So what may result and what is the future of the big three in Detroit?  Not good at best.  NASCAR has already shown this as it was once a U.S. only auto manufacturers race involving only cars from the big three (Chrysler, GM and Ford), but now has added Toyota as a successful race brand.  Toyota along with Honda is a dominating force in most other racing forums like Formula 1.  They will soon dominate NASCAR and change its face forever like what happened when Winston didn’t renew its sponsorship of  NASCAR.  All races have now become known as the Nextel cup or previously referred to as the Winston series.  NASCAR even went so far as to entirely remove the Winston from past race history.  Next stop – Toyota and Honda police cruisers and emergency vehicles and import Hummer like SUV’s.

This is what may inevitably happen to the big three automakers unless Honda or Toyota buy them out or merge with them or other drastic changes are made.  They could become a distant memory.  You can only lose money for so long before a judgment call is made to pack it in and go home.  But this is capitalism at its best and only the strong survive.  Any company can be successful, but rest on its laurels for too long and you will eventually die.  This tumultuous period is a opportunity for the big three to take on the big 2 (Toyota and Honda) at their own game.  They need to streamline and focus their efforts (remember Lee Iacocca and how he saved Chrysler?  It can be done).  But, there are a few more problems facing the big three that were not as much a factor in the past - unions, pensions, and ever spiraling employee health care costs.  It will be interesting to see what the highly paid CEO’s of the big three come up with to counter the current economy and the import domination of the U.S. market.