The Detroit One?
June 29, 2009mike Comments OffThere is a lot of talk these days about the Big Three, the Detroit Three or simply “Detroit”. It is a very polarizing issue. You have people of all stripes and political parties having different reasons for being on one side or the other in this issue. Let’s just put a few things out there, to agree or disagree with. The German Big three (BMW, Mercedes and Audi/VW) have taken a lot of money from their government as well. Actually their employees have been paid NOT to work for some time now just to keep their economy balanced. The list goes on of troubled automakers, Nissan-Renault closed plants at the same time GM and Chrysler did, but there’s only one group we keep hearing about, the Big Three. Who exactly are the Big Three, well I thought everyone with a TV knew that: Ford, GM & Chrysler. But what a lot of people don’t know is that back in the day it was the Big Four, with AMC (makers of the Gremlin and Pacer, those sexy cars) were in the group before they joined the boys over at Chrysler, so the number is in fact subject to change. So the new question that arises in this troubled economy: Will that number change again? Many are saying it may with GM and Chrysler both in bankrupcy right now. Could we end up with just the Big One (or Detroit One) Ford Motor Company? And if so, why Ford? Well to make a long story short Ford knew it was behind the eightball a bit a few years ago before bailout was the word of the day and brought Alan Mulally aboard as the CEO. Fresh from Boeing he knew Ford needed to get its act straight, refinance and retool. And refinance and retool they did, resulting in no need to take the bailout money the US Government was dying to hand out to all of Detroit and now poised to be the strongest of the US automakers. This may all be true, but will Ford become the last remaining American auto manufacturer? That has yet to be seen, but would I be surprised if that were the case? Not entirely, but maybe a strong Detroit One is better than a weak Big Three I guess only time will tell.