The intention of this post is to proudly and unabashedly celebrate the 100th posting of the investment-auto-motives web-blog.
As familiar readers well recognise, the remit of the web-blog has been to reflect the spirit of Auto-Antenna, our initial informational vehicle (previously in electronic & hard-copy) that imbued the heart of investment-auto-motives' consulting remit:
- Company Focus : strategic, operational, projects evaluation
- New Business Opportunities : identification of specific value arenas
- Industry Practice : structure, models, mentalities & approaches
- Macro-Level Trends : PESTEL external influences & drivers
- Micro-Level Trends : full internal operational value-chain (from R&D to EoL)
- Cross-Industry Learning: case studies translation & application
That remit delivers prescient research, analysis and recommendation for seniors within the investment community, automotive industry and government – an often triangular inter-relationship that individually and combined seeks to maximise return on investment; both fiscally and philosophically.
To this end, I wish to thank the following at this reflective & motivationally highly encouraging juncture:
Senator Kim Carr and Rt. Hon. Steve Brack, over-seeing the Australian government's Automotive Review.
Richard Parry Jones, Chairman of the UK government Automotive Enquiry,
George Kennedy, Club Secretary at The Royal Automobile Club for the club's kind liaison.
John Lawson at Citi, Adam Jonas at Morgan Stanley & Keith Hayes at Goldman Sachs and many other perhaps less high profile City & Wall Street analysts. Also importantly, Henry Frantzen head of external commissioning at Goldman's.
Jerome B York at Tracinda and Nicholas Clarry of CVC and others in the private equity field.
The Partners and Autos team at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer legal practice.
David Leggett at just-auto, Keith Crain & Edward Lapham at Automotive News, Joe White & Neal Boudette at the Wall Street Journal and John Gapper & Martin Wolf and all on the autos section at the Financial Times. In addition the myriad of Bloomberg & Reuters new hounds too numerous to mention.
To one and all, my sincerest thanks
As of today, we witness the very nature and landscape of the global automotive industry irrefutably changing, not simply in its notional progress of international coverage & social coverage, but an advancement in an unparalleled age that will (possibly radically) alter the very structures that have been inherent for so long; both in the West and East.
In the West, from a new wave of M&A and consolidation, to the criticality of accessing capital & liquidity that will more heavily prompt business model thinking, to the possible stake-holdings of domestic governments to ensure industry stability and an aligned strategic direction with national aims. But ultimately through well prescribed and dispensed private and public finances that creates an evolved platform upon which to prove that it is the very will and entrepreneurship inherent in the human spirit that will evolve and strengthen capitalism as we know it.
In the East, that model has even with its market jitters become the post 1989 norm, and although presently dragging as a consequence of Western sentiment and fundamentals over-spill, will given its strong standing and partial de-coupling continue to prove itself as the vehicle for growth and regional transformation. China has been the undoubted success story that others from Vietnam to a tentative North Korea seek to follow.
The fiscal and climate challenges and themes of the 21st century are clear, and although there is undoubted political friction in orientation and coalescence of what can be disparate national agendas, the automotive industry's developmental journey will along with the structural shift in global banking policy and energy policy be the core change agents to create an aligned world of values-driven prosperity and convenience.
Hence this 100th communique from investment-auto-motives comes at a crucial time, and we look forward to playing our role. In the Western automotive industry's new shifted regime through continued diagnosis, prescription, cure & maintained health, and in the Eastern sector to promote the progress of commercial, cultural and social advancement.
Yours most sincerely
Turan
