Will This Pandemic Be the Nail in the Coffin for Some Automakers?

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Which automakers do you foresee leaving the US market as a result of the pandemic. I can see Fiat, Mitsubishi, and possibly Volvo leaving. I wish GM would use this opportunity to get rid of Buick and Ford to get rid of Lincoln. I don't remember the last time I saw one of those on the road?
 
Buick isn't an American car. It's a Chinese car. They''ll always be demand there 'cause Chairman Mao rode in one. I suspect there wouldn't be a lot of savings in shutting down sales in America.

I suspect that the PSA-Peugeot-Citroen branch of the company will replace a lot of Fiat product, probably re-branded as Chrysler.
 
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Originally Posted by csandste
Buick isn't an American car. It's a Chinese car. They''ll always be demand there 'cause Chairman Mao rode in one. I suspect there wouldn't be a lot of savings in shutting down sales in America.

I suspect that the PSA-Peugeot-Citroen branch of the company will replace a lot of Fiat product, probably re-branded as Chrysler.


Who will be the 1 person in the US who will buy a Citroen? I bet 99% of people have no idea it is even a brand.
 
I'm a generation or two off from being a Buick guy … but as an owner of 3 Chevrolet vehicles …
seems that will be the last domestic GM line standing …
 
Originally Posted by parimento1
Who will be the 1 person in the US who will buy a Citroen? I bet 99% of people have no idea it is even a brand.

Most won't be branded as Citroen (although some will be branded as Peugeot) they will probably be Chrysler branded in the USA and Canada.

The truth is that quite a number of Peugeot and Citroen branded products today are very good and interesting and will appeal even to potential American buyers.
 
I do think this will change the automotive industry a lot. We had and now really have a surplus of used cars, and new cars aren't selling because of high prices and now lack of customers. This will accelerate weak spots in the industry. Also I think the entire automotive business is changing and this will also move that along..
 
Originally Posted by parimento1
Originally Posted by csandste
Buick isn't an American car. It's a Chinese car. They''ll always be demand there 'cause Chairman Mao rode in one. I suspect there wouldn't be a lot of savings in shutting down sales in America.

I suspect that the PSA-Peugeot-Citroen branch of the company will replace a lot of Fiat product, probably re-branded as Chrysler.

Who will be the 1 person in the US who will buy a Citroen? I bet 99% of people have no idea it is even a brand.

I saw a picture of a full sized sedan of either a Peugeot or Citroen when the merge/ joint venture was announced. They definitely have a sleek style that I feel American cars lack.

Plus, who doesn't love the Citroen 2CV?
 
As far back as 1967 I realized foreign auto manufacturing was sweeping the USA car plants off their feet....it took sometime for Toyota and Honda to overrun the car plants here, but they did it...the days of the big 3 are somewhat dead....side note, most cars now are boring and if you look at the autos around your town , most are of boing colors, black, greys and whites,,,check it out....
 
Originally Posted by AC1DD
...they will probably be Chrysler branded in the USA and Canada.


Chrysler? To go along with the two(!) vehicles they currently offer? If anything, I'd say Chrysler is one of the brands on the verge of dying. The 300 is as old as anything on the market and isn't holding share like it's Dodge cousins and the Pacifica can easily migrate to the Dodge or Ram family. I think the only thing keeping it alive is that it's the "C" in FCA and most of their dealers are still paying off the loan on the sign out front.

Originally Posted by AC1DD
The truth is that quite a number of Peugeot and Citroen branded products today are very good and interesting and will appeal even to potential American buyers.


Unless it's a truck, crossover, or SUV, it won't be appealing. Early reports are showing that trucks outsold cars in the US in April for the first time by 17,000 units.FCA, GM, and Ford ditched most of their car offerings in the States because consumers stopped preferring them. Why would you think a French car would make consumers do an about-face?
 
I saw an article or two yesterday about calls for bringing back cash for clunkers--I don't think it'd happen, this is not like last time, there is plenty of money to go around, just no demand. Those who want to and can afford to (?) buy new cars are going to do so. I'm not sure that incentives will "fix" the issue and bail out sales, just a gut call on that one.

I could see some further contraction. Ford and GM have all but bailed on cars, right? In a time where you'd think low cost cars might make a comeback, I'd wager a big nope on that one. If car sales remain down, along with gas prices, then I can see people finding easier to justify the larger SUV that they wanted in the first place. I think we'll see even less sedans here--maybe some world cars, Mirage or Kia's that could be cheaply brought here for the lowest end of the market--but I think this will finish off the sedan. And the wagon. Only cute utes and up will be left. Just my guess, but I think this will accelerate current trends, not make new ones.
 
I would say Nissan and Infinity, they are on the ropes and would not be missed.
 
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Originally Posted by parimento1
Originally Posted by csandste
Buick isn't an American car. It's a Chinese car. They''ll always be demand there 'cause Chairman Mao rode in one. I suspect there wouldn't be a lot of savings in shutting down sales in America.

I suspect that the PSA-Peugeot-Citroen branch of the company will replace a lot of Fiat product, probably re-branded as Chrysler.


Who will be the 1 person in the US who will buy a Citroen? I bet 99% of people have no idea it is even a brand.


I would own a 2cv if they brought that back but this time without the insta-rust paint system
 
Hopefully Volvo won't make the cut and suffer the same result of Saab after the 2008 financial crisus.
They got through by the skin of their teeth!
 
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