How would you summarise the global automotive market in 2005?
JP: Well that’s an interesting one, certainly we didn’t do too badly, despite the tough times we all face especially with the oil price going through the roof. All in all, I think Europe has done pretty well; China is still expanding; things are great in Japan as they have very good products. OEMs in North America are not doing as well, however, and have had to use strong financial incentives to maintain market share. It is likely that more than one North American based supplier will go into Chapter 11 in the coming months. You know that the continuing price pressure will certainly not help those guys, some of whom are key players in the industry, but some companies like TRW are doing very well in this climate. NF: Which chassis technologies do you believe will provide the best opportunities for growth in the future? JP: We will certainly see Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as an opportunity. All of the data now published shows that it definitely leads to a reduction in the total nu
