New Year, same old Detroit

Proof that not all traditions are welcome, the gruesome threesome delivered some awful sales figures today. Having said that, they were joined by the Japanese carmakers this time round, as the downturn takes hold. Still, Chrysler can take cold comfort that it is the largest mover - sadly in the wrong direction at -52%.

Pundits praying for a quick recovery are forgetting a problem. Given that people were buying shiny new cars through to the start of this crisis, why would anyone in their right mind buy a new one in the current climate? Unless the thing falls apart, there's no need to. So the sight of those production lines still churning out volume is simply insane. The only people making money from this situation are the parking lot owners renting space to park the unsold inventory.