Motor "Industry"

Victor

I've noticed people going on about saving the Irish motor industry. What industry?

All I see is (a) car sales (b) car parts and maintenance. Do we actually make car here? Sure, I imagine there are some parts / sub assembly made here, but they don't seem to be very prominant. Car parts and maintenance will always be needed.

So is it a bunch of smarmy salesmen that we are being asked to save?

Kartale

Is it a problem with the term "industry" you have or salesmen ?
Surely you can work out that more than just salespeople are involved.
Admin, secretaries, accounts, deliveries to & fro, money spent in locality, sponsorship, contractors, need i go on ?
It must be a lonely SAturday night if this is all you have to say

Johnboy Mac

Victor wrote: »

I've noticed people going on about saving the Irish motor industry. What industry?

All I see is (a) car sales (b) car parts and maintenance. Do we actually make car here? Sure, I imagine there are some parts / sub assembly made here, but they don't seem to be very prominant. Car parts and maintenance will always be needed.

So is it a bunch of smarmy salesmen that we are being asked to save?

It generates or did generate a lot of revenue for the exchequer, at it's peak I understand it was in the order of €2billion plus the employment of thousands.

Guy:Incognito

Theres a huge amount of direct jobs with salesmen and mechanics that are effected the more garages close. But there are countless knock on effects. Everything from parts makers (home or abroad) to admin staff in dealers, even down to local shops and garages losing loads of business (just like when there arent hoardes of builders around). Every business effects many others, Any job loss is bad becaus eit has a knock on effect somehwere else.


Thats without getting into the revenue the country gets (and doesnt have to pay out via the dole).

nowye'retalkin

Stekelly wrote: »

Theres a huge amount of direct jobs with salesmen and mechanics that are effected the more garages close. But there are countless knock on effects. Everything from parts makers (home or abroad) to admin staff in dealers, even down to local shops and garages losing loads of business (just like when there arent hoardes of builders around). Every business effects many others, Any job loss is bad becaus eit has a knock on effect somehwere else.


Thats without getting into the revenue the country gets (and doesnt have to pay out via the dole).

Well said. Perhaps industry is not so apt a phrase. Cars and every thing to do with them have a huge impact on many countries economies. As important as they seems I hope there is no gevernment intervention. They should have thought out the co2 thing here a lot better but that is the past.

From here on in it is the survival of the strongest. The weak will fold and that will make the rest stronger. That is what will happen in a lot of "Industries"

Hellrazer

Victor wrote: »

So is it a bunch of smarmy salesmen that we are being asked to save?

I think it is Victor.

In any place Ive ever worked the salesmen were always the "golden boys" of the company.Treated well etc while the aftersales always played second fiddle to them.

Now that times have changed and sales are doing nothing its the after sales departments that dealer principals are looking to to save their businesses.

Aftersales in a lot of dealers are now the ones keeping the wolf from the door.

Carawaystick

It seems like it's a bubble being propped up here,
Ireland doesn't generate any wealth in total from cars, sure the govt rakes in taxes but that's money that would otherwise be spent on more productive things.
all cars and most parts come from abroad. this importing is letting the country's money leave. It'd be like fuel stations asking for subsidies cos they're not making as much money and closing down. The Govt makes lots of tax money from fuel but at the end of the day it's all imported and apart form Whitegate, very litte refining or Value Add happens here, yet no clamour for bail outs in that industry.

Tails142

Stekelly wrote: »

Theres a huge amount of direct jobs with salesmen and mechanics that are effected the more garages close. But there are countless knock on effects. Everything from parts makers (home or abroad) to admin staff in dealers, even down to local shops and garages losing loads of business (just like when there arent hoardes of builders around). Every business effects many others, Any job loss is bad becaus eit has a knock on effect somehwere else.


Thats without getting into the revenue the country gets (and doesnt have to pay out via the dole).

Well its not as if we've all stopped driving our cars now is it?

The parts and service section of the 'industry' is obviously still in need, as well as the admin staff to support them.

There's obviously a supply and demand issue, we have no demand for new cars, and too many garages, some will just have to close.

It's a cyclical, country eating its own arse problem I agree, i.e. if a car salesman is going to let go he mightnt get new carpets in his house for example, meaning a carpet showroom ends up losing business and may face closure, meaning the lads working in the carpet showroom mightn't buy new cars, meaning another car dealer may have to close... but eventually it will stabilise and correct itself and we'll be back into growth... who knows how long that will take though?

BlackWizard

Is the car industry not directly related to how well economically a region is doing?

So if Ireland isn't doing to well, then the motor industry will suffer. I find it frustrating that people are talking about "bailing out" the motor industry. I'd prefer if we helped Ireland as a whole instead of concentrating on an industry with a very large lobby group which would benefit more from the people of Ireland being better off than with some sort of "bail out" package.

Anan1

Carawaystick wrote: »

It seems like it's a bubble being propped up here,
Ireland doesn't generate any wealth in total from cars, sure the govt rakes in taxes but that's money that would otherwise be spent on more productive things.
all cars and most parts come from abroad. this importing is letting the country's money leave. It'd be like fuel stations asking for subsidies cos they're not making as much money and closing down. The Govt makes lots of tax money from fuel but at the end of the day it's all imported and apart form Whitegate, very litte refining or Value Add happens here, yet no clamour for bail outs in that industry.

This is quite true with regard to car sales. Servicing and repair work is a different matter, though.