[Guest]

Allow me to apologize for the size of the pictures, but it was the smallest I could get them while ensuring the article was still readable.

***On page three and four, the article goes across. The bottom protion talks about the processes.

Enjoy :cheers

I do encourage everyone reading the article to go out an buy the magazine, August issue of Car and Driver for those who don't know. Some really other great articles throughout the magazine.

 

[Guest]

2nd Page

 

[Guest]

3rd Page

 

[Guest]

4th Page

 

[Guest]

Last Page.

 

[Guest]

Well Done Darrick :nicejob thanks for the report :cheers

 

[MockingBird]

thanks for the scans. helps out ppl who dun get to read Car and driver

 

[RattlerGUNZ]

Thx Darrick :cheers

 

[LUW]

Thanks Darrick! :nicejob I was really eager to read the article. But being honest I was hoping to learn more about what Mr. Yee and AUTOart think about the hobby. I guess since it was in a car mag the article should focus more on thge production aspect. Anyways, a great read. Thanks again! :cheers

 

[Odin]

Nice article, it looks almost exactly the same as the one we had in our local Auto mag "Wheels".

 

[DC4ME]

Thanks Darrick!! :cheers

DC4ME

 

[Guest]

A very informative read, thanks for the posting Darrick. Seems as with all businesses, profit is a priority, yet i think AUTOart is making all the wrong 'market estimates' by starting to release sealed and sub-standard models. :confused

 

[Phwoarrr]

Thanks for the informative read Darrick! :cheers

 

[mox]

Thanks for sharing that, Darrick

 

[Ronan]

Thanks for reproducing the article Darrick! I'm sure Yee's negative attitude to making models of US cars is partly due to the burning he got on the Panoz roadster. Also, I'd say he makes alot more profit per model in markets other than the US (where despite the frequent recent price rises models are generally alot cheaper than Europe, Japan and Australia for instance-UK prices for AUTOarts are almost the same in pounds as in dollars) hence why he likes models that appeal all over the world. A shame really as I for one love the few US cars they do (most of them anyway!) :cheers

 

[mattdesign]

Very interesting read. I picked up the issue last night, it made me look at my collection in a different way. I am not new to the developement of products as I design mass production computer equipements myself, but it really strikes me hard to see those workers on the floor working on models.

Only 30% of their catalogue make profit? Wow, I had no idea it was so low. As he states at the very end of the article, it sounds like luck has a lot to do with their success. I would have imagined that figure was closer to 50+%. With 70% of their models failing at $200,000 tooling cost each, you can sort of understand why they have to mark up their profitable models so much to recoup that loss.

20 workers sleeping in a dorm room 500sq/ft. Ouch. I was living in a 500sq/ft studio alone in college and I thought I needed more space. And I thought China was big! All jokes aside, living and working condition seems aweful.

Alot to think about.... it is definately making me look at my models in a different way.

 

[MockingBird]

well....we'll never know for sure if he;s telling the whole truth on that profitability issue
:help

 

[Guest]

mattdesign,

I totally understand what your saying.

I remember years ago, when Kathy Lee Gifford was going through a whole lot of drama about sweatshops making her clothing.

I don't think these conditions are bad compared to what I saw when they exposed a lot of sweat shops years ago. But its still hard to see them otherwise when you compare that standard of living to the standard of living you see everyday.

$90 a month and 12 hour shifts, six days a week... wow.

If a zealous politician got a hold of this article, and the regulations of this industry all but nonexistent, it will make for an interesting way for a politician to gain 15 minutes of fame.

 

[vegasracer]

Darrick, thanks for posting the article! :cheers

 

[Gucci720]

Very interesting article. Heh, I didn't know their factory is in the same city as I am. Most of the content in this article is very true, about the wages/living environment.

Our factory is making cable/wire for TV/VCR/DVD/Home Theatre, blue collar workers on the assembly line works from 800 to 2300, 1.5 HR for lunch break and 1 HR for dinner break, plus several short breaks. For those who operate the machines work 12 hours a day, all of them work 7 days a week. They only get one day off, which is the day right after they get paid; avg. wage is about 90-100USD.

And yes, customs are very, very, very strict here. We are the same type of factory called ''Material Processing Facility'', we import material with no tax/tariff but we have to ship all of them out. Therefore we can not sell anything in China; if we do that and get caught, it's considered smuggling and we can kiss the factory goodbye. However, I do get really cheap AUTOart models though... Last time I got a 1/18 Subaru Impreza WRX for my friend for only 30USD, and Nismo Z was around 40USD as well... Still don't know how the dealer got such low prices.