[jonnysan]

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/st...gory=BUSINESS&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=11/21/2007

Basic stuff but things are happening here....

 

[a2jack]

Global Insights.

Things are happening all right. It looks like the sleepy big three are waking up to the little bad wolf at their door...The Smart car.

Note, that the anti Smart comments come from Car+Driver and Aaron Bragman of Global Insights, both captive to the big three. Global Insights has been a consultant to the big three for 30 years.

This will become a full press anti Smart campaign as time goes on. Watch for more quotes from Global Insights.

A2jack.

 

[jonnysan]

Just talk, talk, talk, talk.....

Things are happening all right. It looks like the sleepy big three are waking up to the little bad wolf at their door...The Smart car.

Note, that the anti Smart comments come from Car+Driver and Aaron Bragman of Global Insights, both captive to the big three. Global Insights has been a consultant to the big three for 30 years.

This will become a full press anti Smart campaign as time goes on. Watch for more quotes from Global Insights.

A2jack.

The acid test will come from people who have Smarts and for those who want to have them and/or other micros available in the US....and their will be more of them. Naysayers can talk all they want.

Smart will start the revolution, though, I am sure of that.

Planting 20,000+ smart seeds in this country will be the catalyst that will open up people's minds.......

 

[a2jack]

More talk.

Jonnysan.

These guys are not just naysayers, they have lots of money and power.
With enough media coverage of their anti Smart message they can cause damage to the Smart Image. (Look what's being done in politicks).
.
There is an old axiom that says:

"Sticks and Stones will break your bones, but Words will totally destroy you".

Let's hope you are right.

A2jack.

 

[jwight]

I just posted this elsewhere:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21882844/

A lot of "people are worried, not crash tested yet, not really a market for 30K small cars, etc." All subjective of course but the tone sends a message.

 

[Old smart]

The Big-3 (and Toyota and Honda and Nissan too) and their dealers and their supporting journalists will say what they will say. But if you want to yank their chains, and once you get your smart, take some weekend time and just drive the car up and down the various "auto miles" in front of all the dealer lots. The customers will make up their minds themselves, not what they read or are told. Be nice if we got commissions on new reservations.

 

[kmeinhold]

Bergman's comment - for the same price a used car is a better buy.

Um - no kidding!!! you always get more for your money when buying a used car (and sometimes more than you bargained for) compared to ANY vehicle.

0% financing on some new vehicles closes the gap significantly.

 

[jwight]

Fish,

Good idea! I'm planning to hit the spring/summer cruise-ins and car shows around here just to let folks see what the car is really like.

 

[jonnysan]

The Big-3 (and Toyota and Honda and Nissan too) and their dealers and their supporting journalists will say what they will say. But if you want to yank their chains, and once you get your smart, take some weekend time and just drive the car up and down the various "auto miles" in front of all the dealer lots. The customers will make up their minds themselves, not what they read or are told. Be nice if we got commissions on new reservations.

I agree with you 100%, Fish. All the talking and politics aside, the public will decide what they want, not what this one or that one is saying (politics).....as the old saying goes...talk is cheap.

I will, by default, be traveling all round this area in my Smart once I have it. Along with the 280 other buyers from this area (that's alot more than I thought there would be!) we should be able to make a good impact. Jezzzzzz....I just realized that's more than 10% of the total alotted '08 cars! Not sure if those are all '08 reservations, though. The Albany area will have pretty good coverage then in terms of numbers of Smarts. This is good...there is strength in numbers.

Yes, commissions would be nice on the new reservations. I told the MB GM here that I may be her best salesman.....

 

[Carnut]

Easy johnny, thats 1% not 10%

 

[E SMART]

jonnysan ...

wonder how many of those 200+ will be driven by employees of NY State? (Albany is my home town but have lived in Chicago 20+ years so I'm well aware of the area) ... Albany being the NYS capital, the biggest employer is state government --- I know these should go to consumers but perhaps you'll see white smarts instead of the bare-bones econocars as state vehicles running around if they catch on?

Ahhh -- I can see it now, a smart rally downtown around the 'egg', parking right on the plaza; sounds like a photo op' (only locals will know what I'm talking about)

 

[jonnysan]

Easy johnny, thats 1% not 10%

Ooppps! By golly it is! Never was good with numbers.....thanks for the que, Carnut.

I'll try to keep my enthusiam down to a dull roar.

 

[jonnysan]

The Egg

wonder how many of those 200+ will be driven by employees of NY State? (Albany is my home town but have lived in Chicago 20+ years so I'm well aware of the area) ... Albany being the NYS capital, the biggest employer is state government --- I know these should go to consumers but perhaps you'll see white smarts instead of the bare-bones econocars as state vehicles running around if they catch on?

Ahhh -- I can see it now, a smart rally downtown around the 'egg', parking right on the plaza; sounds like a photo op' (only locals will know what I'm talking about)

Yeah....could you see them zipping all around the Empire State Plaza, up and down Madison Ave, South Swan and just all over the place...that would be a riot!! (to bring back a popular 60's term.)
The state may get in on that once they see what they are. I know they will get in on it when the PHEV's are available.

 

[sisyphus]

"Smart says more than 30,000 consumers have put down a refundable $99 deposit to reserve a Smart car. Those deposits do not guarantee sales, but the company is hoping to move at least 30,000 units in the first year, said spokeswoman Jessica Gemmara.

“There will obviously be some fallout from the reservation program because of life changes, or because people move — things like that, but our goal is to fulfill all those orders,” she said at the Los Angeles auto show, where Smart has a large exhibit aimed at drumming up more business."

Sounds like good news for all the reservation holders! :woohoo

 

[canon1753]

wonder how many of those 200+ will be driven by employees of NY State? (Albany is my home town but have lived in Chicago 20+ years so I'm well aware of the area) ... Albany being the NYS capital, the biggest employer is state government --- I know these should go to consumers but perhaps you'll see white smarts instead of the bare-bones econocars as state vehicles running around if they catch on?

Ahhh -- I can see it now, a smart rally downtown around the 'egg', parking right on the plaza; sounds like a photo op' (only locals will know what I'm talking about)

I would not be surprised if a number of Smarts end up with a green Vermont License plate on them (like mine!) But I will be interested how Smart does in non urban markets. VT is not an urban market at all. Yet there are bound to be a number of people who want Smarts for whatever reason in a non urban environment.

I want one because it is the only way I'll ever get at 2 seat midengined European car from a premium brand, (like a Lambo ).

 

[E SMART]

With Bennington, VT being so close ...

I could see a lot of VT folks coming over ... for that matter Burlington as well, but may be a bit of a drive for warranty/service. VT has a lot of 2-lane highways but as you say not much urban areas ... they're bigger on environmental issues than NYS so it may not matter