: "after manufacturing, the decimation of services will begin. Mark my words."

[Charliewool]

Staff to Fiji?? Sounds great to me..
Might look into my "boss" doing the same!

[jay289]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

New reports suggesting Alcoa and SPC to announce their closures next week.

Australia is undergoing deindustrialisation right before our very eyes.

Come 2017 we will be like Norway or Finland; a nice place to visit but no economy other than a bit of farming, some transport/distribution, seafood, hospitality and mining.

The media are full of ****.

I read the report about Alcoa and they did mention SPC.

Then in another report by the same paper about SPC Sunday campaign they reported this:

The federal government may have denied SPC Ardmona a $25 million assistance package but shoppers have pulled out their wallets to support the fruit-packing company.
Managing director Peter Kelly said sales over the past week had increased by "more than 50 per cent", helped in part by a social media campaign that encouraged Australians to buy the company's products and share pictures of them online.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/spc-s...#ixzz2t0UNzLHZ


Bad news sells papers, thats all the media are interested in.

The media will attack anything if they think their ratings will rise.

They are scum, don't trust a word they say!

Should be hung up for treason!

[zipping]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke, Keating, Howard, Rudd, Gillard, Abbot. What do these names mean to the average Aussie?

They are all living ex and current Prime Ministers of Australia. They are all drawing a full PM's salary and other benifits like free air travel, first class of course, a com car and a funded office..... Now since they are all in their own way responsible for what has been happening for the last twenty years perhaps they can forego their "entitlements" for three or four years to help keep food on the Ford, Holden and Toyota workers plates.....

Not likely. But if the demise of Australian manufacturing does not wake the average Aussie beer drinking, fag smoking, cricket and footy lover from his/her slumber... Then these parasites should keep their tax funded life styles.

Sadly that is exactly what will happen.....

Governments are not responsible for private enterprise companies and the decisions they make. In the end the public didn't buy enough Australian made cars to sustain the industry. When any company stops making a profit or certain return on investment its reason for existing ceases and the Capital gets invested elsewhere.

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Australia Day fell on a Sunday this year

As far as I can tell, he was talking about the Australia day the same week as those negotiations (two years ago):

“Two years ago we were working so hard to create conditions whereby we could stay in this wonderful country and produce cars...It was Australia Day that week and it fell on a Thursday."

[BroadyFord]

Originally Posted by jay289

The media are full of ****.

I read the report about Alcoa and they did mention SPC.

Then in another report by the same paper about SPC Sunday campaign they reported this:

The federal government may have denied SPC Ardmona a $25 million assistance package but shoppers have pulled out their wallets to support the fruit-packing company.
Managing director Peter Kelly said sales over the past week had increased by "more than 50 per cent", helped in part by a social media campaign that encouraged Australians to buy the company's products and share pictures of them online.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/spc-s...#ixzz2t0UNzLHZ


Bad news sells papers, thats all the media are interested in.

The media will attack anything if they think their ratings will rise.

They are scum, don't trust a word they say!

Should be hung up for treason!

I'm referring to an article in the Age this evening. CCA are meeting next Tuesday and the union were quoted as saying its a 50/50 chance they will pull the pin.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

we all know that ford were making cars that australians werent buying and to lesser extent holden . but toyota had great australian sales did they not . so we cant really blame low sales for anything maybe , unless toyota is leaving australia for a different reason than ford .

Toyota exports the bulk of it's Australian production (at a loss if they are believed) and makes all it's profits only from the imports it brings here. By going import-only they will increase their profits.

[jay289]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

I'm referring to an article in the Age this evening. CCA are meeting next Tuesday and the union were quoted as saying its a 50/50 chance they will pull the pin.

Same report is on the SMH website.

And as far as unions go, they should be banned.

As the union see things:

If there are two blokes working at the same factory doing the exact same job they should be paid the same even if bloke A produces twice as much as bloke B.

People who get upset about EBA's are ******* lazy and ****ed off that someone who works harder them gets paid more .

Simple equation=

Want more money= work harder and produce more

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by BroadyFord

The other thing to consider is that services will not fill the void left by manufacturing.

I have a friend who owns a taxation firm with about 300 staff. He's started shifting staff to Fiji as costs here are far too high.

In his words: "after manufacturing, the decimation of services will begin. Mark my words."

So, your friend is doing the same thing as the Motor industry ?

[XR Martin]

Cant see how moving any service industry to Fiji would be successful, unless they are only hiring Indians. But when only the foreigners have work, it doesnt take long for the natives to become restless.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by xrystl

You may find that the $3500 is probably about 25% of the cost of building the car - IMHO the selling price is probably triple the build cost and the Government gets a HUGE chunk of that in taxes and other hidden costs - everyone in the food chain after the build cost has to be paid and it all adds up to big bucks.

During the Productivity Commission hearing phase Holden made a submission and said that on average, there was $15,400 worth of parts and materials in each car they made.

I can't remember whether they said there was $3,800 worth of labor costs in each car, or that it cost $3,800 more than a plant elsewhere to make the same car, but if you add it up the margins do seem to get smaller and smaller.

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

This post is so true. Back in the late 90's when I used to drive hp falcons, my neighbours, friends etc thought I was cool. That was also back in the day when most people drank VB's and smoked cigarettes. Now the people around me think I am a bogan in my GT. I don't drink VB's cause compared to most craft beers, it tastes like cats ****. Australia and I suppose more so Melbournains have become a lot more arty. They have leaned more towards Europe for style and than any other country. You are now smart if you drive a Volkswagen even though you have no idea what TSI means. And if you're cashed up then I guess a merc, audi or beemer is now affordable thanks to financiers that are prepared to cop higher residuals which then brings their monthly repayments near a comparable level to our high end local heros. Blame the politians and all and sundries. I am not blaming anyone. But will have a giant crack at the next bloke who appears disappointed by what's happened here who had the choice to buy Australian but settled for an import. If you don't own and don't drive Australian, well you're the cause and you aint got 2c to spend on this topic.

Lol , you only dirty because no one thinks your cool anymore . Perhaps you would reread all the posts again and actually view them with a more balanced outlook . Blaming the consumer is a bit shallow ,I think early on a post about aftersales service and crap about build quality covered a lot of ground as to why a lot of people abandoned the locals , regardless of what they built .
No thanks to a terry ( zf ** and no way a commodore { oil issues ** . Why please tell would I want to gamble money on MAYBE getting a good one that doesn't suit my purposes anyway ? Maybe I should look at a fiesta which has a 4 zone air ( choice of which window to wind down ** cause the factory air is crap . Being a ford you might consider it passable to own .
While it feels good to raise the flag and all you really don't have much of an argument when it boils down to it .

[BroadyFord]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

So, your friend is doing the same thing as the Motor industry ?

More or less. Pretty much same reasoning; far too expensive here, costs of labour, overtime, sickies, annual leave etc etc.

Fiji is about a third of the cost with an untapped workforce.

[BHDOGS]

It's also a dictatorship

[XR Martin]

You can argue quality dropped because they had to cut costs due to falling sales and a high dollar.
Its fairly unanimous that the AU was the most reliable Falcon, its also when times started to get tough. So of course the following Falcons had to sacrifice reliablility.

[Trump]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

You can argue quality dropped because they had to cut costs due to falling sales and a high dollar.
Its fairly unanimous that the AU was the most reliable Falcon, its also when times started to get tough. So of course the following Falcons had to sacrifice reliablility.

Its what happens when the engineering is done by the accountants.

[CyberWasp]

I think we can out source our politicians from over seas.
They will be cheaper and can't do the job any worse than the ones we have now.

[BroadyFord]

Who knows? Maybe we'll become so poor that in 20 years time multinational manufacturers will revisit Australia due to the fact we will be willing to work for peanuts!

I'm still holding a faint hope that someone - whether it be the nutters mentioned in the other thread or some dodgy Chinese brand - will buy up Toyota's relatively new facility and produce something there.