Obama Predicts US Automakers Will Again Be Number 1 - What Do You Think?

There's nothing wrong with the President wanting domestic automakers to be the top selling companies in the industry. It's good for taxpayers, it's good for continued business, and it's good for working Americans. As the US Big 3 continue to raise the bar for quality and content, all competitors continue to increase their levels as well...so it works out for everyone.

I want GM, Ford, & Chrysler to become much stronger corporations on more stable financial footing. It's good for the employees, their families, their communities, and surrounding businesses.

"uh...nope, I heard of this place called china"

- Have you seen how a Chinese car disintegrates in a crash test? Current Chinese cars will not be able to pass EU or EPA crash standards. Making cars EPA safe doesn’t happen over night. The U.S makes are ahead big-time in that area (and every other area of manufacturing as well). You wont see Chinese cars on our streets anytime soon.

No. GM will deservedly suffer for years from the stigma of the taxpayer-funded Government Motors label. They will be tied to Obama, whether they want to or not. Chrysler will fade to the point where it is a nameplate. Ford will be the healthiest, but should capitalize on the fact that they did not take a taxpayer bailout.

Who is currently number one?

good quwstion

Toyota recalled more cars than they sold this year as a consumer they cant be number one.

I wish...but honestly I think that, whatever is he smoking...it is not good..I realy want to be wrong...but this is hopeless. The only thing that I like from US is Cadillac, Corvette, and some very high end cars (not good for the economy) as the Ultimate Aero ot Hennessey Venom...etc. God Bless America.

There has to be a national commitment to be number one, and there never will be. Business will always be tied to the shareholders and they demand profits over all else.

Well, to technically be very specific he may mean No 1 in the US of A or North America.
Globally, July 2010 was a watershed. The US market new normal is 11.5 million and China is around 15.5 million(and is growing at 20%) annually.
Looking at the Global numbers here is the shocker. GM will not overtake Toyota despite all its "publicized" issue. Going forward, the growth will be in China, but i very much expect China to stress on developing a local set of brands that will dominate its market and take on the world.

Other important notes : Consolidation. Europe, NA has too much capacity and will need to consolidate. GM has already paid the piper, (courtesy taxpayers) but Ford / Chrysler despite their current profits need to invest in future technologies if they want to be world competitive ( or tie up with GM who seems to have a very nice set of IP and product in the Volt.)

Anything is possible with government funding

You mean spending money that people have worked hard for and paid taxes on. Its Not Government money.

"Anything is possible with government funding'

Is that not how the Prius came to life? And even more tax payer money brought the Toyota factories in the south?

In our favor:
Home market is #2 in total market size
New CEOs at the helm of all Big 3 clearing out deadwood and old thinking
Buick highly successful in largest market (China), Ford has not entered yet, can do really well with Trucks.
Leaders in light trucks WW.
Lower cost work force v. Europe, Japan

Not in our favor
Perceived and real quality deficiencies
Technology gaps in efficiency and active safety
Don't make small cars here
What is a US automaker? All small Ford cars not built in US. Caddy's built in Mexico, Chevys in Canada
Unemployment, salary stagnation and debt overhang limit our ability to buy cars, even our own
Still bloated, poor quality dealer network
Currency

Looks like America still prefers foreign cars:

July 2010

America sum: 458 828
Buick 16 799
Cadillac 14 919
GMC 27 789
Chevrolet 139 916
Jeep 26 466
Chrysler 14 692
Ram 21 239
Dodge 30 916
Ford 153 603
Mercury 6 903
Lincoln 5 586

Asia sum: 505 838
Acura 13 017
Infiniti 9 764
Mitsubishi 5 648
Kia 35 419
Hyundai 54 106
Nissan 72 573
Suabru 23 983
Mazda 20 732
Lexus 18 595
Toyota 150 629
Honda 99 420
Suzuki 1 952

Europe: 80 036
Porsche 2 703
Audi 7 817
BMW 19 064
Volkswagen 23 880
Mercedes 17 367
Mini 4 326
Volvo 4 319
Smart 560

Also looks to me that the ratio of foreign to domestic brands are two to one. I'm very sure if it was 50/50 things would be different.

Yes upwards,
but if I remember well, America cut off 4+1 brands (Saturn, Oldsmobile, Hummer, Pontiac and Mercury) just because nobody bought them!?!

they did not sale becuase of the of credit crunch.

Only Ford - not taking the bail out money was HUGE...... way to go Ford!
now if only the unions will ease off Ford and let them make a profit .. and if Ford sinks money into their R&D dept.... they will do well ...
Chrysler is gone ... .and GM will struggle for years to come (way toooooo many bosses to content with to get anything done)

lil' bom bom is only promoting UAW made crap.

I will never own another American car again as long as the UAW is alive.

The other day I took my Lexus to the dealer for an oil change and down the street at the Auto Mall there is a Toyota dealer and sitting out front with a banner and some UAW a-holes.

I walked down there and them what they were protesting and the Mexican lady in charge said "Toyota's have bad breaks".

I ask her if she was with the UAW and she said yes.

I meant brakes. Its been a long day.

Some of you here are still missing the point that Obama is trying to make. Not surprising, to be honest. Some of you here are still thinking that America is the World. It is not. The majority of companies that sell well in the US sell more cars there than in their home markets. This is NORMAL. This is what you call exportation. This is what Obama wants to see happen. American cars being sold beyond its shores. Without non-Americans buying American cars ALL the brands are destined to fail. GM has realised this, hence the push into developing countries like China and India. Chrysler's connection with FIAT exposes it to South America and other ememerging markets (like Brazil). Ford has its foreign sales pretty much locked in Europe and South America, but still doesn't export enough American-built cars. American cars en-masse could become the best cars in the world once again, regardless of who leads the charge. And this will be done with the assistance of foriegn buyers who actually a) like Obama, and 2) will actually be grateful that US tax dollars helped to build world-class vehicles.

tango,
the us tax dollar bailout went to pay uaw retirement funds that GM could no longer pay. thats why they were going bankrupt... very little of our money went to any R&D development - except the volt (which probably will be a failure because of the price they must charge to sell the car for a profit) Obama had no choice - he owes the uaw ... and they collected big time.. that does not mean that GM is ready to compete for world sales .. because they are not!

Maybe GM. But most of the parts and cars are not made in US.

No only a few cars are not made in the US. They also make and hire more Americans than any other Automaker.

There are not any automakers that make all of there cars just in there home country. (people are so ignorant)

Many good and valid points on here- I think this is the first article I've read on Spies where the bashing's been kept to a minimum on such a charged topic.....

So what if Obama said he believes U.S. Auto makers will make a comeback? Are some suggesting that we allow what is our last, largest domestic industrial base fail?

It is nothing short of humorous to read the same simplified pablum that says American Unions are bad but not for the rest of the world.

Unions thrive in both Europe and Asia but arguments resisting unions in the U.S. are very popular. The debate comes to the following:

Unions for American workers = bad

U.S. CEOs with their iron clad contracts, stock options with guaranteed walk-away money and full benefits = Good

Makes sense for the speculators, oil cartels and multi-national corporations that continue to offshore our jobs, factories and investment!

who said unions are bad.... depends on the union.. read today's Wall Street Journal article about the UAW getting ready to do battle with Ford because Ford is up and running... maybe we can get all of our big 3 to just build outside the usa - thats what UAW is going to get if they don't change.

Why dont you google and research the changes that took place last year.

Union or Management? Foreign or Domestic? We are still talking about GM and Chrysler DNA. The post bailout companies will return to the race- race to the bottom. With our without Unions.
In the end quality and Engineering Development are merely commodities, used to woo buyers with high aspirations and a short memory. Add political urgency and a huge patriotic push and you get "good cars" produced by people who have "always" been good at making them when left unhindered by conniving CEO's and backwards unions.
In five years those warranties will end. GM and Chrysler will still have those parasitic CEO's and Unions backed by the same accountants and shareholders.
The dealer will be happy to accept your cash and repair that $8000 transmission you need to buy because you haven't finished paying off the long term loan you took out to buy your super sexy patriotic domestic branded car or truck.
Then you will need an engine, which will come remanufactured from China, by children working in clean rooms with the latest technology, and you will pay the US price for it.

This is what the rest of the world understands:
Unions = Workers.

Management = CEOs and Boards of Directors who are responsible for out sourcing millions of jobs and closing factories here in the U.S.

In Europe and Asia, worker unions have a very powerful voice. Here in the U.S., worker unions are weak and have very little bargaining power. Which major U.S. corporations are in fear of or afraid of any unions here in the U.S.?

Our economy's wealth is being outsourced by the Wall Street led greed machine and American workers are losing, powerless to stop their economic slide.