Comments for Boom Times for French Carmaker Renault in Brazil: 61% Growth Anticipated at http://www.brazzilmag.com , comment 0 to 6 out of 6 comments http://www.brazzilmag.com Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:59:03 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8242/54/#pc_9105 We are in the day of the throw-away car. With financing and other factors, it no longer makes sense to keep an old car running. Junkyards have dried up. The days of recycling Jeeps infinite times is over. So what difference does it make if a car only lasts three years? None of them have the seminal chronic flaws some makes had in the past. Like the parson´s Wonderful One-Horse Shay, they fall to pieces all at once. The French cars are cute but always look a little weird, quirky. Brazil used to produce the Gordini, which was a sport name for the Dauphines that Renault used to export to the states. The little pre-Dauphine Renault was also a four door, rear engine, but I never saw one here. Renault sold out to Willys/Overland do Brasil, which in turn sold out to Ford. So Ford got the Jeep and the F-head six, based on the original Whippet four, last used in the Maverick 6, and the tooling for the Renault/Gordini engine. That engine became the basis for the Corcel. I still have one of those engines, the Renault-designed Ford Corcel engine. Blaming today´s Renault for the Gordini and other primitive designs is like judging today´s IPOD by the first Apple Macintosh. I still have one of those too, but a museum in RN wants it. - Ric Fri, 11 May 2007 14:27:13 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8242/54/#pc_9060 GMC, I never bought American made cars,but the Brazilian made ones by FORD and CHRYSLER. Not GMC, though.I walked out on Ford the last time, because they couldnt offer me a car with automatic transmission and power steering and the salesmen of both GMC and FORD were trying to convince me that these two features were only for the Pussies!. So I opted for Japanese made cars - João da Silva Wed, 09 May 2007 01:10:09 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8242/54/#pc_9059 [quote] A couple of years ago, I was toying with the idea of buying a Renault and a friend of mine discouraged me from doing so.She had to change the exhaust pipe 15 days after the guarantee period was over! [/quote] JC, my point is that the French car manufacturers think that we Brazilian consumers are easy push overs.They can give "promotional offers" so that they can sell their cars to us and once the warranty period is over, they can leave us in a lurch. Just like Fiat, Lada,etc; No doubt, the Renault cars are beautifully designed and look nice. There again you have to remember that all that glitters is not Gold. If my fellow citizens want to "aproveitar" Renault´s promotional offers, I am not going to impede them. - João da Silva Wed, 09 May 2007 01:04:59 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8242/54/#pc_9058 my maid wants a raise........ - GMC Wed, 09 May 2007 00:28:30 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8242/54/#pc_9056 25 years ago toyota's best carst use to rust before the first oil change. Tecnology of a few years ago cannot be used as a yardstick in today's world joao. - jc Tue, 08 May 2007 23:41:23 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/8242/54/#pc_9042 [quote]The growth is attributed to a promotion that offered special conditions for the purchase of vehicles between April 11 and 15, and for Brazilian market acceptance of models in the Mégane family. The promotion presented results 40% better than expected and the sale of 2,855 vehicles. [/quote] Sure, the Brazilian market accepts any product that is on promotion.If the quality of Renault in Brazil is as good as the ones I have driven 25 years ago in other countries, forget about my accepting their Promotional offer.A couple of years ago, I was toying with the idea of buying a Renault and a friend of mine discouraged me from doing so.She had to change the exhaust pipe 15 days after the guarantee period was over! However, I wish all the best to the executives of Renault do Brasil,Fiat do Brasil and the new Chinese car manufacturers who are planning to set up a plant in Uruguay. - João da Silva Tue, 08 May 2007 18:24:52 +0100