"There are a couple of loose ends I'd like to tie up. Nothing important you understand"
Little rear engine Renaults were once all over Asia...
Bush's Trump's fault!
Excellent analysis of what happens in a currency union when, unlike in the US, there is no corresponding fiscal union to act as an automatic stabilizer for regions hit by adverse shocks.
Hell...
Where the food is British
The Cars are French
The Police are German
The Lovers are Swiss
....and the whole thing is run by Italians.
Somehow I think the world can survive losing French automakers.
I was in France 46 years ago and the cars on the streets of Paris looked like co karts with coragated metal roofs. I would think that if France wanted its own automotive factories that it would invite in Toyota to build a factory for Compact cars. The problem for France is that the economic strength of the country is so weak that very few are able to afford a new car. Certainly not an American or Japanese car.
When was the last time you saw a non-antique Citroen, Renault, or Peugot in the U.S? They are still poular here in Europe, but their reputation for reliability and durability is not good.
"There are a couple of loose ends I'd like to tie up. Nothing important you understand"
I predict this thread will be filled with comments trashing the French auto industry, posted by people who secretly lust for a Bugatti Veyron.
Really? Halved?? The muslims have been burning thousands of them in France. Seems there would be a big need for new cars.
France is squeezed by the German boot heel on one side and cheaper Asians on the other. Since the French auto industry is mostly controlled by government, there is no way it can be adaptable enough to survive.
The most popular French-manufactured models are tiny, cookie-cutter designs that the Asians do better and cheaper. There would be a market for upscale and high-end French autos, but no capitalist initiative to make it happen. RIP
The Euro was $1.60 in 2008. It's $1.10 now.
Good Lord, how weak would the franc have to be?