Thread: And Now, Bye Bye Toyota

IMHO that wrong car propaganda is a furphy. Most of the model decisions have not been made by the local subsidiaries but by the major manufacturers in their overseas head offices.

Why tool up for a small car to produce a few thousand cars a year in Australia when you can tool up for hundreds of thousands of cars and supply the World from a single low cost/low benefit/low tax country and achieve economies of scale.

We missed the boat when the CSIRO developed manufacturing robots and we failed to capitalise on them in our local automotive production. Too much resistance to their introduction and not enough investment foresight.

We produce food but virtually don't process it here, we mine minerals but don't refine it here and soon the same with oil. We lack value adding because our labour already adds too much cost in the initial production. Yes we also have environmental legislation that prevents polluting industries such as smelters remaining in coutry when they can move to an emerging economy who don't have the same greenhouse restrictions or environmental protections.

You said the magic word....robots. That will put those eager third worlders back in their place. Australians should be sitting on beaches controlling a mindless workforce via Australian manufactured tablets..the iAussie seems appropriate. It's also about time we invented food replicators ala Star Trek. These are the first thoughts of my think tank. If someone could just run with them please?

I've often said without fleet sales Toyota would have been gone a long time ago. Holden were in the same boat. In Toyotas case the big money earners are Landcruisers and Hiluxs to the mining/construction industry due mostly to vehicle turn over ... both of which are made overseas.

The reality is this country needs industry to survive but successive governments have done nothing to help. Bail outs aren't the answer. Long term support would not only likely cost less but provide confidence but probably cost less in the long run. The other side of that I guess is which industries get aid and which don't, and where does it come from? We all pay the price eventually. that said, I can't imagine many thousands joining the dole queue is going to be particularly cost effective either ...


We had it good for a while but this country needs a big kick in the arse. People won't like it because it seems we want everything for free in the 21st century ( ) but if something isn't done we are only setting ourselves up for failure. Nails ... Coffin ... Etc

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Its OK the Australian century died at the end of the 20th century, we are becoming a third World economy, sacrificed on the alter of unfettered one way free trade.

In future we will only export things we dig out of the ground, a few things we grow that can be harvested by machine and of course we will export jobs.

My thoughts exactly.

I reckon we need to farm more and get that top end food bowl going. Dam the crap out of everything like the Ord scheme. Then start to feed the Indians and the Chinese when they run out of farmland. While we're at it stiff them silly with export incentives for our GM producers. But keep all the nice safe organic stuff for us. Employ our blue collar people in big beautiful new climate controlled sheds sprouting seedlings and grafting in growth boosting modified clone plants.

People always gotta eat. The rest is fluff.

Originally Posted by mikehzz

Let's try a glass half full approach? These emerging economies with lower wages and lower standards of living will eventually even out up on our level. In the mean time, we get the opportunity to figure out how we are going to survive the fact we are temporarily priced out. I'm sure there is a think tank think tanking our strategy as we speak. When everything does eventually become a level playing field again, we will have had many years head start on them because we will take advantage of this golden opportunity. Meanwhile our resources will prop us up for a while. We can also bask in the glory of having the world's richest sheila. How good is that? I feel positively optimistic now....as long as global warming is a hoax of course...and that Fukishima won't destroy humanity....

aahh optimism , how refreshing.

Australia has done boom busts before. The opportunity to get super rich is taken by a fortunate few. When the boom is over, they get to move on and make more money whilst those with mortgages get to chew on dust.

It just amazes me that the majority seem almost happy to let a small bunch of ****s run off with all the money.

Originally Posted by richard4u2

every Australian who bought a car that was made overseas are the problem

Interesting thought. So every Aussie should own a Falcodore, regardless of what their actual needs are.

Let's think outside the norm., why don't we make bicycles & motorbikes, perhaps a jeepny type thing, for Asia? Make it a rule you can only drive such a thing in our big cities? Perhaps electric models, recharge them at work?


Why not, [except for massive egos, who have to be seen in the " right ' vehicle. Bob

Originally Posted by sheerluck

Interesting thought. So every Aussie should own a Falcodore, regardless of what their actual needs are.

I've just spent four days of the last five driving around in a Territory towing a tandem full of stuff doing the "AULRO Courier" thing. I traveled 3000km. Petrol consumption averaged (acording to the trip computer) 14.3l/100km. Really enjoyed the drive. It is a great vehicle. Every Aussie family should have one. And a Commodore.
The rest are toys or rubbish or both.