The Paris Auto Showis typically one of the great showcases for the auto makers from all over the world. Sure it's the "home" show for Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen, but every automaker looks to make a statement in Paris.
This year it's more a quiet statement.
And for good reason. When I talk with executives from the U.S., Europe and Asia, everyone says the same thing, "Business is OK, but who knows when it will really come back?"
When I talked with Ford CEO Alan Mulally before he unveiled the new Focus ST he said, "The slow economic recovery is impacting sales growth, but sales growth will continue."
So for the rest of this year he expects U.S. auto sales will come in between 11.5 and 12 million vehicles.