Which Is The Greater Evil? Parts Sharing Wthin A Brand, Or Across Multiple Companies?

Welcome to the latest craze in global automaking: cost sharing.

At a moment when the wobbly world economy is starting to look promising, automakers are partnering up like frugal friends splitting a lunch check.

General Motors last week announced a partnership with PSA Peugeot Citroen, taking a token 7 percent share of the French company to create an arrangement that looks strikingly similar to the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

In a move sure to be the talk of this week's Geneva auto show press days, the industry trend opens speculation about automakers without global cost-sharing partners, including Ford Motor Co., Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp.

aboodesta - 3/5/2012 11:23:38 AM

-1 Boost

Parts sharing isn't bad across several brands if each car has its own identity at the end of the day. It only becomes bad when the cars share parts, and one looks like a glorified version of the other in such an obvious manner. Most obvious offender is Toyota here. LX/LC, ES/Camry, GX/Prado and so on.

Phantom4 - 3/5/2012 12:13:37 PM

+1 Boost

Same with VW. Polo/A1, Golf/A3, Tiguan/Q5, Tourage/Q7, Phaton/A8..

CarCrazedinCali - 3/5/2012 12:52:30 PM

+1 Boost

Parts sharing is okay as long as the parts don't take away from the differentiation/identity in models and don't cheapen the more expensive product they are also used in (Ford parts cheapening Jaguars for example).

Larrybel2000 - 3/5/2012 5:14:45 PM

+2 Boost

It could be bad for the superior brand but mostly good for the inferior brand. More dangerous across companies.