Chrysler Pullout from Canada? Make a homegrown car

[#juan]

Absolutely Ron. That car would be a blast on a friendly, curvy, road.
I would prefer something just a little more conventional to put taxpayer's money into. For my purposes, a new four wheel Morgan V8 would be great. I'd probably kill myself but it would be fun to drive a real sports car again.

 

[Ron in Regina]

From what I understand, Campagna is doing quite well and
neither needs or wants any Government $$$. I wasn't thinking
of another hole for Canadian tax dollars, but just a Canadian
street-legal production vehicle that most folk wouldn't be aware
of. Not enough room for the family, and groceries, and a Husky
and a Rottweiler, but it's fun to dream...
_____________________

 

[L Gilbert]

lol
Campagna may be like other sensible companies. They realise that the Canuck gov't isn't interested in providing funds for things that have a view to the future so they say "to hell with the gov't" and do it themselves.

 

[petros]

Mopar hasn't made a real car since 1972. Why are they still around anyway?

 

[L Gilbert]

Ugh. Me think no one else make good car since 1972 either. lol

 

[Trex]

Campagna- Fun, Style, Performance

Wouldn't be much use in the winter in Saskatchewan, but...

Its a tricycle for people who cannot handle a sport bike.
It will accelerate slower, handle poorer, stop slower, get worse mileage and cost more than the sport bike it started out as.
Great idea for folks with a handicap that limits their ability to ride a true bike however.
I'll stick with my Kawasaki ZRX over that thing any day.

If Canada really wanted to build a car it would probably be better to pick up the dies and rights to an existing car and re market it .
BMW got the mini, Volks got the Beetle back.

Must be something else out there?
MG perhaps?
Smiths gauges and Lucas electrics, yikes.

Trex

 

[L Gilbert]

Mopar hasn't made a real car since 1972. Why are they still around anyway?

Real cars are still around because people seem to like them, seem to think they need them, etc.

 

[L Gilbert]

Its a tricycle for people who cannot handle a sport bike.
It will accelerate slower, handle poorer, stop slower, get worse mileage and cost more than the sport bike it started out as.
Great idea for folks with a handicap that limits their ability to ride a true bike however.
I'll stick with my Kawasaki ZRX over that thing any day..........

Trex

Kinda nifty if you wanna bike on a Canadian winter day or on pretty much any day in Kitimat at pretty much any time of the year. lol

 

[Ron in Regina]

Canada's already building this thing, without government money.
I've been up on two wheels for a long time, and I'd love to play
with one of these....;-)

 

[L Gilbert]

Spme people are purists, though, Ron. Hence the Harley riders' scorn for "Japscrap", Lambhorgini lovers' scorn for Ferraris, BMW riders' scorn for other bikes, etc.

Personally, I like what I see of this critter. I also liked my Triumph Bonny and I like what I see of K-series Bimmers.

 

[DichotoMe]

I don't think the government wants to get into the auto industry and I can't say I totally blame anyone for that.

However, a company like Bombardier (are they still even a Canadian company?) would be the best candidate IMO. They already manufacture planes and trains so I can't see it being such a huge shift to introduce a new consumer line of automobiles. If it was initially implemented on a small scale production and the cars were built tough, reliable, affordable and eco friendly then I'm positive they would sell.

On a side note! I think we need to revamp the rail system. Get more cars off the roads. A national maglev system seems to make sense. I am aware of the potential cost. However, I suspect if you combine the costs of money (bailouts and tax credits) given to failing corporations then we would have a good start on financing such a project. Sure it might take ten years but once completed we could have access to Canada's east coast, west coast and north coast.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

Bombardier, that privately supported crown corporation. Might not be the best company to build a new Cdn car.

I like Magma better, being a parts manufacturer already. However, it's five years of protection, then make money or die.

What Canadians need is a sensible durable car. We spend less on options and buy smaller simpler vehicles than Americans do. The market is there.

This is a great way to keep money in the country and develop a new industry. Especially with electric/hybrid cars on the way, we could be on the cutting edge of new technologies, leave gas cars completely behind.

 

[Machjo]

So Chyrsler is threatening to pull out of Canada? So what. Revenue Canada has a lien on their factories. They owe at least a billion dollars in taxes so they won't leave. What the federal gov't should do is use that tax money to fund a new home grown super green Canadian car and manufacturing industry. We have a big parts industry so it is doable.

However the pro-Americans and anti-Canadians called the Harper gov't would never promote such a national economic strategy. Their Canada is a subervient Canada to the American empire. Suckholes.

The Big 3 are the walking dead. Shoot these zombies, ie, no bailout cash.

TheStar.com | Business | Ontario downplays Chrysler pullout threats The threatened pullout

reportonbusiness.com: Tax fight imperils Chrysler's survival Back taxes

I'd rather the Canadian government not nationalise it, period. It should just butt out.

BUT, if it insists on intervening, then transform it into a factory for public transit technologies, such as inter-city bullet-trains, or high-tech automated subway or sky trains, etc.

If the government intervenes, it ought to intervene insomething that all Canadians can benefit from, even the poor who rely on public transit. Otherwise, it should just butt out of the industry altogether.

Even the train-manufacturing industry could be profitable. With the US increasing infrastructure spending, Amtrak might be interested in importing high quality train products. Bombardie could be a good base as they are involved in train tech already. VIA Rail could possibly upgrade too, along with cities that want to expand or modernise their subway or skytrain services, both in Canada and the US. Mexico too? Or even the world if the quality is high enough.

Again, I'd rather the government butt out. But if it insists on it, then go for something that even the poor can benefit from too, not expensive cars.

 

[Machjo]

I don't think the government wants to get into the auto industry and I can't say I totally blame anyone for that.

However, a company like Bombardier (are they still even a Canadian company?) would be the best candidate IMO. They already manufacture planes and trains so I can't see it being such a huge shift to introduce a new consumer line of automobiles. If it was initially implemented on a small scale production and the cars were built tough, reliable, affordable and eco friendly then I'm positive they would sell.

On a side note! I think we need to revamp the rail system. Get more cars off the roads. A national maglev system seems to make sense. I am aware of the potential cost. However, I suspect if you combine the costs of money (bailouts and tax credits) given to failing corporations then we would have a good start on financing such a project. Sure it might take ten years but once completed we could have access to Canada's east coast, west coast and north coast.

One reason I beleive the train system has failed in North America relatively speaking is owing to our low population density compared to other countries. We're big but with few people.

One possible solution to this (sorry Usonophobes among you) would be to promote more co-operation between VIA Rail and Amtrak, possibly even amalgamation. Acknowledging Canada's excessively low population density to maintain a rail system at decent cost, and acknowledging that the US has a similar problem albeit not as critical (the only reason VIA is better than Amtrak overall is owing to more government funding, not thanks to economic self-sufficiency), we come to an agreement that canadian trains would mainly go North-South to connect with the American ones, with the American ones going East-West. This way, a Canadian who wants to go from, let's say, Montreal to Vancouver might have to go to Toronto, then from Toronto to Buffalo then from Buffalo to Seattle, then from Seattle to Vancouver. Though North America might not have enough of a population density to support the rails it has now, if we agreed to share some US tracks, then maybe the US could agree. We'd just have to negotiate some kind of win-win agreement.

Either that or open the immigration floodgates, baby.We just don't have th epopulation density for us to go it alone.

 

[Machjo]

If we insist on the government creating a Canadian car (not that I agree with it, but if most people insist on it), then I'd sugest creating a car designed specifically for Canadian weather and terrain. That way, it could develop a local market and be hard to be ousted by a foreign competitor. Perhaps a car desinged to be ideal for those living in more isolated communities. This would mean that city-slickers might still rely on imports, but Canada could then export its car to other northern countries looking for a quality utility-car for more isolated areas.

 

[DichotoMe]

WE have to be our own country with our own infrastructure. We can't rely on yankees for anything, by doing so we increase our dependence on them. I hate hearing this idea, and it seems like it is on this site in particular, that we have to pander to america. It is proponents of this mentality that holds us back from being a great nation.

The current rail systems we have now are old and some cities have even started to dismantle their tracks. If we built a maglev rail system I'm sure some yanks would use it, especially with the dollar being worth what it is. It's faster, safer, more comfortable, a smaller security risk and possibly even cheaper once its paid for. I also believe it would boost tourism nationally. However, we'll need a totally new state of the art system that will service us into the next century and take over from the expensive and wasteful industry that is air travel.

Air traffic is down because of ridiculous costs and maddening airports. This will only get worse, it is slowly but surely a dying industry. We should begin plans to abandon air travel now, with the exception of a few overseas flights, and invest all our airline bailout money into the maglev. People don't use the trains because they can fly and drive. If we eliminate 90% of the airplanes then travelers will be forced to travel by maglev, at least for continental long distance trips.

On a side note! We should let more immigrants into Canada.

 

[DichotoMe]

Isn't it Magna, and ewgh!

 

[petros]

Quoting petros Mopar hasn't made a real car since 1972. Why are they still around anyway?
​

Real cars are still around because people seem to like them, seem to think they need them, etc.

I still have my first car and first wife and both are in mint shape.

 

[petros]

One reason I beleive the train system has failed in North America relatively speaking is owing to our low population density compared to other countries. We're big but with few people.

The Russian rail system covers a far bigger area quite efficeiently so size and population density doesn't work. There are numerous communities in Canada that rely 100% on rail but they are given nostalgic images rather than something to look forward to as the nation grows northward.

 

[#juan]

Obama seems to be toughening his stance on bailout. Chrysler could be history. We'll know in about a month. Chrysler will either be gone, or part of FIAT.(The Italian conglomerate)

reportonbusiness.com: ‘Failure of leadership' caused auto collapse, Obama says