As you get ready to party down tonight, think about how the year has gone. It might be a depressing thought that may have you reaching for the bottle sooner than later, but it is important to take a look back and see how the world looks. The story of the year was the economy and as we round the corner into 2009, we're looking at problems in the automotive industry. 

There are many reasons to be excited about the coming year, however, and Toyota hybrid technology is one of those reasons. With a focus on going green and staying small, Toyota is the perfect company for 2009. Its focus is on producing vehicles that make a difference, with smooth features and great products, this is a company on the rise for certain.

So as you reflect on the year and look ahead to 2009, Happy New Year. The economy may look scary now and car companies may be looking grim. If you're a dealer or a salesperson or a mechanic, you may be living in fear of your job. But with companies like Toyota working hard in the field to change things, you may find that 2009 is one of the best years yet. 

Published 31 December 2008 - 0 comments   

In our final installment of learnin about our new investments, we can reflect back on what we've learned. For one thing, it's not so bad. Sure, we aren't invested in something cool like Toyota hybrid technology or a hamburger machine, but we are invested in the future of the American automobile industry and that's not so bad, is it?

We've learned that many of the issues regarding the auto industry are related to poor regulatory issues. With state franchise laws preventing dealers from moving brands on to a watery grave and other issues crowding up the lots with unsold cars, the Detroit Three aren't in that bad of shape when you try to put a positive spin on it like we have.

But enough is enough. The truth is that the brands in Detroit are flailing around like fishes out of water and they are failing with sinking prices and factory closures. No matter how hard we or mags like Business Weekly might try to spin this situation, it isn't good. The auto industry needs the help, badly, and it needs to recover.

Published 29 December 2008 - 0 comments   

As we've demonstrated, learning about investments can be fun. I've even stopped driving my Toyota hybrid to support a GM product. Okay, so I haven't gone that far, but I can admit to being somewhat enthused about the prospect of owning a part of General Motors along with millions of other Americans. It's for that reason that we're continuing our series on our new investment. Yay for us!

An interesting component to how the auto industry is facing so many problems lies with the dealerships. Interestingly it isn't the actions of the dealers or the slow sales causing a log jam for the most part, but rather state franchise laws that won't allow obsolete brands or unsuccessful genres to shut down without a looooong process.

Indeed, many dealers have had trouble killing off some of the weaker brands like Saturn because of state franchise laws getting in the way. Sure, someone could knock out Saturn but it can't be done without huge costs being slapped on the individual dealers. The result? Dealerships hold on to brands that aren't moving for fear of being dinged by the huge costs. Despite losing money on these brands, the dealers hold on to them because it's better than paying the cost.$0

Published 26 December 2008 - 0 comments   

We have often heard about how Toyota hybrid technology or other foreign technology are among the world leaders in terms of going green. But don't sell the Big Three out just yet. There are plenty of reasons to have faith in the business operations in terms of green technology for the Detroit Three - Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. While they may not be leading the pack, studies show that there are more than a few reasons to assert that the companies might be more "green" than originally assumed.

There's no question that the Detroit companies were slower to present technology that was environmentally friendly to the public. They continued to market vehicles based on size and power, while other car companies focused on speed and efficiency. When the Big Three were towing logs across a field in an enormous truck, hybrid cars were showing people how to save money. In the end, it's no surprise that the dinosaur logic lost out.

But that doesn't mean that the Three didn't have hybrid technology or other green stuff to work with. By being two generations behind the likes of Toyota, however, GM and Co. have a lot of catching up to do in terms of marketing and facilitating the green technology. With the future going in that direction, there's no reason to think the Three won't begin to go green very, very soon.

Published 24 December 2008 - 0 comments   

As of late, we've become aware of our investment with the automotive companies of America. While the bailout is going to assist in saving jobs and granting many people their security as workers, it is us as taxpayers left with the companies - namely General Motors and Chrysler, with Ford not needing bailout assistance at the moment. In this respect, we thought learning more about the car industry would be helpful as we all try to manage our investment.

The first thing to note is that Detroit is not a lost cause. At least that's what Business Weekly tells us. According to the publication, Detroit is still in charge of about 45% of the automotive sales in the United States. That means that people are certainly still "buying Detroit" over Toyota hybrids and it means that there is a reason to have faith in the industry....maybe.

More than 8 billion cars are being bought by Americans out of the Detroit Three, which should be enough to restore faith in the region, right? Wrong. If Detroit is doing so well and selling so many cars, why is the bailout necessary? Naturally, Business Weekly doesn't answer that question and, instead, leaves us wondering if our investment is really all that great to begin with. We'll try to break it down further in our next installment.

Published 22 December 2008 - 0 comments