What Car Companies Will Be Around 5 Years From Now?

I can speculate that in order for Ford to survive in the US, it will have to take a lead from what GM is doing with Saturn and integrate Euro models into the US market. The Focus and Mondeo (500) are examples, better there, stale and sucky here.

In the GM family, I believe based upon past and current trends, Buick and Pontiac will be on the chopping block again, that is, unless RWD makes a big comeback paired with the new CAFE law expectations.

Saturn will avoid "getting Oldsmobiled" as long as GM and Jill keep new product coming. There is no reason not to import or transfer here many of the other AG Opel products such as the Corsa and VXR lines here as well as clean diesels. (See Opel.com and Vauxhall.com) We have the capabilities and platforms to build them here and letting the line go old and stale as has been a past trend of Saturn and GM is not an option for survival.

Thems my 2 cents...

Very in-depth!.The ''bridging'' of foreign cars to Americans bugs me,but if that what it takes...it will turn into a mess tho,exporting,importing,really will have to keep tight records on who buys what.

One more thought, been in my mind every time I see my fav show Top Gear on BBC America. Chevy is in trouble right now too, perhaps GM needs to think outside of the box and stop boerrowing from Saturn (see the new Malibu, Cobalt, Equinox and Uplander) shame on them when they had the idea "kinda right with the Aveo. Yes, the lowly Daewoo built Aveo.

Point is that Chevy is a TRUE international car company, there is a Chevy brand variation in just about every country and many of them are superior to the cr*p being sold here under the Chevy name (sans the Silverado). One brand that is sold under the Chevy name and is a reasonably built but not well selling car is also called Suzuki here. (The Forenza here is the Chevy Lacetti there). S. America has some fantastic designs also not built here (see Motor Trend). As Americans, we are missing alot and don't even know it.