Toyota Australia reports $220 million PROFIT

[V8 Ghia Mike]

Originally Posted by wildrider

I can understand why fords pulling out but in saying that I kinda feel like they have never really gave the falcon a chance?? I really wished ford could of exported the falcon overseas too the USA. I've known for years (even back in the days of the BA) where americans would say. "gee, I wish ford sold them here". with this one ford thing. I thought they would of built falcon on mustangs platform and have the falcon for sale along side mustang. that way ford would have a rear wheel drive performance sedan.

I had a friend visiting from the USA last year and I showed him my mate's BA XR8 Magnet ute- he was totally blown away by it and couldn't believe it was hidden away here by Ford. He thought a ute that could walk all over a F-series truck in performance and handling would sell in their thousands in the US....

Has there ever been a Falcon that had any engineering input for LHD? If not, I'm beginning to think that Ford US have deliberately kept Falcon hidden in Australia for decades. Why? What US vehicle was that supposed to protect? Who cares if Falcon could have been US-built, it's still a better car than the Yank iron and could have boosted sales and kept Americans in their auto obs. I just don't get it.

Mike

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Yes , including employing security guards to escort laid off workers from Toyota premises.

I can think of at least half a dozen Australian owned businesses that have done the same over the last 30 odd years or so....i worked for one company that has done it twice, it’s definitely not a tactic unique to Toyota, or even invented by them.....

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

I can think of at least half a dozen Australian owned businesses that have done the same over the last 30 odd years or so....i worked for one company that has done it twice, it’s definitely not a tactic unique to Toyota, or even invented by them.....

Exactly, many do it to prevent sabotage or worse some kind of assault.
We have had people escorted out of the office who I believe are harmless (but could do some damage should they have 5min with their laptop) and others I wouldn't trust unless they were in cuffs.

[BHDOGS]

It keeps us security guards in a job only industry where the more ****** things get the more work you get.

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by Brazen

But what else should it cost? You can get a CRV for 29,990, a AWD Subaru forester is about 31. You can pick up a Corolla for 20 grand brand new, I think Toyota would be happy people paying 10 grand more for a Camry.

Yeah, and why would they. I think we are all failing to see the big picture here. It cost more to build a car here in Australia than anywhere else in our region. Matter of fact nearly 4 times as much. Now why would you, as a business do it. If building Camry's and Aurion's were viable and profitable, can you please tell me why Toyota will be asking for big brass from our govt? Answer is its not profitable. When you selling nearly 40,000 Hi-lux's a year, you will be profitable. what Toyota's figures dont tell us is what their local manufacturing profit and loss was for the year. Like i said, you believe what you want to believe.

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Toyota dont actually make money from base model Camrys, they are sold at a loss.

I think you'll find the majority of the profit is from the imports, if not all of it.

Thanks Martin, great to see some people on this forums can see the forest for the trees.

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Ford Australia have to share some of the blame, its not just a matter of ford US.

With the FG falcon, the 4l should have died, and been replaced by a global V6 from the start, and efforts used to implement more global wiring/electronics.

This could have helped cut costs, and make export more attractive.

Problem is. Most countries unlike ours, have high levels of tafiffs to protect their local manufacturing. A falcon landed in thailand or china or anywhere else in asia pacific, would be incredibly dear hence the business decision not to export. Developing a LHD version for the states is too much investment for no gurantee of return. Ask yourself this, if you were in charge of Ford and you have all these finance experts doing maths etc and they come back to you with a plan that says "Continue to build locally and you will go broke" would you continue? The other point i make is that there appears to be lots of people in the general public that appear to know more about Ford's economies of scale than they do.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Bring out the Tundra here and I'll buy a Toyota. Until then, good luck to them but they don't build anything I want.

Theres already a few in the country
But youll need a lazy 100 grand .......
300 Kw V8, 5 tonne towing

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Brazen

But what else should it cost? You can get a CRV for 29,990, a AWD Subaru forester is about 31. You can pick up a Corolla for 20 grand brand new, I think Toyota would be happy people paying 10 grand more for a Camry.

Exactly ....
New dual cab 4x4s ,mitso under 30 grand driveaway,navara coupla grand more driveaway
Can get both with most of the bells and whistles, in autos even for under 40 grand driveaway
You wonder why dual cab 4x4s are such big sellers .....

[mik]

Originally Posted by Wretched

Well...interesting...considering some of the comments from this forum...

Well this is true mate, and im suprised given another article quoted different figures, and it has been in print that the year just past they ran at a loss.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

Really? Thats what happens when you're $29990 at near 0% finance for over a year. How profitable would you think that would be for them? More so how did Aurion fare against Commodore and Falcon. The only issue is people believing everything thats printed.
Know what the retail pricing is for the chevrolet SS is in the US? It is $44,740 US dollars over there. Guess how many they will sell? As may as the G8 cause its over priced to buggery. That is why both export programs and producing cars in Australia for Australians is out of the question.

Think about this one. The market in Malaysia is 800,000 units per annum. A car distributer there "which i will not mention brand name" only sold 7000 units last year because they do not produce vehicles there. The malaysian government places massive taxes on distributers over there to protect local manufacturing. All of which the ensures that they have a steady local manufacturing industry and makes distributers reconsider penetrating their market place. We (Australia) on the other hand have over time made is easier for distributers and more difficult for manufacterers. It doesnt make sense to build in australia and the last 2 manufacterers will make simliar annoucements (sadly) over the next 12 months.

You have to hand it to the asian countrys, they see car manufacturing as a value added industry that has many benefits for the country , and they do everything possible to give them an advantage over other countries, even punishing their own population with threat of tax audits if they buy foreign in the past apparently.
Yet here in Australia the majority dont give a stuff and see no benefits (how short sided), Polticians cry some crocodile tears and give hand outs without any real Intention of fixing the core problem of it being very expensive to do business here.

[Dave R]

I don't think Toyota can be compared to Ford or Holden, they don't design the Camrys that they make, the manufacturing processes would be near identical to the other Camry plants- it would be a very efficient operation.

And if they are still asking for government handouts, they can get stuffed as far as I'm concerned. If the govt hands over another significant sum of cash, they may as well wire it straight to Japan, all they would be doing is making a profitable Japanese company even more profitable.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

I don't think Toyota can be compared to Ford or Holden, they don't design the Camrys that they make, the manufacturing processes would be near identical to the other Camry plants- it would be a very efficient operation.

And if they are still asking for government handouts, they can get stuffed as far as I'm concerned. If the govt hands over another significant sum of cash, they may as well wire it straight to Japan, all they would be doing is making a profitable Japanese company even more profitable.

Handout or not,it still keeps those employed in this country employed .....
Ford and Holdens parent company are foreign owned as well

Its just toyota make a better product for a wider audience,not a handful of overpriced limited build specials

[Bossxr8]

Graziano was asked recently what his thoughts on Toyota's Australian operations were, and he said they had lost something like $170 million over the past few years, and that Toyota Japan were still happy to invest here, but he also said he doesn't know what their business model is and they may well take losses on locally made cars if it helps them with the sale of imported ones. ie. the damage of pulling out of Australian production may be worse than coping some local production losses. Considering the number of cars they sell here it may very well be the case. With Toyota raking in multi billions of dollars per year and having obscenly massive cash reserves I doubt it bothers them too much if it means they can sell a few hundred thousand profitable vehicles in Oz.

Ford will be on the receiving end of pulling out of Australian manufacturing. It will effect sales of everything from Fiesta to Ranger, not to mention the government will no longer want to buy cars from Ford post 2016. The brand will cop damage from this decision, its just how much is it? Graziano wasn't sure how this was going to play out.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

they may well take losses on locally made cars if it helps them with the sale of imported ones. ie. the damage of pulling out of Australian production may be worse than coping some local production losses.

I doubt that the average Australian even knows that Toyota build cars here...

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Handout or not,it still keeps those employed in this country employed .....
Ford and Holdens parent company are foreign owned as well

Its just toyota make a better product for a wider audience,not a handful of overpriced limited build specials

My point is when they are making 220 million dollars in profit, jobs aren't at stake, they don't need a handout so why are they asking for it?

And Toyota aren't making a profit because they have a better product. Their operation is significantly different to Ford and Holden, being that they aren't designing and engineering the cars that they build. They are simply one of ten factories globally that assemble Camrys. If they designed the Falcon in Japan, then built it at ten places all over the earth, it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to build it and make a profit here, given that you could not only export bucket loads, but manufacturing processes would be perfected and you would have a global parts supply (ie, cheap).

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Nikked

I doubt that the average Australian even knows that Toyota build cars here...

But if they decided it pull out just imagine the negative news stories that go with it, and the damage it can do to a brand.

They only recently ran ads promoting the fact they build cars here, so they obviously think its worthwhile.

[BroadyFord]

People also seem to be forgetting that Toyota just opened a brand new $330 million engine plant last year. An investment like that would have a life of AT LEAST 10-15 years.

They aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

For those who are interested, you can watch the NatGeo Megafactories episode about Toyota's Altona plant on You Tube. Just watching it makes you realise how much more advanced, high-tech and vast their production facilities and techniques are in comparison with Ford and GMH. Altona makes Broady look like something from the 19th century!

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Bring out the Tundra here and I'll buy a Toyota. Until then, good luck to them but they don't build anything I want.

Many agree but why no cries of Buy Australian, protect local jobs, etc. on this thread? Seems that it IS OK to import vehicles after all... but only if they are in a different market segment to Falcon.

[EDManual]

If I was wanting a midsize car, I would buy a camy hybrid rather than a Mondeo as its locally made.

I try to do that as much as I can in little things and big.

I go through the checkouts with a real person at Woolys, Coles, Bunnings etc rather than the self checkouts to keep people in work. Even if theres a bigger line. Little things....

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

Many agree but why no cries of Buy Australian, protect local jobs, etc. on this thread?

Why ,,, because it is a beat up
Cant whinge,complain "Buy Australian save the ailing industries "
When 90 % of our daily life don't exist without imported goods influences
Buying that aussie car once every few years wont change anything worth noticing ...

[In Focus]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Why ,,, because it is a beat up
Cant whinge,complain "Buy Australian save the ailing industries "
When 90 % of our daily life don't exist without imported goods influences
Buying that aussie car once every few years wont change anything worth noticing ...

It also seems to be a forgotten fact that many Australians are employed by companies that import.

[KIWI-1]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Bring out the Tundra here and I'll buy a Toyota. Until then, good luck to them but they don't build anything I want.

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

Many agree but why no cries of Buy Australian, protect local jobs, etc. on this thread? Seems that it IS OK to import vehicles after all... but only if they are in a different market segment to Falcon.

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Why ,,, because it is a beat up
Cant whinge,complain "Buy Australian save the ailing industries "
When 90 % of our daily life don't exist without imported goods influences
Buying that aussie car once every few years wont change anything worth noticing ...

So all those posts in the 'Major Ford announcement' thread about Australians, Government Departments, Businesses, etc. etc. not buying Australian-built Falcons must have been a beat up too?

[mik]

Originally Posted by In Focus

It also seems to be a forgotten fact that many Australians are employed by companies that import.

no doubt , and just think if the FTA playing field was level we might just have those same people employed by exporters.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by KIWI-1

So all those posts in the 'Major Ford announcement' thread about Australians, Government Departments, Businesses, etc. etc. not buying Australian-built Falcons must have been a beat up too?

Reality is, yes larger manufacturing firms closing will have a flow on effect to their suppliers,and their employers, that's a fact
But, there are other manufacturing industries in this country that are closing daily,and no one gives a toss about those businesses or their employers or the flow on effect to their suppliers or their workers

Do people honestly think buying that 1 new aussie car every few years will really wake up the once huge aussie manufacturing we once had ....
People wear rose coloured glasses

People are buying imported goods wether its a car, furniture, electrical goods, whatever because its cheaper
Most people couldn't give a toss about this country as a manufacturing hub
We need to get a level playing field with what goods influence our daily lifes around 50 % aussie made and manufactured before the "Aussie made" thing will be where it needs to be to used as a trump card
But that % is that far of the mark, itll never ever be anywhere near that ....
As I mentioned our daily lifes don't exist without 90 % influenced by imported goods, so the measly 10 % if that isn't worthy of a mention
Id love to be proved wrong, and it would be a positive thing for the country if I was, but I wont hold my breath waiting to be proved wrong

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Do people honestly think buying that 1 new aussie car every few years will really wake up the once huge aussie manufacturing we once had ....
People wear rose coloured glasses

Of course It make a difference, if everyone bought local it wouldn't matter what the tariffs or government policy is.

[FalconXV]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Graziano was asked recently what his thoughts on Toyota's Australian operations were, and he said they had lost something like $170 million over the past few years, and that Toyota Japan were still happy to invest here, but he also said he doesn't know what their business model is and they may well take losses on locally made cars if it helps them with the sale of imported ones. ie. the damage of pulling out of Australian production may be worse than coping some local production losses. Considering the number of cars they sell here it may very well be the case. With Toyota raking in multi billions of dollars per year and having obscenly massive cash reserves I doubt it bothers them too much if it means they can sell a few hundred thousand profitable vehicles in Oz.
.

Things can't be that grim/dire if they are turning a profit. Obviously not having to fully R&D two orphan platforms (just $100mil or so(?) finetuning), and abundant exports means they have a much healthier business model.
I guess while it would be cheaper to make Thailand/SEAsia the Camry export base right now, the projected drop in our dollar might keep them manufacturing here for some time to come.
Does anybody know the investment in a new Camry/Aurion series compared to a new Commodore/Falcon?

[mik]

Originally Posted by FalconXV

Things can't be that grim/dire if they are turning a profit. Obviously not having to fully R&D two orphan platforms (just $100mil or so(?) finetuning), and abundant exports means they have a much healthier business model.
I guess while it would be cheaper to make Thailand/SEAsia the Camry export base right now, the projected drop in our dollar might keep them manufacturing here for some time to come.
Does anybody know the investment in a new Camry/Aurion series compared to a new Commodore/Falcon?

I'm pretty sure Toyota already stated they make a loss on local products, but make up for it with exports, and it stands to reason, they would not be standing in line for handouts if that wasn't the case.