The Decline Of The U.S. Auto Industry
#1
11-26-2012, 04:55 AM
The Decline Of The U.S. Auto Industry
17 Facts About The Decline Of The U.S. Auto Industry That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
Are you or were you part of the problem ?, or are you part of the solution to make it better ? I ask myself ?
By Michael, on January 19th, 2012 
Very few things illustrate how dramatically America has been deindustrialized than the stunning decline of the U.S. auto industry. Once upon a time, the United States literally taught the rest of the world how to make cars. We were the ones that invented the assembly line. We were the ones that showed the rest of the world what mass production could do for an economy. For decades, we produced more cars than anyone else and we sold more cars than anyone else. Detroit was known as "the Motor City" and our manufacturing prowess dominated the planet. But now all of that has changed. Japan makes far more vehicles than we do today. So does Germany. As you read this, state of the art production facilities are going up all over China. Meanwhile, the U.S. auto industry continues to rot and thousands upon thousands of good automotive jobs continue to leave our shores. The rest of the world is making cars better than we are, they are making them cheaper than we are and they really don't care that many of our formerly great manufacturing cities are turning into rotting, stinking hellholes. The U.S. auto industry was once a symbol of American dominance, but now it is just a symbol of American decline. If we want to remain a great nation, then we need to start becoming great at making things once again.The following are 17 facts about the decline of the U.S. auto industry that are almost too crazy to believe....
#1 The average age of an automobile in the United States has gone up more than 50% since 1990 and is now sitting at an all-time record of 10.8 years. The average length of a marriage in the United States that ends in divorce is only 8 years.
#2 Germany made 5.5 million cars in 2010. The United States made less than half that (2.7 million).
#3 When you add up salary and benefits, the average auto worker in Germany makes $67.14 an hour. In the United States, auto workers only make $33.77 an hour in salary and benefits.
#4 Back in 2000, about 17 million new automobiles were sold in the United States. During 2011, less than 13 million new automobiles were sold in the United States.
#5 Do you remember when the United States was the dominant manufacturer of automobiles and trucks on the globe? Well, in 2010 the U.S. ran a trade deficit in automobiles, trucks and parts with the rest of the world of $110 billion.
#6 Japan builds more cars than anyone else on the globe. Japan now manufactures about 5 million more automobiles than the United States does.
#7 In 2010, South Korea exported approximately 12 times as many automobiles to us as we exported to them.
#8 According to the New York Times, a Jeep Grand Cherokee that costs $27,490 in the United States costs about $85,000 in China thanks to new tariffs.
#9 U.S. car companies are spending hundreds of millions of dollars building shiny new automobile factories in China.
#10 In 1970, General Motors had about a 60 percent share of the U.S. automobile market. Today, that figure is down to about 20 percent.
#11 The combined U.S. market share of the "Big Three" American car companies fell from 70% in 1998 to 53% in 2008.
#12 Detroit was once known as the "Motor City", but in recent decades automobile production has been leaving Detroit at a staggering pace. One analysis of census figures found that 48.5% of all men living in Detroit from age 20 to age 64 did not have a job during 2008.
#13 Today, only Chrysler still operates an automobile assembly line within Detroit city limits.
#14 Since Alan Mulally became CEO of Ford, the company has reduced its North American workforce by nearly half.
#15 Today, only about 40 percent of Ford's 178,000 workers are employed in North America, and a significant portion of those jobs are in Canada and Mexico.
#16 The average Mexican auto worker brings in less than a tenth of the total compensation that a U.S. auto worker makes.
#17 In the year 2000, the U.S. auto industry employed more than 1.3 million Americans. Today, the U.S. auto industry employs about 698,000 people.
Sadly, it is not just the auto industry in America that is falling apart. In fact, almost everywhere you look in our economy (and in our society as a whole) there is decay and decline.
For example, our infrastructure was once the envy of the entire globe. Today, U.S. infrastructure is ranked 23rd.
Recently, I wrote an article entitled "24 Statistics To Show To Anyone Who Believes That America Has A Bright Economic Future". In that article, I discussed many of the long-term trends that are systematically destroying this nation.
Just because we have had it so good for so long does not mean that it will always be that way.
As a nation, our wealth is declining. A decade ago, the United States was ranked number one in average wealth per adult. By 2010, the United States had fallen to seventh.
We lived off the wealth created by previous generations for a long time, but that was not enough for us. We always wanted more. Eventually we started going into massive amounts of debt so that we could keep this bubble of "false prosperity" going.
Today, when you add up all forms of debt in America, it comes to over 50 trillion dollars.
We are a great nation that is in an accelerating state of decline.
We have got to quit living off of the past accomplishments of previous generations.
We have got to quit being so lazy and decadent and spoiled.
There is absolutely no guarantee that America will always be a great nation. In fact, when great nations fall, it usually happens very quickly.
I'm still proud to be an American, but the decay and the decline that I see all across this country sickens me.
And it should sicken you too.`amen
17 Facts About The Decline Of The U.S. Auto Industry That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
Last edited by Space; 11-26-2012 at 06:18 AM.
#2
11-26-2012, 04:56 AM
- Oligopoly and the fall of the American automobile industry
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Last edited by Space; 11-26-2012 at 06:18 AM.
#3
11-26-2012, 05:55 AM
Are Americans lazy? What the statistics say
<CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: arial; COLOR: rgb(119,119,119); FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" class="byline vcard">
By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger | Work + Money – </CITE>
Over the last few days, much has been made over Obama allegedly calling Americans "lazy." GOP hopefulsRick Perry and Mitt Romney immediately pounced on the president's comment and used it on the campaign trail to suggest that Obama is out of touch and unpatriotic.
Related link: Michelle Obama on Military Families
Numerous watchdogs such as factcheck.orghave already pointed out that the president's words were taken out of context and distorted. Still, it got us thinking: compared to the rest of the world, have we become a nation of idle couch potatoes? We took a look at some pertinent statistics for men, women, and children.
Here's what the numbers say:
Average annual work hours in 2010
Source: Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development
Minimum mandatory annual paid leave
Source: Center for Economic and Policy Research
Compulsory maternity leave
Source: Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal
Retirement age
Source: U.S. News and World Report
Standard school year
Source: The Atlantic Monthly Online
Math skills of 15 year-olds (averaged rank 2009)
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Looking at the numbers, compared with the citizens of other developed countries we aren't lazy: we take little vacation, retire late, and don't spend much time at home with our new babies. But it is no secret that we are falling behind with our education system--which does not bode well for the future of the United States. Are our children lazy? No. Our children can only use the tools we, as a nation, give them. Maybe the president should have used the word "foolish."
<CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: arial; COLOR: rgb(119,119,119); FONT-SIZE: 11px; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle" class="byline vcard">
By Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger | Work + Money – </CITE>
Over the last few days, much has been made over Obama allegedly calling Americans "lazy." GOP hopefulsRick Perry and Mitt Romney immediately pounced on the president's comment and used it on the campaign trail to suggest that Obama is out of touch and unpatriotic.
Related link: Michelle Obama on Military Families
Numerous watchdogs such as factcheck.orghave already pointed out that the president's words were taken out of context and distorted. Still, it got us thinking: compared to the rest of the world, have we become a nation of idle couch potatoes? We took a look at some pertinent statistics for men, women, and children.
Here's what the numbers say:
Average annual work hours in 2010
- Koreans: 2193
- Chileans: 2068
- Americans: 1778
- Canadians: 1702
- English: 1647
- West Germans: 1409
- Dutch: 1377
Source: Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development
Minimum mandatory annual paid leave
- France: 30 work days
- Australia: four weeks
- Netherlands: four weeks
- United Kingdom: four weeks
- Canada: two weeks
- Japan: 10 days
- United States: zero days
Source: Center for Economic and Policy Research
Compulsory maternity leave
- Netherlands: 16 weeks
- Germany: 8 weeks
- Denmark: 6 weeks
- Japan: 6 weeks
- United Kingdom 2 weeks
- United States: zero weeks
Source: Comparative Labor Law and Policy Journal
Retirement age
- Turkey: 45
- Greece: 57
- South Korea: 60
- France: 60.5
- United States: 66
- Norway: 67
Source: U.S. News and World Report
Standard school year
- Japan: 243 days
- West Germany: 240-266 days
- Netherlands: 200 days
- United Kingdom: 193 days
- France: 185 days
- Canada: 180-185 days
- United States: 180 days
Source: The Atlantic Monthly Online
Math skills of 15 year-olds (averaged rank 2009)
- South Korea: Number one
- Finland: Number two
- Switzerland: Number three
- Netherlands: Number six
- Estonia: Number 11
- United States: Number 25
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Looking at the numbers, compared with the citizens of other developed countries we aren't lazy: we take little vacation, retire late, and don't spend much time at home with our new babies. But it is no secret that we are falling behind with our education system--which does not bode well for the future of the United States. Are our children lazy? No. Our children can only use the tools we, as a nation, give them. Maybe the president should have used the word "foolish."
#4
11-26-2012, 06:09 AM
<TABLE id=logoarea border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" sizset="1" sizcache0022885700910625084="0"><TBODY sizset="1" sizcache0022885700910625084="0"><TR><TD class=logoarea-logo vAlign=middle rowSpan=2>
</TD><TD class=logoarea-title vAlign=middle rowSpan=2>The American Dream
Waking People Up And Getting Them To Realize That The American Dream Is Quickly Becoming The American Nightmare
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></B>
You Won't Believe How Corrupt, Lazy And - The American Dream < Click `if U want 2 know ?
</TD><TD class=logoarea-title vAlign=middle rowSpan=2>The American DreamWaking People Up And Getting Them To Realize That The American Dream Is Quickly Becoming The American Nightmare
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></B>
You Won't Believe How Corrupt, Lazy And - The American Dream < Click `if U want 2 know ?
<CITE style="FONT-STYLE: normal; COLOR: rgb(0,153,51)">endoftheamericandream.com/.../you-wont-believe-these-statistics-whi...</CITE>
Dec 27, 2011 – If our founding fathers could see the cesspool that the U.S. Congress has become today, they would roll over in their graves. Most Americans ...
Dec 27, 2011 – If our founding fathers could see the cesspool that the U.S. Congress has become today, they would roll over in their graves. Most Americans ...
So until the American people wake up and start demanding fundamental reforms, our Congress critters are going to continue to live the high life and we are going to keep on getting the same pathetic results out of Washington
Last edited by Space; 11-26-2012 at 06:24 AM.
#5
11-26-2012, 06:45 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 5,611
This is very sad stuff 'Space. I think many Americans lost their passion for cars. IMO it began when people started desiring Corolla's over Camaro's. Then the American manufacturers followed suit and started building this type of car instead and maybe not doing it as well.
"America is all about speed. Hot Nasty speed!" - Eleanor Roosevelt
But I don't think the dream is dead. Maybe it spent some time in the hospital and is still rehabilitating as an outpatient. Muscle cars are coming back in a big way! Locally, I've noticed the tuner shops are closing up. This is because the muscle cars are back and those shops weren't equipped to build on big American V8 power.
I'm still dedicated to buying American (or North American). I wish my wife was!
"America is all about speed. Hot Nasty speed!" - Eleanor Roosevelt
But I don't think the dream is dead. Maybe it spent some time in the hospital and is still rehabilitating as an outpatient. Muscle cars are coming back in a big way! Locally, I've noticed the tuner shops are closing up. This is because the muscle cars are back and those shops weren't equipped to build on big American V8 power.
I'm still dedicated to buying American (or North American). I wish my wife was!
#6
11-26-2012, 06:53 AM
Hi `Brent & thanks for your words & I hope that you are right about the USA just being in rehab and preparing to take the lead again in the automotive market & in the World Market I believe it can change for the better `if the people get involved and demand a change from the leaders they have selected. Votes do count and so many did not take the time to vote...
We need to get those that just `take, & teach them to give back !!!!(if they don't learn that, then we will require them to comply...No more `free rides
What ? (no more freebie's ) does that mean I am going to have 2 work for what I'm gett'in? `yes 
What's good for America is good for everyone in the World...(We share & sometimes we share more then others, more then most) How much did the USA invest in Korea ? Our many wars & lives lost ? Is it a one way street ? We do 4 U & U do nothing in return ? WoW
I wish everything was good for all human beings on Planet `Earth...
We are all Earth People {well, most of us are
} Could you imagine `if we all could get along & work for the betterment of `all in peace and happiness...I'm sure your God would approve 4-Sure...One Planet - One People - 4 `all...`amen
To all live by one simple rule: Thou shall not purposely hurt yourself or others...`amen
Last edited by Space; 11-26-2012 at 08:26 AM.
#7
11-26-2012, 08:14 AM
It is sad to see what is happening to the US. I have seen it coming for years.
The figure below is because companies only want to hire part time employees so they don't have to pay benefits of a 40 hour work week. I for one work 50-60 hours a week on Salary.
I hope this reverses before it gets to bad. It seems like things have to get real bad before anyone will do anything.
Average annual work hours in 2010
The figure below is because companies only want to hire part time employees so they don't have to pay benefits of a 40 hour work week. I for one work 50-60 hours a week on Salary.
I hope this reverses before it gets to bad. It seems like things have to get real bad before anyone will do anything.
Average annual work hours in 2010
- Koreans: 2193
- Chileans: 2068
- Americans: 1778
- Canadians: 1702
- English: 1647
- West Germans: 1409
- Dutch: 1377
#8
11-26-2012, 09:29 PM
True knowledgable facts. We do need to pay attention where we are going as well as our automotive industry.
Did learn something from this, but not going to change the manufacturer(s) I support (cough* cough* domestics
)
Rather not go into to much detail and length though, kind of a downer topic with a predictable atmosphere
Did learn something from this, but not going to change the manufacturer(s) I support (cough* cough* domestics
)Rather not go into to much detail and length though, kind of a downer topic with a predictable atmosphere
#9
11-27-2012, 10:39 AM
True knowledgable facts. We do need to pay attention where we are going as well as our automotive industry.
Did learn something from this, but not going to change the manufacturer(s) I support (cough* cough* domestics)
Rather not go into to much detail and length though, kind of a downer topic with a predictable atmosphere
Did learn something from this, but not going to change the manufacturer(s) I support (cough* cough* domestics
)Rather not go into to much detail and length though, kind of a downer topic with a predictable atmosphere
Hi `Andy,
Thanks for your post & yes the topic is a downer, but it's the reality that our economy is a downer...I hope that our auto industry has learned a very important lesson from their past mistakes 4-Sure
<HGROUP class=title>The High Cost of Building Autos
Comparative Earnings
</HGROUP>By Todd Lassa | November, 2012 |
0
<META content="2013 Ford Taurus Limited Front Three Quarters" itemprop="name">
<META content="2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible Front Three Quarters 2" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39509956/2013-Chevrolet-Camaro-ZL1-convertible-front-three-quarters-2.jpg itemprop="contentUrl">
<META content="2012 Peugeot 208 Gti Concept Front Three Quarter Driving" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/40606917/2012-Peugeot-208-GTi-Concept-front-three-quarter-driving.jpg itemprop="contentUrl">
<META content="2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE Front End" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39052632/2012-Volkswagen-Passat-TDI-SE-front-end.jpg itemprop="contentUrl">See All 6 Photos<A style="DISPLAY: block" class="addthis_counter addthis_pill_style" href="http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/#" rel=nofollow>
<META content="2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible Front Three Quarters 2" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39509956/2013-Chevrolet-Camaro-ZL1-convertible-front-three-quarters-2.jpg itemprop="contentUrl">There are a couple ways to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Detroit Three since the 2008 Lehman Brothers collapse. On one hand, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler Group are posting modest profits from the relative strength of the North American auto market, dragged down by European operations.A $.4-billion loss from its troubled Opel/Vauxhall European operations offset GM North America's $2.0 billion earnings before income tax (EBIT), which was down from $2.2 billion in the second quarter of '11. GM's global net revenues fell 41 percent against a 4.6-percent drop in net revenues, and the automaker blamed the revenue decline on the strength of the U.S. dollar versus the euro.Similarly, Ford lost $0.4 billion in Europe in the second quarter, against $2 billion EBIT in North America.
<META content="2012 Peugeot 208 Gti Concept Front Three Quarter Driving" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/40606917/2012-Peugeot-208-GTi-Concept-front-three-quarter-driving.jpg itemprop="contentUrl">Chrysler's $436 million net income in the second quarter offset growing losses at majority owner Fiat. GM partner Peugeot-Citroen PSA was perhaps the automaker hardest hit by the European Union's economic crisis. Meanwhile, Europe's biggest automaker, Volkswagen Group, is surviving the EU crisis while making money in North America and Asia. Its net revenues rose 18 percent in Q2 '12 compared with Q2 '11.
<META content="2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE Front End" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39052632/2012-Volkswagen-Passat-TDI-SE-front-end.jpg itemprop="contentUrl">Let's compare by throwing in one more variable. GM, VW, Ford, and Chrysler spend billions each year on product development and manufacturing. You can't make better profits without spending stacks of cash to design and build new models. The world's most valuable corporation, Apple, spends billions each year on product development and farms out most of its production to factories in China. Check out the results:
<META content="2012 Chrysler 200 Facing Left" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/42288537/2012-Chrysler-200-facing-left.jpg itemprop="contentUrl"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/42288537+w177+h111+cr1+ar0/2012-Chrysler-200-facing-left.jpg itemprop="thumbnailUrl">
<META content="2013 Ford Taurus Limited Front Three Quarterse" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39751882/2013-Ford-Taurus-Limited-front-three-quarterse.jpg itemprop="contentUrl"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39751882+w177+h111+cr1+ar0/2013-Ford-Taurus-Limited-front-three-quarterse.jpg itemprop="thumbnailUrl">
<META content="2013 Ford Focus Front Three Quarters In Motion" itemprop="name"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39761797/2013-Ford-Focus-front-three-quarters-in-motion.jpg itemprop="contentUrl"><META content=http://image.motortrend.com/f/features/auto_news/2012/1211_the_high_cost_of_building_autos/39761797+w177+h111+cr1+ar0/2013-Ford-Focus-front-three-quarters-in-motion.jpg itemprop="thumbnailUrl">
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