Wednesday, November 24, 2010

How does Hyundai do business in the shadow of war? (Autoblog.com) 

In the event of war, you can't hurl Hyundais at the enemy

North Korean Shelling

Former General Motors Chairman Rick Wagner used to talk of "externalities," those uncontrollable factors that he routinely blamed for the humbled automaker's continuing decline. Other industry leaders preferred the term "headwinds," but they were routinely referring to such matters as rising raw materials costs, unpredictable petroleum prices or, perhaps, an economic meltdown.

What most major automakers don't have to worry about is the idea of having a shell land in the middle of their boardroom. But the news out of the Korean peninsula makes it clear this is a very serious, very real possibility for the folks who run Hyundai and Kia.

Continue reading...

Paul EisensteinPaul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.


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