Logo rotaautoservice.com
Category: New cars

Color Of Time: Yellow

2024

Video: Color Of Time: Yellow

Video: Color Of Time: Yellow
Video: Soccer Mommy - yellow is the color of her eyes (Official Music Video) 2024, March
Color Of Time: Yellow
Color Of Time: Yellow
Anonim
Image
Image

But about 40 years ago there was an event that almost brought down all the mossy postulates: Japanese motorcycles entered the world market. And it turned out that you can do it very quickly, very cheaply and very efficiently (the journalists of American and European motorcycle publications were shocked by the fact that Japanese cars always start “half-kick”, and after parking, shameful puddles of oil do not form under them - European products are not of such quality pampered).

How did you create a miracle? Recall a joke from the time of perestroika: “In our country, hunger and devastation are everything, as in post-war Germany and Japan. For the economic miracle, only the occupying army is lacking.” You can’t say anything, the Japanese were lucky with the invaders …

The Americans have always professed the thesis: “To feed a hungry man once, give him fish. To relieve him of hunger, give a fishing rod. With a ruthless iron hand, the Yankees destroyed the “zaibatsu” - huge industrial conglomerates similar to our oligarchic trusts. And they established uniform game rules for all market participants - from large to the smallest. If not for this policy, it is unlikely that Honda Motor would have gone from a tiny workshop to a huge concern in ten years.

And another unforeseen “gift” was presented to the Japanese by the occupying Americans: with pride in looking at the work of their hands and bombs - the economies spaced apart, they set a ridiculously low yen against the dollar. A mistake was felt a decade later, when fabulously cheap fabrics, transistor radios and sewing machines poured into the American market from defeated Japan. Then came the turn of motorcycles and cars.

Naturally, they would not have taken the market at one price: what prices are for the rich Yankees! (Although … Maybe because they are rich, that every cent is considered? In the USA, a hundred bucks is a very serious amount. And in Moscow? Ugh …) But Japanese products went through a great hardening by the local market. Although the enterprises that issued them were protected by the low yen against import (remember the 98th in Russia? And the rise of our industry that followed the collapse of the ruble?), There was a squabble between their own - oh-oh-her! In the mid-50s in Japan, more than a hundred (!) Companies produced motorcycles. And by the end of the decade, natural selection left only those who could combine attractive prices with a high quality and technical level.

It is curious that Western “specialists”, racking their brains over a riddle of Japanese quality, invented the theory of “rice cultivation”. Say, the peoples who have been growing rice for thousands of years are used to accurate, meticulous work (try to poke each sprout separately! You don’t scatter grain across the field with handfuls!). Therefore, they say, and they make cars with the same care. Therefore, there is nothing to be surprised that Norton breaks ten times more often than Yamaha - English hands are more used to an ax, you know … The theory seems to have been confirmed by the successes of young "Asian tigers" - South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and others from the zone "Rice planting." True, at first they did not go to Europe with motorbikes, but all the other products, including cars, turned out to be very personal.

Over time, everything "settled down", and Japanese products fell into the customary framework. Already in the 70s, “Made in Japan” motorcycles, while remaining advanced and of high quality, became very expensive.

In the early 90s, the story seemed to go in the second round. The Chinese entered the market with cheap copies of Japanese motorcycles (as once the Japanese - with the "clones" of German). Shocked experts found that, like a devil from a snuff-box, the world's largest motor industry arose: the expense of manufactured products here went to millions. And then they started scribbling forecasts: soon, the Chinese will create original designs of motorcycles of large cubic capacity, they will kill Japanese teachers and knock under themselves the entire world market …

And come true? Not really - to say the least. Since the first large-scale appearance of Chinese motorcycles in Europe, a little more than ten years have passed. Recall: the Japanese over the same period flooded the markets of rich and developing countries, created many advanced and original designs, won a lot of motorcycle races with their equipment … And what did the Chinese become famous for? Only by breaking the beautiful theory of "rice cultivation" in dust. It turned out that the hands, accustomed to scrupulous work, can very much bum! “Chinese quality” in the world’s ratings of disgusting work immediately follows “Russian” … However, in fairness it must be said that in a number of enterprises where quality is strictly monitored and its compliance is well paid (such a cattle person - for two copecks she doesn’t want to tear her navel), and Chinese hands (as well as Russians) are capable of miracles. Honda is not afraid in the demanding Japanese market to sell scooters from the Middle Kingdom under its own brand.

In addition, the Chinese were much more conservative, cautious and, frankly, sluggish than their eastern neighbors. Promotion of their products in Europe and the USA is 90% due to local trading partners. How residents of the Celestial Empire “turn” themselves, the recent Moscow auto show demonstrated. Chinese cars appeared on it for the first time, striking sophisticated Russians with a combination of poor performance and a “non-childish” price. But to the question of where to buy, the Chinese answered: “But come to our factory and take it!” It’s not wise.

And with the prices they often do not live up to expectations. In their technique, the share of labor itself (which in China can be paid at ridiculous prices) is not so great. But the equipment is very expensive, it needs to be updated on time (if for you, as Zhvanetsky used to say, “the result is important, not the process itself”). If the design and equipment are modern, the product immediately falls into the category of high cost. Compare: the Chinese company Xingfu offers a clone of a 250 cc ancient Jawa for $ 500, and a copy of a more or less modern, but equivalent in terms of Honda engine capacity - for 2500. Do you feel the difference? But for the importer, these are not all factors that increase the retail price: add transportation costs, customs clearance and appetite of the seller here. What will happen? But it turns out that it is more profitable to take a second-hand from Japan.

Another reason for the sluggishness of the Chinese in the world sales war: they still produce only those models that are guaranteed to find sales in the local market (regularly absorbing more than 10 million motorcycles and scooters annually). And there only economical “workhorses” are in demand, the lion's share of which is 125 cc cars in all variations. 250-cubic apparatus is only a small fraction, because the majority cannot afford it, and the goods by cubic capacity are even higher and completely - no, no! Expensive! The markets of developed countries are waiting for powerful motorcycles at dumping prices. The Chinese promise to provide such. It’s been promised for ten years … But the promised, by the way, is expected only for three years.

Brodsky was absolutely right in this: “The view, of course, is very barbaric,” he admitted, “but true.” And with all the above disadvantages, it is the Chinese who can ensure that they do not leave a stone unturned from our motor industry.

The Soviet motorcycle has a very peculiar story. With few exceptions, the defense industry enterprises were engaged in the production of two-wheeled vehicles (and the Kiev and Irbitsky factories were not such an exception: at first, they only worked for the army). When perestroika struck and the other, in the words of Galich, “horseradish”, then the defense industry began to look at the motor industry as a burden. In Tula, they turned it off altogether as soon as they became convinced that in the near future profits from this sector were not threatened. To that, everything goes in Kovrov. So far, only in Izhevsk has the motor plant been fed … However, lately, motor production and design divisions have also been singled out from the general structure for self-financing. Which immediately evokes the proverb: “The cat left the kittens - let them frolic as they want.”

In Irbit, the situation is different: except for motorcycles, there is nothing to hope for local workers. Therefore, they are making heroic efforts to update the lineup, pursuing an active marketing policy and looking with hope at the wealthy customer “abroad”. But they forget the simple truth: even if you produce one defective motorcycle per thousand, its buyer will be sure that you are good for nothing. And he will convince his friends of the same … And in Irbit they reassure themselves that the “troika with a plus” for quality is a component of the product image, and that cranks who don’t feed with bread have not yet been translated - let me mess with the “designer”. And a series of bankruptcies pursuing the enterprise is a clear indicator of his health.

The motor industries of Izhevsk and Kovrov have another misfortune. If until the recent past, for them (especially Izhevsk), export to third world countries remained a lifeline, now the poorest are starting to protect their air - they are erecting barriers to the soft 2-stroke tactics. Need a 4-stroke engine! And he is not, although in the same Izhevsk they have been fighting him ten times every three years. So you have to look for engines … in the same Chinese. And refusal of own motor production is not even a diagnosis, but a reference from a pathologist!

Recommended:

New

Pragmatist

FIRMATIC FOR THE PRAGMATIC

Read More
UAZ -452

Through the eyes of the ownerUAZ -452Vladislav KOZKOHaving appeared in 1966, the UAZ-452 from (1985 - 3741) to this day remains almost the only light-duty off-road vehicle in the former Soviet Union. Judge for yourselves: the UAZ-452 is able to overcome snow cover 50 cm thick, move along tank tracks and carry up to 800 kg of cargo

Read More
Editor'S Choice
Best reviews for the week
Popular for the day