[Shop-talk] (no subject)

[John Miller]

>> The high-volume models (or
>> what were the high-volume models until the game shifted over the past
>> year) are all made in the US.
> 
> Well now, that's only semi-true.  Yes, there are some Camry's and Corolla's 
> made in the US.  Toyota also builds them in Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, 
> Canada, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, China, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, and 
> Pakistan.

But not for the US market, and the cars that are built in the US are 
typically optimized for the US market (that is, bigger and cheaper.)

The US-market Honda Accord exists outside the US only in Australia, to 
my knowledge, and the US-market Civic is a special super-wide model once 
again not seen much of anywhere else.

>> There's nothing sold in the US and licensed as a normal road vehicle
>> that costs less than $2000 to make.
> 
> Problem is, it wasn't Jimmy down there on the docks, babbling away because 
> he read it in the National Inquirer. It came up in a meeting with a number 
> of the executives of North American operations from several of the car 
> companies.  I hope you understand that I'm pretty inclined to believe them 
> over you.  They sure were quick with the breakdown of their manufacturing 
> and operating costs. 

I'm sorry, it just doesn't scan.  $2000 in LABOR in an Aveo or Kia Rio, 
maybe.   But not $2000 in total labor, materials, and allocated overhead.

John.