I wonder how car manufacturers will cut costs to recover. Cheaper materials? Cheaper labour? Quality control cuts? etc etc. Can only mean one thing a reduction in the overal quality of the product unless they beat their suppliers into submission.
Mental note to self, dont but a 58, 09 or 59 plated car, could be a bit of a pup.

 

plus it'll have been sat in a field for a year rusting

 

Not thought of that. Do cars show the actual build date on them anywhere?

 

You can usually work it out from the VIN number.

 

There's normally a big sticker somewhere with the build date, it's often attached to the service book but I guess it very much depends .

I've asked for an unusual configuration so it's got to be built (and will be in Jan!)

 

uor engines( ford jag volvo) have time codes on them which give you an exact time when they were bought off (finished and put into shipping racks ) but its only a rough build date guide, as of present there are a few sitting arround twiddling their camshafts if you know what i mean

 

Seat belt tab will give you a rough idea.

 

Depends how short term a view the company takes. The bigger and better ones will be able to ride out the storm, and take quite quality quite seriously so can't see it happening to the top Italian and German marques.

The Japs have very different sub supplier arrangements (in that they generally own them) so they should be ok on the whole, and again, they take quality seriously.

People like VW worry me though. Their great idea to start building stuff in Spain was amassive failing in quality IMO.

All that said, raw material costs have dropped a lot so they will be saving pennies on that front. I keep an eye on stainless costs...

 

Well, Ghosn's genius strategy to save Nissan seemed to be to inject Renault quality with the cheapers bits, damaging their once-impeccable image.

More manufacturers are likely to go the same route. Especially if Marcchione is right and there are only six companies left at the end of this.

I therefore think you're perhaps worrying over nothing. In future, the car will be an even bigger pile of crap than most are at present.

At least Halfords will sell a range of badges and grilles for it, so you can more-or-less have whatever brand you like!