Honda and Nissan agree to begin merger talks

RIP Honda. Nissan is the cancer that's take them down.

A desperate attempt by Japan to help its car industry against the rise of China. Since 2000 Japanese car production has fallen from 20% of the worlds cars to 12% while China has risen from less than 2% to 39%. A trend which is going to continue.

what if Ford came in to buy Honda like Nippon Steel is trying to buy US Steel? That would be funny

Nissan, marred by their shoddy vehicles, scandals and gross mismanagement, is the corporate equivalent of dead weight. Why should Honda, a company that has consistently produced reliable vehicles whose engines and transmissions rival those of Toyota, hitch its future to a sinking ship?! This reeks of globalist interference trying to consolidate power and destroy competition, forcing strong companies to prop up failing ones under the guise of "synergy."

Honda: it's not too late. Stay true to your roots and reject this disastrous partnership before you're dragged into the muck of mediocrity.

Ford came in to buy Honda like Nippon Steel is trying to buy US Steel? That would be funny

Ford until quite recently owned a significant stake in Mazda, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility for the legendary Henry Ford, a man as healthy and vibrant as Detroit itself.

the legendary Henry Ford, a man as healthy and vibrant as Detroit itself.

Good one Jay, Considering that old Henry is dead and gone!

Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks

Meaning: Japan Inc has approved the merge and it's already settled.

Nissan is a parasite which infects and causes collapse of everything it touches!

Die, Nissan. Dieeee already. Honda San, remember: if u lay with dogs, u’ll rise with fleas. Can’t say u haven’t been warned

Good one Jay, Considering that old Henry is dead and gone!

Just like Detroit, unfortunately.

Do some research into where the future growth in car sales is. And which country is best placed to exploit that growth? By 2040 China will have 50% of the global car market.

Chinese cars may dominate the market eventually because of the huge domestic market. To be honest, while most Americans may buy inexpensive products made in China, I don't see them buying made in China cars. Especially as the US has clearly shown that there will be a tariff wall from one administration to another. The geopolitical differences between the US and China are too great to ever reach the US-JPN level with Japanese car factories in the United States.

Nissan has and still makes great cars. As does Honda, which has more appeal overseas than domestically. This merger if concluded will ensure a continuing competitive presence. Bashing Nissan is the same as bashing Ospreys.

I don't know about you but I can remember politicians taking sledge hammers to Hondas and Nissans in the USA in the 1980s.

The geopolitical differences between the US and China are too great to ever reach the US-JPN level with Japanese car factories in the United States.

one condition for the merger would be for Nissan to complete its so-called "turnaround" plan.

why is it a so-called turnaround plan, implying it isn't a real plan?

deanzaZZRToday  08:38 pm JST

I don't know about you but I can remember politicians taking sledge hammers to Hondas and Nissans in the USA in the 1980s.

Yes, I lived through them. But back then it was purely an economics and trade war with Japan. There was no political and military adversarial relationship as with China (PRC) today. With Japan, US makers started working with Mazda (Ford), Toyota (GM) Mitsubishi (Chrysler), and today there are 24 Japanese auto factories in the United States. In today's atmosphere, the odds of a Chinese auto factory being built in the U.S. are nonexistent.

In the 1950s the UK was the largest exporter of cars in the world. Just 20 years later the British government forced Austin, Morris & Rover to merge in the face of stiff competition from Japan; and the rest is history.

I sincerely hope this government sponsored merger goes better, but I've got a niggling suspicion that history is about to repeat itself.

what if Ford came in to buy Honda like Nippon Steel is trying to buy US Steel?

Ford sales are rebounding in the USA, but they've already given up on exporting to Japan, sales in China have dropped 80% and they've all but given up in Europe too. It's a good job those F-Series trucks are protected by chicken tax.

The merging activities should include closing of plants in the US

Exporting vehicles made outsize the US with low operating costs to the US with the world's highest selling price will make big profit for all auto makers.

The holding company should be called Honda-san in honor of Soichiro.

how many times has Nissan needed to be saved? i wonder if they regret dumping on Ghosn.MMmmmmm. Nissan was complaining that their French partners had an unequal partnership. Is this a healthy partnership?

One thing is for sure.BYD is nipping at their heels, with showrooms opening up here, and I'm starting to see a few on the roads. Too much talking, too many meetings, too many shoganai's. They need to work harder and faster.

Just when you think corporate Japan can’t possibly mess up more.

whatever possesses Honda to even contemplate this madness. A bankrupt Nissan is a good thing for them. Save Mitsubishi motors , yes. But Nissan ??

To the China lovers here. China is death. Long live South east Asia. China is one company, one state. Crap all around.

Nguyen DangDec. 23 10:45 pm JST

The merging activities should include closing of plants in the US

Why, so they can abandon all sales in the US?

Exporting vehicles made outsize the US with low operating costs to the US with the world's highest selling price will make big profit for all auto makers.

Does Trump look like the kind of guy that will allow this? In any event only factories in Mexico would provide this route.

Nissonda or Honissan?

Japan should stop flooding the world with combustion motors, and start manufacturing EVs. This would do good for the planet (actually save the planet) and for Japan itself. There are enough talents in Japan who can design good EVs.

Chinese cars may dominate the market eventually because of the huge domestic market. 

Bingo.... The future market is China, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and the global south. Europe, and especially Japan are shrinking markets. BTW my 50% global market prediction for Chinese cars by 2040 isn't mine. It is that of the car industry.

Nissan was a pioneer in EVs with the Leaf, they had a huge headstart in the electric space but they didn't progress it and they fell behind. Some of their vehicles are very nice, but you have to wonder how they are making their strategic decisions.

materials for manufacturing and infrastructure for product support is part of the calculus in strategy. everyone building ev’s can’t be done. there isn’t enough copper for motors and no way to ramp up mining quickly.

just to meet the grandiose targets of ev market share by 2030-2050 would require finding and mining 500x more copper than ever mined.

Nissan was a pioneer in EVs with the Leaf, they had a huge headstart in the electric space but they didn't progress it and they fell behind.

Why? Because they are competing with Chinese cars of equal quality that cost 40% less.