New tires for the bike-Bridgestone T30 EVO

[Macka]

Totally off topic.

The Australian automotive market was propped up by government subsidies for many years and ceased a couple of years ago. Once the subsidies stopped it was not feasible to continue manufacturing in such small volumes.

For many years there were high tariffs on imported cars (some of which still exist today) which also helped to prop up the Australian automotive market by making imported cars more expensive than they should have been.

It is a pity that automotive manufacturing has now ceased here in Australia as the last few models made by Holden (General Motors Holden), Ford and Toyota were some of the best vehicles ever made in this country (still not as good as the current Japanese or German vehicles though).

Seagrass

Sadly, all true.
I have been in the Automotive Industry (mechanic and small business owner) all of my working life (48 years now).
One thing that has always got up my nose is the fact that in every country that manufactures vehicles the Government either makes it mandatory for Government Entities to purchase locally made vehicles or offers incentives to do so. Not so here.
Our Government departments are allowed to purchase any vehicle that is within their budget allowance.
You won't see Donald Trump being driven around in a Hyundai or Mercedes, will you?
The British PM doesn't get around in a Toyota.
We could not have continued with the number of manufacturers that we had in the '80s but with better planning and some conscientious effort we could have maintained at least two manufacturers here.
Closing the industry has cost hundreds of thousand of jobs directly and indirectly.

Macka

 

[mikesim]

Sadly, all true.
I have been in the Automotive Industry (mechanic and small business owner) all of my working life (48 years now).
One thing that has always got up my nose is the fact that in every country that manufactures vehicles the Government either makes it mandatory for Government Entities to purchase locally made vehicles or offers incentives to do so. Not so here.
Our Government departments are allowed to purchase any vehicle that is within their budget allowance.
You won't see Donald Trump being driven around in a Hyundai or Mercedes, will you?
The British PM doesn't get around in a Toyota.
We could not have continued with the number of manufacturers that we had in the '80s but with better planning and some conscientious effort we could have maintained at least two manufacturers here.
Closing the industry has cost hundreds of thousand of jobs directly and indirectly.

Macka

Not only the lost jobs. but the lost manufacturing capacity. If push comes to shove and a war comes to pass, auto manufacturing can be rather quickly restructured to armored vehicles or munitions. Once that manufacturing capacity is gone, it cannot be quickly and easily resurrected.

Mike

 

[Macka]

Not only the lost jobs. but the lost manufacturing capacity. If push comes to shove and a war comes to pass, auto manufacturing can be rather quickly restructured to armored vehicles or munitions. Once that manufacturing capacity is gone, it cannot be quickly and easily resurrected.

Mike

Also true, Mike.
It goes much deeper than just not making cars.

Macka