I was recently talking with my sons about the pending closure of the GM assembly plant in a south suburb of Dayton. With the closure of multiple Delphi plants and the 2010 shutdown of the GM SUV assembly plant, Dayton has been severely hit by the slowdown of the US automotive industry.
A nice article in CarScoop summarizes the changes in American vehicle purchases over the last 12 months. This has been precipitated by the staggering increases in the cost of gasoline. Trucks such as the Ford Econoline, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram have seen a nearly 20% decrease in sales. Meanwhile the fuel-economy-minded vehicles such as the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, and Chevy Malibu have all seen 20% (and more) increases in units sold.
Do you think if or when the price of oil falls we as American consumers will go back to buying SUV’s and V8’s ??
I have seen several interesting reports saying that increased oil prices are in part due to speculators. If that is the case,the bubble will burst and prices will fall dramatically. Your thoughts ?
I feel the unions are largely to blame for the auto ind. decline in Dayton and around the country. Your thoughts ?