eurekapd Chapter 136 A Great Car Company
Chapter 136 A Great Car Company
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Tony brought a new list.
The list includes more than ten car companies, all of which are third- or fourth-rate companies in the US car manufacturing industry.
Most of the names were ones that Lin Yi had never heard of.
The only company I was familiar with was Dodge Brothers.
"Dodge's situation is not very good, especially after the passing of the old Dodge brothers. Several general managers have come and gone, but none of them have been able to change the situation."
"They sold less than 100,000 cars in the entire last year."
"You know, the price of the Ford Model T lowered the overall price of the car industry."
"Therefore, the Dodge brothers' car profit margins are very thin, and with such low sales volume, it is completely impossible to reach the break-even point."
"Their cars must be very sturdy, right?"
Muscle cars—that's Lin Yi's strongest impression of the Dodge brand.
"Yes, their engines are also very good. The most expensive six-cylinder car is very fast, reaching speeds of up to 45 miles per hour."
If you do the math quietly, a speed of over 70 kilometers per hour is indeed considered very fast in this era.
"Any other news about Dodge?"
"Yes, it is said that Chrysler is seeking to acquire Dodge."
"So Lin, if you decide to visit Dodge, you should do it as soon as possible."
"Otherwise, once Chrysler completes its acquisition of Dodge, it will definitely refuse your visit."
Tony reminded him very seriously.
Chrysler was one of the car companies on the last list.
The other party explicitly refused the Chinese man's request to visit the factory, showing him no respect whatsoever.
"Okay, then I'll trouble Tony to get in touch with them. As long as they agree, we'll get to Detroit as soon as possible."
After Tony left, Lin Yi asked Ah Sheng to inform Thorson that they would meet that evening.
He then contacted Theo and asked him to investigate Chrysler and the specific progress of the acquisition of Dodge Brothers.
With annual sales of 100,000 vehicles, compared to Ford and other first- and second-tier car brands, it is indeed somewhat less.
However, if compared with the emerging forces in another time and space that Lin Yi was familiar with, this sales volume is still acceptable.
In particular, the Dodge brothers' cars are not manufactured by contract manufacturers; the more than 100,000 finished vehicles produced each year come from their own car manufacturing plant.
In terms of scale alone, it is much larger than the first phase of production capacity designed for his Fengyun Automobile Factory.
Even if we don't fully meet the tour requirements of the car manufacturing team, there is great potential if we can gain control of Dodge.
Agent Thorson of the Investigation Bureau was dressed as usual, wearing a hat and a coat.
The leather shoes on his feet were also shiny.
Lin Yi met him at the coffee shop downstairs in the hotel.
They talked about Thorsson's new job before getting down to business.
He needs to understand Dodge's financial situation.
This is classified information; it's very difficult to find out about this through Theo's official channels.
Only by having a grasp of the most specific circumstances can one take the initiative in the acquisition process.
Especially with Chrysler as a competitor, Lin Yi needs a more precise offer.
This way, they can both thwart Chrysler's plans and avoid suffering too much loss themselves.
After all, acquiring such a large car manufacturer is something that the small company Carrier could not compare to back then.
Spending money recklessly will only put you in a passive position.
Thorsen did not deny the matter.
They didn't even show the slightest sign of embarrassment.
He knew better than anyone how he got into the FBI and became a senior agent.
So after finishing his coffee, Thorsen left in a hurry.
He was prepared to give Mr. Lin a precise answer to what he wanted to know as quickly as possible...
Detroit, the Motor City.
Not only is the Dodge Brothers Motor Company located here, but also Ford, the largest automaker in the United States, and Chrysler.
The first Model T, which sold globally, was also born in Detroit.
This place is home to the world's largest automotive industry.
The large influx of industrial workers also contributed to the prosperity of Detroit's consumer sector.
Known as the "Car City," it naturally has a huge number of cars.
From the train station all the way to the Dodge Brothers' car factory, there were more cars than bicycles on the road.
However, most of them were cheap, rudimentary, and extremely ugly Model T cars.
The new car costs less than $600, which is well within the reach of working-class people.
And this price, which is only slightly more expensive than its own air conditioner, is enough to make most working-class people ignore its shortcomings...
"Welcome, Mr. Pengerster."
Dodge's president, Deeson Dodge, is in his fifties.
He was heavily pregnant, and his suit could barely cover his belly.
He shook hands with Tony very warmly.
“Mr. Dodge, this is my best friend, Lin Yi from China. He is also an excellent businessman.”
Tony solemnly introduced Lin Yi.
"Lin, welcome to the Dodge factory."
Dison chuckled and shook hands with Lin Yi just as earnestly.
He certainly wouldn't underestimate the fact that the Pengust family members had personally accompanied him.
Not to mention, he was also very envious of China's automobile market.
Especially given the current sluggish sales, he would be very happy to sell more cars.
Afterwards, Dison accompanied the group on a brief tour of the factory.
There wasn't much introduction to the factory; instead, the focus was on how great Dodge's cars were, while simultaneously expressing disdain for Ford, which was accused of producing only industrial waste.
A junk engine, four tires, and 150 kilograms of iron—how can that be called a car?
"Gentlemen, you may not know this, but sales of the Model T have been declining for five consecutive years. Last year, less than 250,000 units were sold."
"This is still global sales."
"This fully demonstrates that Americans have long been fed up with this kind of garbage!"
Disen looked at him with disdain.
Ford has disrupted the entire market because of these cheap products.
Not only has Dodge struggled in recent years, but other car dealers are also facing similar difficulties.
Consumers' expectations for car prices were directly crushed by the Model T.
Whenever a new car is launched, no matter how much its performance surpasses that of the Model T, it is always criticized relentlessly for its price.
"But Mr. Dodge, it is undeniable that this is still the best-selling single model."
Lin Yi said something with a smile, and the atmosphere immediately became awkward.
Even Tony looked at him with surprise.
Dison, who had been freely venting his frustrations, froze for a moment, his face turning bright red.
“I’m familiar with Dodge’s products; last year, commercial vehicles were the main driver of sales.”
"So, Mr. Dodge, is your company planning to focus on commercial vehicles next?"
Dison's lips twitched.
What do you mean?
Is this person deliberately trying to provoke me?
Before he could answer, Lin Yi shook his head and said, "Professionally manufacturing commercial vehicles is indeed a good business choice."
"However, Mr. Dodge, you should know that the market size of commercial vehicles is far smaller than that of passenger vehicles."
"Therefore, once your company chose this development path, it was destined that the Dodge Brothers would never have the chance to become a great car company."