David Healy may refer to: (wikipedia)
October was even better than I expected. Cars are cheaper, GM is back from the strike, and despite what's happening in the stock market, consumer confidence levels are high.
The passenger cars are not inherently as profitable as big SUVs or big pickups, but they have to refurbish their car line, even if it doesn't get them back to historical profit margins,
Sales were running down in the early part of the month. In the middle of the month, they launched heavy incentives, and had a very strong close.
Sales of gas-inefficient large SUVs are in a state of near-collapse this month. It seems likely that the shift in the sales mix away from large SUVs will persist and continue to damage Detroit's profit margins in the process.
Sales of gas-inefficient large SUVs are in a state of near-collapse this month, ... It seems likely that the shift in the sales mix away from large SUVs will persist and continue to damage Detroit's profit margins in the process.
It's more trouble for the suppliers. Partly, it's a reflection of the fact that Ford and GM are shrinking to reckon with lower market share. And so there's less business to go around for the suppliers.
I think GM's numbers will be close to 9.1 million to 9.2 million vehicles in 2006 thanks to its strength in the Asia-Pacific market. It's likely that Toyota will pass GM in volume worldwide, but I don't think it's going to happen in 2006.
I still think it's unlikely, ... I think GM has the liquidity it needs. In addition to the cash, it has $50 billion in untapped borrowing.
Ford would welcome the cash for liquidity purposes, to help provide for large unfunded pension liabilities and for research and development.
Ford is in the intolerable position of having too many plants and too many people, ... Cost cutting needs to come before the end of the year -- layoffs, plant closings, that sort of ugly stuff.
