The 2014 iBeetle, scheduled to be unveiled at this weekend’s Shanghai auto show, was designed by Volkswagen in collaboration with Apple to provide drivers with…
Volkswagen to Unveil 2014 iBeetle
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Month: April 2013
Auto Industry in U.S. Economy
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As we are slowly recovering from the economic recession, I am glad to learn the fact that the “U.S. auto industry in 2012 has been…
The cost of the auto distribution system in the United States has been estimated as averaging up to 30 percent of vehicle price, with 15 percent on the end of the manufacturer (in the form of advertising, loans, and rebates) and the other 15 percent solidly on the side of the retailer, or dealer. This 15 percent of the total price of a given vehicle is due to the cost to dealers of financing inventory, paying for insurance, advertising, and paying commissions.1
Selling cars in a third world country
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I had an opportunity to work on the Ford Vietnam account when I interned for a U.S. public relations firm based in Hanoi 2 years…
Modern Car Design
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Rudi Volti makes the point that the public will usually shun unusual car design, the Ford Edsel being the quintessence of this phenomenon. The gentleman…
Smartphone, Garden, or Car?
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As the Chinese economy grows, the world’s economy falters and the auto-industry is taking notice. There are now one million millionaires in China and the…
Has Auto Racing Outrun its Usefulness?
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Since the beginning of the automobile itself, auto racing has been pivotal in the technological progression and proliferation of the modern motor vehicle. A large…
China’s Electric Car
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Recently, at the Shanghai auto show new electric cars from major companies such as Volkswagen and Toyota were unveiled. The push for hybrid and electric…
Costs in the Japanese auto industry
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…it’s not just OEMs…
Monday I was at the award ceremony for the Automotive News PACE Supplier of the Year competition, for which I’ve been a judge for the past 19 years; more on that in a later post. On Friday (19 April) I spoke on the Japanese auto industry at an UMTRI conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One data point was an overview of the industry; since I begin a new (4-week) term tomorrow (22 April), let me elaborate as indirect class preparation.
Economics 244 website: Spring 2013
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Huntley Room 321, 10:10-11:05 and 1:20pm-3:25pm, Monday – Friday. I’ve linked this site to the Autos and Economics site on Google’s blogspot. We have 3…