China outsells the US in January
With the downturn in car sales in the US,
as the credit facilities to purchase a new car dried up,
China overtook the US for the first time. In the first month
of this year, the US sales were 657,000 units (the lowest
monthly sales in 26 years), whilst China sold 790,000
vehicles.
Chery
QQ
However, it won’t be the last time! Elaine Kurtenbach of
Associated Press predicted that it was a trend that could
make China into the world’s largest auto market this year.
“This is the first time in history that China has passed the
United States in monthly sales,” Mike DiGiovanni, General
Motors Corp.’s executive director of global market and
industry analysis, has admitted.
The predictions for sales in 2009 has China at 10.7 million
and the US at 9.6 million. However, commercial vehicles such
as trucks and buses make up a larger proportion of China’s
vehicle market than in the US, causing some people to say
comparing such statistics is misleading.
But China, with its 1.3 billion people, was bound to catch
up with the U.S., population 300 million, sooner or later,
and the latest trends suggest it may be sooner than expected
due to the drastic contraction in the American auto market.
In a strange quirk, General Motors is one of China’s biggest
automakers, with billions of dollars invested in joint
ventures and a record 1.09 million vehicles sold in 2008, up
6 percent from 2007.
Struggling GM has been counting on the growth in China,
which passed up Japan in 2006 to become the world’s
second-largest vehicle market, thanks to strong sales to the
country’s fast-growing middle class.
Beijing has moved aggressively to prop up the industry it
has nurtured over the past two decades. Last month the
government announced it was halving the tax on purchases of
cars with engines less than 1.6 liters to 5 percent, until
the end of the year. It is spending US$730 million on
subsidies to farmers replacing their three-wheeled vehicles
or outdated trucks with small 1.3 liter or less vehicles.
“Sales rebounded last month due to the vehicle purchase tax
cut,” said Gao Zhiyuan, a salesman at Shanghai Automobile
Industry Hudong Sales Co., a Volkswagen dealership.
“Customers feel it’s a good chance to buy a car for less
since the tax cut is temporary. Also, with lower gasoline
prices people are less worried about fuel costs,” Gao said.
Strong demand for smaller cars is helping both domestic and
foreign-brand automakers. South Korean manufacturer Hyundai
Motor Co. reported its China sales rose 35 percent in
January from a year earlier, to 43,000 vehicles.
With the Chinese manufacturers now beginning exports of
their cheaper range of vehicles, you can expect an influx
over the next couple of years. It is interesting to note
that Yontrakit, who already have the Naza vehicles (Chinese
assembled in Malaysia), are importing Chery and some other
Chinese brands, and I would expect to see these at the
Bangkok International Motor Show which runs from March 26
through to April 6.
With China also being first with an all electric production
vehicle (the BYD - Build Your Dream) and GM putting back the
release of the Chevrolet Volt, you can expect China to be
attacking the market on all fronts.
Happy Birthday Mini! 50
this year!
The (original) Mini, the British motoring icon
turns 50 this year, and throughout 2009 tens of thousands of
Mini fanatics will be celebrating in style.
From massive events attracting enthusiasts from all over the
world, to gatherings of the like-minded at the local pub, or
a few friends giving it a quick blast along their favorite
stretch of twisty road, ‘Mini 50’ parties will be celebrated
all through 2009.
Original
Mini
Released for sale in August 1959, the Mini was designed by
Sir Alec Issigonis as a cheap, economical car for ordinary
people. When champion Formula One constructor, John Cooper,
gave the engine a few race-inspired tweaks, the Mini jumped
effortlessly from the high street to the racetrack.
In the following years it became class-bending style icon of
the swinging sixties, driven by movie stars, pop stars and
royalty, as well as ordinary people throughout the world.
By the end of the decade it was a movie star itself, with a
starring role (alongside Michael Caine) in one of the most
unforgettable car chases of all time in ‘The Italian Job’.
The classic Mini stayed in production for more than 40
years, the last cars rolling off the production line in
2000. The team that started production never realized that
this little car would touch the hearts of so many and
conquer the world with its sporting heritage, celebrity
status, and downright fun-to-drive and pleasure-to-own
experience. But the thing that has made the car what it is
today is the passion that is given to the car from its
owners. These are the people, along with the many clubs,
that will keep the Mini buzzing around our roads for many
decades to come. At the Bang Saen six hour race in November
last year there was an old Mini, with two drivers 20 years
older than their car, who were just enjoying being there,
and driving their classic.
Long live the classic Mini, and its drivers.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I stated that retractable
headlights were first offered in 1936. I asked, on what car,
and how were they actuated? The correct answer was the 1936
810 model Cord and the headlamps were operated manually with
winding handles on the dash, one on each side.
So to this week. Which car company was first with the key
start?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Volkswagen bullish
Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest car maker, said its
2008 profit rose 15 percent and it expected to gain market
share during the current global automotive sector crisis.
A VW statement said 2008 net profit came to 4.75 billion
euros as sales rose 4.5 percent to a record 113.8 billion
euros with operating profit up 3.0 percent to 6.3 billion
euros.
“We met our target and surpassed our record results for 2007
even though conditions were tougher,” chairman Martin
Winterkorn said.
“The current year remains extremely difficult for the entire
automotive industry,” Winterkorn warned. “Our target is to
fare better than the overall market.”
Undoubtedly, VW’s strong market presence in China has helped
boost the 2008 bottom line, with the Polo and the Bora both
selling well.
BMW Sauber’s season in numbers
Formula 1 is being battered every day with costs.
It takes hundreds of millions of dollars to get a team on
the grid, but much of the expense is not related to the
outright speed or performance of the race cars. For example,
the team ate 100 kg of fruit per Grand Prix weekend last
year.
2009
BMW Sauber
For flyaway Grands Prix, the team dispatches some 32 tonnes
of air freight. That includes three chassis (two cars plus a
spare chassis), six to eight engines, three to five sets of
spare parts, 160 wheel rims, 100 radio sets, headphones,
tools, computers and the pit garage equipment. Everything is
packed into four ‘igloos’ (huge containers) from Hinwil, one
igloo from Munich, two lower-deck containers and two
ten-foot pallets from Hinwil and one from Munich.
Now here’s an area where BMW could save some costs. Seven
trucks transport the team’s hospitality unit within Europe,
four of which form an integral part of its sophisticated
construction.
The hospitality unit, which takes twelve men 36 hours to
erect, has 37 plasma screens running. 40 kilometres of
cables are laid for the power and network supply.
The kitchen is kept busy feeding and watering team members
and guests: in 2008 average consumption per Grand Prix
weekend amounted to 140 kg of meat, 100 kg of fish, 100 kg
of fruit, 90 kg of vegetables, 40 kg of cheese, 1,000 eggs,
1,800 bread rolls plus 2,500 litres of water and soft
drinks.
That does not include all the alcohol consumed by the B list
‘celebrities’ and assorted hangers-on at the Grands Prix.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
While F1 is in trouble, it seems as though the
Porsche Cup Asia is going from strength to strength, with
reigning, former and potential champions joining with new
faces for one of the most exciting race calendars in the
series’ history of seven years.
Reigning Class A Champion Darryl O’Young of Hong Kong is
back, with a mission to clinch an unprecedented third
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title with Team Jebsen.
However, an intense battle is on the cards between 2006 and
2008 champion O’Young, against 2007 champion Tim Sugden of
GruppeM Racing, and 2008 title runner-up Christian Menzel of
Team StarChase.
China, which is fast becoming a major market for expensive
motor cars has intense rivalry between the China Porsche
dealerships, with Team Jebsen, which has Porsche Centres in
Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou
and Beijing, defending their title from Team StarChase of
Nanjing, GruppeM Racing of Qingdao, and Team Kangshun of
Wuhan, which is again fielding Singapore’s Ringo Chong.
China is now the third largest market for Porsche, with
7,615 cars sold there last year.
New faces this year includes Rodolfo Avila of Macau. The 22
year old began his career in karts, before going on to
clinch the Asian and China Formula Renault Challenge titles.
He competed in first Asian and then British Formula 3, and
International Formula Masters, before making a successful
switch to sportscars last year.
Jeffrey Lee of Chinese Taipei will contest his first full
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia this season, having joined the
series after the opening rounds last year. Lee, racing with
PTRS Motorsport, is another driver who started out in single
seaters, competing in Formula 2000 Asia, Formula 3 Australia
and Formula V6 Asia.
The 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia begins in April, with the
opening races held as part of the 2009 Formula 1 Chinese
Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit.
In May, the series returns to Beijing’s Goldenport Circuit
for an entire weekend dedicated to Porsche.
June’s round will be held at Southern China’s Zhuhai
International Circuit, and in July, the series will be part
of the Asian Festival of Speed weekend at Indonesia’s Sentul
International Circuit.
This year, Porsche Asia Pacific will once again partner SC
Global Developments for the unique floodlit event at the
2009 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix on September 27.
Returning to China for the penultimate meeting of 2009, the
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will run at the Shanghai
International Circuit in October, before the final rounds in
November, the venue for which will be announced at a later
date.
Porsche Cup racing
