Who's the Next Car King?

One thing, when you are on top, (as an auto maker) there is only one other way to go. And I believe it's healthy that to be on top can change.

Just so that it does not prohibit an upstart company, that can put a challenge in for the top position. But it won't happen over night.

If the big three and other large companies fail to use their clout and economic power to prevent a shift in the car buying world, I can see China as the world leader. It's only through sanctions and restrictions that we can survive. China can provide a cheaper product in huge quantities that we cannot compete with. Our economy has priced us out of the market. We no longer can provide products that the rest of the world, or even ourselves can afford, no matter how good they are.

The only way that China can catch up is by stealing Japanese and Western technology and since it is 100% certain that they will do that, the best answer to that is to blanket lock them out of the Japanese, American and European markets altogether.

China doesn't have to steal technology from the west. It's the companies that relocate overseas to take advantage of cheap labor that provide them the technology.

" GM paid off its government loans well ahead of schedule"

I'm not sure that's accurate. I've read several articles indicating that GM paid back the loans with other TARP money.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/22/grassley-slams-gm-administration-loans-repaid-bailout-money/

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/04/23/how-did-gm-pay-off-its-bailout-loans/

http://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/did-gm-pay-off-its-bailout-loans-by-using-other-government-loans/

The next King of the Car Manufacturers is likely to be Tata...

I hope selection would be on the basis of the quality, price, service, looks, etc., not only on the volumes. Considering all these aspects I will vote for Suzuki.

Well, this is a very interesting topic for discussion. Although Europe and the Americas have that quality, the Asians have the quantities, and when majority of the market becomes theirs they can "buy" the quality. After all, it just happens to be a transfer of knowledge and personnel and the Chinese have all the experience they need; check from the bottom of any disposal cup and you might just understand what I mean.