Wednesday, May 20, 2020

DRIVING & LIFE'S CRYSTAL BALL - VERY CLEAR IN 2017 by John Crawford

A regular reader of DRIVING & LIFE just referred me back to a post I wrote on October 18, 2017 forecasting that perhaps it was probable we would see the end of the Holden brand in Australia.


Quite frankly I'm delighted to celebrate my prescience at the time, although not the sad outcome for Holden employees.

http://www.drivingandlife.com/2017/10/holdens-future-detroit-closes-in-to.html

Being able to enjoy the experience of working at Board level posts over a 40 year career in the global automotive industry equipped me not only with a sense of cynicsm and skeptiscm, but also a native understanding of what sort of decisions flow from Boardrooms at critical moments in time.

I hope you've enjoyed following my prognostications on the car industry, because occasionally I have calls from industry friends saying: "You must be crazy to suggest that!" - and then, when the forecast proves correct, a lot of humble pie is consumed. Mind you, I've been wrong too, and I'm only too happy to admit mistakes.


However, being intimately involved in the business side of the industry, as well as having a passionate interest in the product side, gives me very clear insights into what may, or may not happen.

As always, in industry, Return on Investment (ROI) plays the biggest role in investment decisions, and possible new models. I am very fortunate to have fantastic (deep throat) contacts into many car companies, and my clear sight of  companies' financial stability and their potential, which provides me with a very clear crystal ball to forecast possible outcomes.

I hope we can enjoy the movements in the motor industry together for a long time to come. It's a fascinating industry, and right now we are on the slippery edge of a new paradigm - acclerated by COVID19.


Make no mistake, this pandemic will change our lives in so many ways, it's both fascinating and scary. 

Certainly, as far as the car business is concerned - in all its elements: design, manufacturing, retail and driving experience, the future is really a blur that no crystal ball can forecast.

John Crawford



No comments:

Post a Comment