Autotown EP7 - USMCA, James Bond’s Worst Car & Record Car Prices

Welcome back to Autotown with Jamie Butters. In this episode, Jamie is joined by Bill Koenig, veteran automotive journalist and co-host of The 007 Files, for a conversation that moves from North American trade and Canadian auto jobs to one of the strangest car moments in James Bond history. Jamie and Bill start with USMCA, Unifor, the Detroit Three, and the uncertainty facing auto investments in Canada and Mexico. They discuss how trade negotiations, EV strategy shifts, union timing, and plant capacity are shaping the future of North American vehicle production. Then, the conversation takes a detour into pop culture with the 20th anniversary of the Ford Mondeo’s appearance in Casino Royale — widely remembered by Bond fans as one of the least glamorous James Bond cars ever. Jamie and Bill look back at Ford’s global-car ambitions, the Mondeo/Contour story, and what it says about the long-running challenge of developing vehicles quickly, affordably, and at scale. Next, Autotown stops at the Coffee Shop with Rick Wainschel, VP of Analytics at Catalyst IQ, to dig into record-high new-vehicle prices. Rick explains the average marketed price, why new-car prices have moved above the pandemic-era peak, how tariffs and MSRP increases are showing up in the market, which vehicles are moving fastest, and what dealers need to do as buyers shift toward more affordable and fuel-efficient options. In this episode: USMCA talks and the future of North American auto investment Unifor, the UAW, and Canadian auto jobs How EV strategy changes are affecting Canada and the Detroit Three Ford Mondeo, Ford Contour, and James Bond’s least glamorous car What traditional automakers can learn from Chinese product speed Record-high average marketed prices for new vehicles Tariffs, MSRP increases, incentives, and affordability pressure Why smaller SUVs, sedans, and efficient vehicles are moving faster What higher prices and shifting demand mean for dealers Follow Autotown with Jamie Butters for weekly conversations on the people, companies, technologies, and trends shaping the automotive industry. New episodes every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. on 760 WJR in Detroit. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro: Welcome to Autotown 0:45 Bill Koenig joins the show 1:31 USMCA, Unifor, and Canadian auto jobs 7:35 James Bond’s worst car: the Ford Mondeo 14:24 The Coffee Shop: Rick Wainschel of Catalyst IQ 15:17 Record-high new-vehicle prices 17:59 Tariffs, MSRPs, and model-year price increases 19:21 What consumers should expect when shopping 22:08 Which vehicles are moving fastest 25:36 What record prices mean for dealers 28:02 Closing and how to follow Autotown THUMBNAIL / COVER SLIDE TEXT: Autotown EP 7: USMCA, Worst Bond Car & Record Car Prices