|
Written by Brandy Schaffels
|
|
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 12:15 |
|
I received this email today, following closely on the heels of a similar announcement from General Motors last week:
 "Due to the continued lack of consumer credit for the American car buyer and the resulting dramatic impact it has had on overall industry sales in the United States, Chrysler LLC announced that it will make significant adjustments to the production schedules of its manufacturing operations. In doing so, the Company will keep production and dealer inventory aligned with U.S. market demand. In response, the Company confirmed that all Chrysler manufacturing operations will be idled at the end of the shift Friday, Dec. 19, and impacted employees will not return to work any sooner than Monday, Jan. 19, 2009.
Chrysler dealers confirmed to the Company at a recent meeting at its headquarters, that they have many willing buyers for Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles but are unable to close the deals, due to lack of financing. The dealers have stated that they have lost an estimated 20 to 25 percent of their volume because of this credit situation."
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Written by Brandy Schaffels
|
|
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 10:18 |
If you've ever wished for a convenient way to share photos of your car or your awesome road trip adventures, we've found an easy solution for you.
Multiply, Inc. has announced the launch of its online photo finishing solutions, developed to provide a simple and convenient way to create customized, professional photo books, calendars, cards, and prints and share these photo products with your entire online network of family and friends, who can view, customize, and purchase them as well.
To help celebrate their launch, Multiply.com is offering Automotive Traveler readers free photo books! By simply entering the Automotive Traveler discount code, ATOTRV01, the first 100 readers to respond will get a free book (they will be responsible for $7 shipping and handling) as a keepsake for themselves or as a gift for a loved one. This is a savings of as much as $35, but, you have to hurry, because the offer will expire on December 31, 2008. Multiply's 8 1/2 x11 -inch 20-page photo books are available in a variety of cover options, feature professionally-designed themes, and make the perfect gift for any occasion. These extraordinary, original photo books are a beautiful way to present and preserve your special memories, and are professionally bound for durability and safekeeping.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
Written by Brandy Schaffels
|
|
Friday, 12 December 2008 11:15 |
General Motors issued a press release today announcing a significant reduction of planned production for the first quarter of 2009 due to the ongoing and severe drop in industry sales, which were down 36 percent in November overall and 41 percent for GM (2007 vs. 2008). The impact of these and recently announced actions to adjust production with market demand, will result in the temporary idling of approximately 30 percent of GM's North American assembly plant volume during the first quarter of 2009 and will remove approximately 250,000 units from production.
I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we see similar announcements from other manufacturers. Honestly, with the pileup of imported vehicles from Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen, sitting in the Port of Long Beach and Port of San Diego, I'm surprised we haven't seen such announcements from other import manufacturers. Auto sales are at a standstill, and it's not just the domestics who are suffering.
According to General Motors, this is a direct response to the rapidly deteriorating market conditions. The speed and severity of the U.S. auto market's decline has been unprecedented in recent weeks as consumers reel from the collapse of the financial markets and the resulting lack of credit for vehicle financing.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Written by Brandy Schaffels
|
|
Friday, 12 December 2008 08:32 |
 Like my Automotive Traveler colleague Richard Truesdell, I watch the headlines changing constantly in reaction to the situation in the automotive industry, and wonder what will happen next, and what the final outcome will be. We're all anxious, and the anxiety is spreading.
We've posted several articles recently about the Automotive Industry Bailout, including one in which I specifically commented on the potential trickle down of the disastrous effects that will occur to the smaller companies on which the Big Three rely to produce the nearly 15,000 smaller pieces and parts that go into a single car.
Bill Vlasic and Leslie Wayne of The New York Times have posted an extremely informative and educational story that explains this in greater detail, in which they state "the hypotheticals about the domino effect of the companies' troubles through the vast network of auto supplier firms -- which employ more than twice as many workers as the carmakers -- are becoming real." I'm summarizing some of it here, but it's an excellent article. Please read it carefully after you finish reading this.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
