Looks like there is now a Canadian auto maker

#juan

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Canadian company aquires Opel from GM.

Canada will have a national auto maker now that Magna International Inc. has won the bidding to take over Adam Opel AG.
“We want to build Opel cars in Canada,” Magna chairman Frank Stronach said late Friday from Vienna as he awaited confirmation that the Canadian auto-parts giant had indeed won the backing of the German government for a deal that would give it and its partners a controlling stake.


'We want to build Opel cars in Canada' - The Globe and Mail
 

CDNBear

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You can say what you want about old Franky, but he's definitely a cool Canadian.

Good one Frank, bring it on.
 

#juan

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When I was in Germany with our Air Force I owned an Opel and drove the hell out of it for several years. Never had a problem. I know this is many years later but people coming back from vacation in Germany now tell me if I'm renting a car in that country, I should rent an Opel. As soon as they get a plant up and running in Canada I will buy one.
 

wulfie68

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Interesting but at the same time, the entire automotive industry has seen a market collapse. Just because Stronach has bought Opel, doesn't mean that there will be a market created for the company: no one is going to buy a car just because its there if they don't need one or can't afford one.
 

#juan

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Interesting but at the same time, the entire automotive industry has seen a market collapse. Just because Stronach has bought Opel, doesn't mean that there will be a market created for the company: no one is going to buy a car just because its there if they don't need one or can't afford one.

The market has not collapsed. The market is depressed. I know nothing is guaranteed at this point, but I think Canadians will support a Canadian auto company. I know I will.
 

johnnyhangover

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The market has not collapsed. The market is depressed. I know nothing is guaranteed at this point, but I think Canadians will support a Canadian auto company. I know I will.

me too.

we've got to be one of the only g8 countries without their own car company.
hopefully the cars produced will be of the highest efficiency and something we can be proud of.

how many years away are we from rolling the first off the assembly line?
 

#juan

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German engineering produces some of the best cars in the world. Stronach has said that he wants to build cars in Canada so it shouldn't be too long. I would say a couple years.




BTW, what is your air force connection?
 

#juan

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Was a member many years ago. Government paid me to fly airplanes when I would have done it for nothing. Had three years in Germany in the mid-fifties. One Air Div.
 

Cannuck

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The market has not collapsed. The market is depressed. I know nothing is guaranteed at this point, but I think Canadians will support a Canadian auto company. I know I will.

It doesn't matter if Canadians support it. There is only 30 million of us. What will really matter is what happens to the rest of GM and Chrysler. They represent about 15-20% of the market share in NA.
 

dumpthemonarchy

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Frank Stronach is a great Canadian. Another immigrant comes up with a great idea to create jobs and economic growth. Toronto can only think of ways to be subservient to America the (ex-fading) master.

I'll put the Opel at the top of my list of buying a new car when it's available in Canada.
 

#juan

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It doesn't matter if Canadians support it. There is only 30 million of us. What will really matter is what happens to the rest of GM and Chrysler. They represent about 15-20% of the market share in NA.

Certainly it matters. Opel builds a fairly decent range of vehicles, from small electrics and hybrids to mid-sized cars. Frank Stronach wants to build these cars in Canada and they are almost certain to be better than what GM was building in North America. Opel was competing with other German auto-makers, They should be able to compete with what will be built in Canada or the U.S..
 

dumpthemonarchy

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Certainly it matters. Opel builds a fairly decent range of vehicles, from small electrics and hybrids to mid-sized cars. Frank Stronach wants to build these cars in Canada and they are almost certain to be better than what GM was building in North America. Opel was competing with other German auto-makers, They should be able to compete with what will be built in Canada or the U.S..

Sweden has Volvo with a population of only 10 million people. Good cars.

While Canadian biz in Toronto whines about a high dollar, the Euro is much higher, and German cars are expensive, yet they still sell around the world because of quality engineering. Opel survived in that environment.
 

DurkaDurka

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Certainly it matters. Opel builds a fairly decent range of vehicles, from small electrics and hybrids to mid-sized cars. Frank Stronach wants to build these cars in Canada and they are almost certain to be better than what GM was building in North America. Opel was competing with other German auto-makers, They should be able to compete with what will be built in Canada or the U.S..

He is going to build some or all Opel cars here? I thought Europe was the primary market for Opel.