As you have already known and I have mentioned in my recent blog posts, renewal of some popular car models, like Landcruiser 200, Mark X Zio and GT-R, have launched and will be coming soon. Toyota also announced their new product “Corolla Rumion,” Mitsubishi, eager to get their trust back, launches new Lancer Evolution X. They are expecting that their sales would be increasing with them, however, it is not clear so far.
Some people who are called “celeb” in Japan (please note: this does not mean real celebrity, everyone in Japan calls rich person “Celeb”) like high-grade car, especially, imported car like Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari etc. In Ginza and Roppongi, where rich people are gathering at night, we can see more imported cars than Japanese luxury cars like Toyota Celsior, President, Nissan Cima and so on. It is not unusual scenery around those town today. All they can afford to buy expensive car but do not buy Japanese car because it is one of their status to be appeal their wealth. On the other hand, young people who likes car are tend to buy American car, not Japanese sports car. That’s why there are some American car magazines published here. Almost car owners do think mechanical techniques of car are not the matter when they choose their car, for them, the most important thing when they purchase is its exterior.
Then, do you know who the target of vehicle maker’s sales scheme is?
The answer, I suppose, is car maniacs in manhood. They are not young but can afford to buy car whatever they want. In their youth days, they liked to buy the “middle-grade” passenger car which has 5 or more seater for their family, but their children have been getting growing and independence from parents, finally, some of them have been about age of retirement.
They do not have to spend their earnings on education for children and can spend their money on their hobby!! If there are a lot of car maniacs among them, they are going to boost sales of new car.
Following object is one of reason why I think so, Nissan has already received rushing purchase offers of new GT-R (Official Website), launches on December 2007, unless they had announced all information of it yet. I heard its price would be at least 7,000,000Yen for standard model (actually, it would be possible to be about 8,000,000Yen!!). Who can buy such expensive car!? —Of course, rich person can. Moreover, car maniacs who addicted to old Skyline in the old days have been getting older and now are willing to buy new GT-R, always can’t take their eye’s off it!!
I’m feeling young car maniacs is getting decreasing and they are tend to buy non-expensive car in Japan these days. Vehicle makers attempt to make various car matching their interesting, however, it is not sure that have reached everyone’s mind…
And it is getting easier to buy high-quality used car now through appearing used car distribution like Japanese used car auctions which we buy cars for our customer when we export them.
But we should not forget that, we cannot buy used car without new car because used car was new car when it launched first. Decreasing of sales of new car is serious problem not only for car makers but also for us, used car dealer, in the future.
Toyota is still the best company in Japan. They succeeded to make strongest and loved car, finally, people all over the world love their car. But in Japan, no one take Toyota car considering as special one, needless to say, it is ordinary for everybody. How an ironic it is!!
I would like to expect the future of Japanese auto industry and Japanese people to love Japanese car…
Technorati Tags: Landcruiser 200, Mark X Zio, GT-R, Toyota, Corolla, Rumion, Mitsubishi, Lancer Evolution X, high-grade car
