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Old 07-11-2011, 08:31 PM   #110 (permalink)
cfg83
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jamesqf -

Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf View Post
But appreciate the very significant difference between the Japanese going into Europe and the Japanese going into the US. In Europe, the Japanese were offering similiar-sized products to what European mfgs were producing, so they had to compete on price, quality, & service. In the US, they had that very underpopulated small car (and small pickup) niche waiting for them.
That's a good point. Sometimes I liken the 1970's American car market to Australia. The first Japanese cars were like rabbits because when you combine them with rising gas prices they "multiply" like mad and push aside the native (Big-3) population. The EU market would have already been "hardened" by high fuel prices, so they could compete.

Ha, makes me wonder if the VW Rabbit name was a subsequent inside joke :



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