[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

I don't think Volvo has an image problem. See in new markets such as China people don't have the stereotypes that Europeans and Americans have

For expensive cars they do
AND Volvo has nothing in their portfolio that is cheap

Therefore Volvo can establish thmeselves a premium manufacturer not necessarily identified alone by safety.

You can't create a "premium" identity, it has to be earned or inherited

Buick is recognised nameplate there and their calls sell well apparently. So if Buick can do it Volvo can do it too (and the same could be applied to Saab).

And do you think anybody is actually making money out of building Buick ? It's a repeat of India and the UK in the 50s/60s. Move old productin line to emerging nation who will be happy to buy second rate. What are the per unit costs and profit for the Buick productino in China ?

My point was that if your main market is shrinking it's time to either focus on other existing markets or try to find new unexplored ones.

AND it wasn't possible to predict that reduction.
NOBODY expected a US president woudl continue on a path which undermined the strength of the $$. So it's kind of a surprise and difficult to see the ratinale in new investment to build in the US to avoid the currency hit.

Volvo was already profitable before being sold to Ford, so I don't know why this can't be the case again.

AND it was profitable on every car sold UNTIL the recent dollar weakness meant the US dealerships were discounting HEAVILY to re-align the $$ price One option is to just hold out till new goverment which won't be so closed-minded as GWB on how to run an economy

On the merge plans I'm not sure it'd be a good idea, too much overlapping possibly.

Yeah but their are quite interesting partnerships in Saab
I only raised it as it has been on the table almost every decade since they were both formed