Word: auto
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...price range-and impressive fuel economy of around 20 km per liter, Hello Kitty-cute kei could play a big role in the future of Japanese transport. "It's a good bet that minis are going to be an increasing part of Japan's auto market," says Christopher Richter, Tokyo-based auto analyst for investment bank CLSA...
...Even in Japan, the market appears to have limits. Kei sales in April fell 6.4% from a year earlier, the first drop in 16 months. The slump is unlikely to last, however. "Over the long term the minicar market is expected to grow continuously," says Tsuyoshi Mochimaru, an auto analyst for Deutsche Securities in Tokyo. When a country's population shrinks, apparently so do its cars...
...employees' medical expenses when they retire. Faced in recent years with stagnant sales and rising health-care costs, the automakers have been ratcheting down those benefits (mainly by requiring co-pays and contributions) for retirees without union contracts. Then, in 2005, General Motors and Ford persuaded the United Auto Workers (UAW) to break open an existing contract to cut health benefits for both current and retired workers. Chrysler couldn't get a similar break because at the time it appeared healthier than its Detroit brethren; plus it belonged to a big German company whose other businesses (Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner...
Discussions of the U.S. auto industry's woes often break down into something like those old Miller Lite tastes-great/less-filling debates: The cars aren't good enough! The pension and health-care costs are too high...
...Good news, paleoanthropology and commercial fans: the Geico Cavemen are getting a sitcom on ABC. Despite misgivings about the viability of a 30-sec. spot as source material, blog site DEFAMER praises "the network's attempt to synthesize the best elements of auto-insurance advertising and situational comedy into a groundbreaking, hybrid infotainment form." SCORE...