Williams Hyundai

[Raglanparade]

There is a story over on F1-Racing.net that a Korean consortium involving Hyundai, Samsung, and Dave Richards may buy out the Williams team.

What are the chances ?

[DKGandBH]

I guess there were small 4cyl cars in F1 before...
Didn't Hyundai go through a major sell off a little while ago due to financial issues ?
Aren't GM involved with Hyundai ?
I didn't know Dave Richards was Korean

DKGandBH

[Raglanparade]

I think your thinking of Daewoo and GM - I know they were linked, with Daewoo in Korea going through a lot of financial hardship. It was also down here in Australia that Daewoo cars used Holden engines.

Hyundai i think is independent. They have been involved in world motorsport before with there WRC program.

[DKGandBH]

Ahhh...so...it was...

DKGandBH

[Asa]

According to rumours, Hyundai is expected to badge the Cosworth engine and supply it to Williams.

[Dutton]

Hyundai and Suzuka are the same company, but I am not sure about ownership above that - although I am certain they are not part of GM (that leviathan needs no more additions!).

[Raglanparade]

You mean Suzuki ?

[Dutton]

LOL, yes, Suzuki.

[Raglanparade]

Well if Suzuki can run MotoGP, why cant Hyundai run f1 ?

[Dutton]

Oh there is no reason they couldn't, the question is whether they would consider it worthwhile.

I cannot comment because I do not know enough about the company (although I do own a Hyundai!).

[Raglanparade]

Yeah.. my mother owns a hyundai... and it aint no formula 1 car

[Snrub]

I dunno. Frank did say something about how the team could be more efficiently run by someone who is able to be more efficicent with their time then he his. With dark clouds ahead perhaps he would be willing to leave gracefully. That would leave McLaren as the only competitive team not completely controlled by a manufacturer.

Suzuki is partially owned by GM, but I'm not aware of any Hyundai connection, but I could be wrong. As for making fun of their vehicles, from what I've read about the new Sonata it is no joke and puts a number of the competition to shame.

[stoned pony]

Just to get the family tree right: Daewoo is owned by General Motors and partially controlled by Holden (GM Australia). Suzuki is also partially owned (about 20 per cent I think) by GM, as is Subaru.
Some Daewoo engines are made in Australia by Holden.
Hyundai, which also owns fellow Korean car maker Kia, is a totally separate entity to GM.
Yes, Snrub, the new Sonata is a bit of a ball tearer.

[Raglanparade]

WAts the new sonata like >? mums 94 2ltr sonata is pretty weak .

[stoned pony]

Mum should have a steer of the new V6 model then. Pity it is only sold in Oz with an auto transmission. BTW, the new four-cyl is pretty reasonable too.

[Dutton]

I am sure Suzuki and Hyundai are part of the same company, or under the same parent company or however they organise it. The garage I got my car from was a both Suzuki and Hyundai, and they refered to each other as partner companies.

Perhaps this was meaning something else, but I was left with the clear impression they were joined.

I did not realise the part ownership of Suzuki by GM. That is very annoying to find out (well , I am glad to have found it out, it is just the reality of it is irritating).

It makes you wonder why on earth GM don't enter F1.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Dutton

It makes you wonder why on earth GM don't enter F1.

Because for the most part they're broke.

[Raglanparade]

Ford and GM are both having financial difficulties in the US at the moment. Infact in my strategic management exam for my business degree, we had to examine the car industry.

There are academics who beleive that within 10-15 years the number of global car makers will halve.

It will also appear, if you look closely around the globe, that it is only the Japanese and Korean carmakers that are making profits at the moment (and even that is debatable).

The European car market is saturated with many different car firms competing, with their being three 'strong' european brands. They are Renault, Mercedes (Daimler-Chysler), and VW. The first two are already in F1, and VW is in LeMans Sportcars through its Audi brand.

The US car market is sinking. The Japanese carmakers (Toyota and Honda) have a huge holding in the US now. As a result, the two major US car giants, GM and Ford have had dwindling revenues and profits. Ford couldnt afford to be in Formula 1 through Jaguar as two biggest markets (Us and Europe) are currently unprofitable.
GM is in a similar situation.

Where did Ford and GM go wrong in the US and Europe, and why they are still successful where i live in Australia is simple. In Australia they still sell the Rear Wheel Drive family sized car... where the other two markets they sell Front Wheel Drive varients..

If Ford and GM wanted to gain market share, they could take the Ford Falcon and the Holden Commodore around the globe and increase profits.

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

Ford and GM are both having financial difficulties in the US at the moment. Infact in my strategic management exam for my business degree, we had to examine the car industry.

There are academics who beleive that within 10-15 years the number of global car makers will halve.

It will also appear, if you look closely around the globe, that it is only the Japanese and Korean carmakers that are making profits at the moment (and even that is debatable).

The European car market is saturated with many different car firms competing, with their being three 'strong' european brands. They are Renault, Mercedes (Daimler-Chysler), and VW. The first two are already in F1, and VW is in LeMans Sportcars through its Audi brand.

The US car market is sinking. The Japanese carmakers (Toyota and Honda) have a huge holding in the US now. As a result, the two major US car giants, GM and Ford have had dwindling revenues and profits. Ford couldnt afford to be in Formula 1 through Jaguar as two biggest markets (Us and Europe) are currently unprofitable.
GM is in a similar situation.

Where did Ford and GM go wrong in the US and Europe, and why they are still successful where i live in Australia is simple. In Australia they still sell the Rear Wheel Drive family sized car... where the other two markets they sell Front Wheel Drive varients..

If Ford and GM wanted to gain market share, they could take the Ford Falcon and the Holden Commodore around the globe and increase profits.

The Falcon and Commodore would only gather enough sales in the US to do any good, in Europe theyre too large and thirsty to be considered a family car, and would have to be sold on any sports merits, like the Monaro is now, to gain any foothold.

[Jaxs]

It was Daiwoo that joined GM, Hundai are going through a progressive expansion. Trucks in China, greater presence overseas and a moving into Motor Sport but the step into Formula One.... Hmmmmm

[Mark Webber]

I work for Hyundai and there quite good and very underratted . Hyundai are a massive company I think there the worlds 5th largest the Auto side of Hyundai is only small and fairly new .
There very motivated to break the top 5 Auto companies within the next 3 years (their currently 7th world wide ) , Hyundai own Kia and do not own any other auto/bike companies that I Know of .
Hyundai F1 yes its very possible its been talked about for some years now there back in the WRC in 07 I think the collective mindthink is the push to the upper end of town through the top end of motorsport . As Hyundai is going thought a major image change to a classy level as KIA will take the lower end of town

[Breffni]

Right. Hyundai aren't part of GM (Thank god, Chevrolet anyone) and anyway, GM don't want anything to do with F1. Williams need an engine, but bringing in a newbie to build there engines will be risky. They should develop their own engines from 2007 onwards, with a customer Honda engine next year.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Breffni

Right. Hyundai aren't part of GM (Thank god, Chevrolet anyone) and anyway, GM don't want anything to do with F1. Williams need an engine, but bringing in a newbie to build there engines will be risky. They should develop their own engines from 2007 onwards, with a customer Honda engine next year.

Cosworth will build the engine,Hyundai will put their name on it.

I too own a Hyundai (Getz,diesel),it's my driving school car,it's very good at that.

[Swiss]

I think this story could have a lot of credence to it, Hyundai are a massive manufacturing company to the scale that there is in fact en entire large town solely run by Hyundai for its employees working in the plant !!

I can why Hyundai would want to do this and the timing would make a lot of sense, firstly it seems to me that more car manufacturers want to have a team of their own ie Renault buying out Benetton, BMW buying Sauber and Toyota entering the mix. Secondly the Formula One is going more and more global, the old school circuits are being complemented or replaced by new circuits in new countries and for companies like Hyundai this makes for compelling reasons to act. Where before it would be hard to break into the 'old school' hierarchy and make an impression the new changes encourage new blood and with the right level of backing success can be achieved.

I look forward to more developments of this nature.

[Kirk]

Hyundai has been bad-mouthed since the first pony car back in '84. There was a lot of merit to the criticism then, but the pony sold very well over here, because it was essentially a disposible car that was cheaper than anything else. They have not looked back since and have even turned a few heads in recent years. They must be doing something right and I will not be at all surprised if they take up F1 and thrive.