Thread: A sad day for Victoria, south Australia and Australia as local car production ends.

A very sad day. I notice two-thirds of Toyota's production was being exported, so it's the loss of an export industry too.

Sad day indeed. The economics are way off kilter.

While workers on an average wage might be able to afford to buy a new car, that's only possible if the car is made by companies operating in economies where average wages are significantly lower than ours.

While it's the price of capitalist privilege I guess, I'm sure that's no compensation for those who've lost their jobs, can't afford new cars or the working poor wherever they may be located. It's very difficult to make a change when the parameters are beyond our control.

It's difficult to fathom. Best wishes to all those affected.

Yep, the end of an era that's for sure and something we'll never see again.

As for why it happened that's not rocket science, but that can't be discussed here - that's a subject for the Current Affairs section only.

Some of the cars made here were competitive here price-wise, examples being the Camry and Cruze, but you have to export to make it stack up.

the effect is being noticed immediately.

a relative is a cop and his station, Oakey in SE Qld have started receiving their new Hyundai sonata patrol cars.

his comment... if you pass one and you're over the speed limit don't worry....he says by the time they slow, turn around and nail it in the gutless 4cyl sonata you will be too far away for them to continue the pursuit...

they all want the camries or aurions back.....never thought I'd hear that.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Some of the cars made here were competitive here price-wise, examples being the Camry and Cruze, but you have to export to make it stack up.

Spot on, all gone now

There were some good cars made too, it's a huge pity and a giant mistake.

Originally Posted by Zeros

Sad day indeed. The economics are way off kilter.

While workers on an average wage might be able to afford to buy a new car, that's only possible if the car is made by companies operating in economies where average wages are significantly lower than ours.

While it's the price of capitalist privilege I guess, I'm sure that's no compensation for those who've lost their jobs, can't afford new cars or the working poor wherever they may be located. It's very difficult to make a change when the parameters are beyond our control.

It's difficult to fathom. Best wishes to all those affected.

No that's not true, production wages have about 5-7% of the final cost of the car made in the first world. Here , USA , EU ,Uk all similar. Where we differed was support levels and export incentives.
USA , double our support per car made,
UK/EU, more than double with VW 50% German govt owned,
As to the other countries, Thailand 7 years tax free on any profits from any new plant built there, would that explain why almost every ute with a Japanese/Gm/ford name is made there ?
Korea and China , mass export bonuses and following Germans lead most are part to full govt owned or backed. Throw in their cut price power ( using our coal and gas at a lower rate than we can buy) and much lower environmental controls (asbestos still used in some parts)and you get cheaper cars.
Those foreign govts, from established to emerging, all realise it's better to have a lot (10's or hundreds of thousands)of people working earning at or above average wage and paying tax as well as supporting local business, rather than have those people either unemployed, underemployed, on basic casual wages all drawing money from the social security system or in other countries subsistence living.
Those extra wages that Gm and Toyota paid now no longer flow into the local communities, further slashing jobs........

Originally Posted by Homestar

Spot on, all gone now

There were some good cars made too, it's a huge pity and a giant mistake.

Sadly that’s part of the problem..

Once we made world class, then Aussie Class, And by the time we upped our game again the people were already walking.....

Add to that - a significant portion of people I know have a 4wd, or an “SUV” (cringes) and not one has owned an Aussie built car in 20 years.

Ford and Holden insisted on making cars that weren’t what the punters wanted.... simple...

The rest is all **** and glitter...

Holden had already built their exit plans a long time before they announced an end....

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