Some International News - 6 October 2009

[wynode]

Looks like Honda UK are adding the Jazz to their lineup of cars that are to be made locally. The car will become the third model made at the company’s South Marston factory in Wiltshire, alongside the Civic and CR-V. The 1.2 and 1.4-litre engines used in the Jazz will also be built there.

Could the threat from Korean auto manufacturers be similar to the threat that European / American manufacturers faced from Japanese cars? Honda’s CEO Takanobu Ito has said he sees Korean manufacturer Hyundai as a huge threat to the future of Japanese automakers. The Korean firm has seen strong sales growth across the world in the last few years and it is currently the top selling manufacturer in Britain for retail sales. “Hyundai is awesome,” said Takanobu. “They are undoubtedly a threat because their products are cheap, and the quality is improving.”

Some sales figures out of the USA for Honda don't look too promising compared to last year. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted total September vehicle sales of 77,229, a decline of 23.3 percent compared to September 2008, based on the daily selling rate*. Honda Division posted September sales of 69,970, a decline of 22.5 percent versus September 2008.

The latest Tuner Article on the Honda Tuning Magazine features a 1995 Honda Civic Ex. What do you call a Civic owner who takes design cues from guys like Chip Foose, mounts his side-markers not in their intended OEM locations but where he feels they should have been mounted in the first place, and does anything and everything that flies in the face of conventional JDM think and internet forum monkey rationale? You call him original.

And some MotoGP News...
Rea Fast and On The Podium at Penultimate Round. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) capitalized on his second place grid position in the second race to secure a podium finish at Magny-Cours, after being forced out of the first race. In no scoring and then finishing third today he is now fifth in the championship, with only the final round in Portimao to come, on October 25.

Pedrosa Sets New Lap Record On Way To Third. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) established a new Estoril lap record during a typically determined ride to third place in the Portuguese Grand Prix. The Spaniard was Honda’s top performer in the race, while Toni Elias (San Carlo Honda Gresini) and Andrea Dovizioso (Repsol Honda) provided the best entertainment as they battled for sixth place all the way to the checkered flag. Elias won the duel by just 0.014 seconds.

[Slaz]

Honda shut the Marston factory for nearly 5 months and gave employee's the option to leave, re train ect and kept the ones that wanted to stay on a payment scheme, within 2 days of being re opened and back at work, they were at the 600 units of Jazz's per day which i think is pretty impressive, they will be pumping out 170,000 of them in the next year according to Honda targets.

There is also a new model being produced at this factory due end 2010 early 2011 apparently, but no news as yet, i dare say the civic will be due for replacement and the car rumoured to be built there.

[aaronng]

There is also a new model being produced at this factory due end 2010 early 2011 apparently, but no news as yet, i dare say the civic will be due for replacement and the car rumoured to be built there.

Wonder what will happen to the Swindon plant if Marston gets the Jazz and the Civic (which are basically the only models made or planned to be made in the UK)?

[wynode]

There is also a new model being produced at this factory due end 2010 early 2011 apparently, but no news as yet, i dare say the civic will be due for replacement and the car rumoured to be built there.

Got any info on this other model you speak of ?