November 18, 2008 8:56PM

Talking Cars & Auto Industry at the L.A. Auto Show

By Brian Sullivan

Tomorrow I will be live at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

We have a live interview with the CEO of Nissan at 7:45am PT / 10:45am ET followed by interviews with auto execs from Audi, Volkswagen, Ferrari and more. We should be showing you the new Chevrolet Volt, the electric car that GM has big hopes for.

In addition to discussing the state of the auto industry with the executives we are going to have a little fun (don’t we all need it?) and show you some of the coolest cars and concepts around. Be sure to tune in on Fox Business all day long.

A bit of sad irony though that while we sit down with Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn, his counterparts from the American automakers are in Washington asking for government money.

Economic anecdote: Newark airport was only mildly busy on flight out to California today. Fewest people I’ve seen in security line in a long time.

9 Responses to “Talking Cars & Auto Industry at the L.A. Auto Show”

Comment by Gary Driscoll

November 18th, 2008 at 10:05 pm

Question: How many millions does an auto company spend to exhibit at the show?
Comment by NIck

November 19th, 2008 at 8:08 am

Maybe you can find out how(and with what) GM is EXPANDING in China,while they ask for our tax dollars because they’re in such dire straights here.
Comment by John

November 19th, 2008 at 8:50 am

And we should ask - how mant times is our government and/or Wall St going to create issues (all completely fabricated) that cause the BIG 3 to change directions? Build them small, no now we have gas and consumers want them big, now build them small …………..

Changing directions cost billions and years of work. Only to change once again once they get there. INSANITY!

What ever happened to telling the truth? instead it’s greed that runs us. And in the end all most of us do is go from home to work and back at the end of the day.
Comment by Ted Ryfiak

November 19th, 2008 at 10:09 am

It would be the patriotic thing to do to keep US auto jobs here. Most foreign cars are subsidized by their governments in some way. We just tax the heck out of our corporations.
This is what they should do:
Automotive Bail Out Conditions

1] All upper management removed with no “Golden Parachute”.
2] Upper management replaced with successful non-automotive managers.
3] No existing union contracts honored.
4] No vehicles under 20 mpg built.
5] All vehicles must be 100% US made content to bring jobs back here.
6] All profits go immediately back to pay off bail out.
Comment by Ron

November 19th, 2008 at 10:40 am

How many millions do they spend on concept cars that they know will never be a reality?
Comment by Bill Ross

November 19th, 2008 at 10:55 am

love the gtR - btw i am interested in amatuer racing and was wondering if u could recommend a place to start or how t start?
Thx
Comment by B Scott

November 19th, 2008 at 2:12 pm

Brian,I have been trying to educate your viewers with respect to the Big 3 automakers, based on responses,I can see I,m getting nowhere, so heres one more attempt…..to all who seem to enjoy bashing the Big 3, I want to take you a couple of years into the future,…. US car manufacturers go bankrupt, Japanese car manufacturers close all North American plants, why.. first the Japanese are loyal people(unlike many Americans),they will want to keep their own people working.Secondly they know that any American who can afford a new car will now have “no choice” but to buy it from them.
Comment by NIck

November 20th, 2008 at 7:49 am

B Scott,you act like the Big 3 give a care about you or any American worker.Take a long look at where they are building “American” cars and which countries they are INVESTING MORE MONEY into.They don’t give a rip about their American workers,or else they wouldn’t have plants in Canada and Mexico,and most certainly wouldn’t be RAMPING UP in China.
You’re bankrupt scenario will never play out.Companies don’t close up shop when they file Chapter 11.They restructure,and hopefully, without labor unions.
Take away the unions and the union mentality of being “worth more” than everyone else,and these car makers will make it just fine.
Comment by Jane

November 20th, 2008 at 10:57 am

The U.S. auto industry should be given “conditional” help by the government and their compliance strictly controlled and monitored. The taxpayers cannot afford, nor should they tolerate, throwing more money after bad into their self-serving, failed management and design philosophy. Out with the old guard and in with the new. I agree with Ted Ryfiak and would add this to his list, 7. Shed those outrageous “perks”, first on the list … ALL those corporate jets.