Efraim Levy
Efraim Levy
areas belts items review time
It's time for automakers to tighten their belts and look for areas of inefficiencies and redundancies. They need to review what discretionary items can be eliminated.
punch showing signs
Signs in the marketplace are showing it is not having the punch that it once had,
adapt companies currency increasing tastes themselves
By increasing in-region development and procurement, these companies can better adapt to US tastes and preferences while insulating themselves from currency fluctuations.
brand domestic excited foreign happy ownership people process products shop sure taking vehicles
It's the vehicles themselves. You have to have products that people are excited about buying. And you also have to make sure they're happy with the ownership process and they're not taking them to the shop more often for a domestic brand than you are for a foreign brand.
added aggressive believe benefits bottom cost cuts design faster financial help improve meet objectives performance plans refreshing rest technology vehicle
We think (Ford) plans to be more aggressive with design and technology in its vehicles, to be faster in the refreshing of its vehicle lineup and to make added cost cuts that will help improve financial performance over the rest of the decade. However, we do not believe the restructuring will meet all of Ford's objectives and we think that not all benefits will accrue to the bottom line.
assume auto companies less pay
When they make their contracts, the auto suppliers now assume that auto companies will pay less each year.
incentives might people qualify
There are not so many people that can actually qualify for zero-percent financing. But the incentives get them into the dealership, where they might get something else.