Interesting article I thought I pass on... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081109/ap_on_bi_ge/autos_what_happened
They just dont understand the changing markets. Tell me why Jeep has about 20 different versions of its little 4x4 SUV. What the hell were they thinking. o No: No wonder they are near bankrupt. I have a Ford truck, a Chrysler 300 and a Toyota Solara, and of the 3 the Toyota has been the best product. Time for class to begin in Detroit.
The article does point out that while everyone is making money(makers and unions) it is hard to change. Neither the automakers or the unions are able to change fast enough to meet the change in demand from larger to small cars. Instead of asking for loans from the government, I would ask for the ablility make the same models they sell in Europe, South America and Asia here. While they don't meet some of the standards, they are small and fuel efficient and could be made here quickly. If they have to redesign them to meet the safety and emission standards it will cost to much.
I remember back in the late 60's when you went to a dealer, many times, you ordered a car built and it was delivered 4-6 weeks later. It was exciting with anticipation waiting for your car to come in! The dealers did not have the giant inventories, that even the smallest dealers have now. This can never happen, but maybe they should keep smaller inventories on hand and just build them as you sell them.
I remember that and you could also order a car exactly how you wanted it. If you wanted an oddball combo they would build it.
To the person who ownes a Toyota. Its time sell the American made cars [Buicks] . Go find a Toyota site. Outloud
Too many years of the big 3 having their hands tied by the unions and big government. There is no way they could compete with the foriegn auto makers and keep the unions and government happy. To top it off the automotive mags and consumer mags are biased toward anything not built here. I have bought new vehicles all through the 80s 90s up until 2005 all american made with no problems whatsoever. It will be a sad day if or when any of them go under. Ford is my least favorite brand but I would buy a Ford before buying any foriegn crap. Especially rice grinding junk.:moonu: Bob H.
They have had 40 years to change and they did nothing. Greed by the manufacturers and greed by the unions have brought this result. The oil companies kept the price of oil down and we did not force the auto makers to produce efficient vehicles capapble of running on alternative fuels. The technology is already available now. We are still getting hosed by "ALL" the automakers. We did nothing while our government shut our oil fields and refineries and our country grew more depepndent on foriegn oil. We got what we deserve. That is true also but we the people allowed our government to do this by not fighting all these special interest groups and letting them run amock. The unions got to dictate to manufacturing how to run their business and ran them into the ground. And for the past 30 years the government is also telling business how to run their show and we have what we have. Two entities, the unions and government that know nothing about running a business for profit dictating business procedures. Now we will see what the people of this country are really made of again. Will we come together and cooperate and fix this or will we just whine for our piece of what's left of the pie the government wants to carve up and distribute. Make no mistake there will be no "unity". This country was never unified on anything and will never be unified. We have cooperated with each other but never unified. I am looking forward to see how this all plays out. Mikey
Sorry to disagree, but both of our Dodge Magnum R/Ts were "special ordered". We got the colors that we wanted, and exactly the optional equipment thet we felt was necessary. The dealers had absolutely no problem with special orders. The Magnums are an early 2005 (ordered in August 2004), and a 2008 (ordered in late September 2007).
I'm sure it's WAY above your head that it's people like you that are the one of the reasons why Detroit has problems. Additionally, how dare you tell someone else where they should hang out? Do you own the board? Why not just ban them from here? . . . oh, maybe because you don't own the board, right?uzzled:
Here we go again! Mr. Outloud, please do a little research - you'll find that many, many "foreign" cars are built in the good 'ole US of A by good 'ole American girls and boys. If I worked for Ford or GM I would have long ago found new work for BMW, Mercedes, or Toyota (to name a few) and managed to stay ashore at the same time. In the meantime...how dare GM and Ford build cars overseas - what were those un-patriotic companies thinking? FYI - family car (Lexus) needs replacement in April - Most likely candidate=Ford Flex ... a phenomenal vehicle. I like it more than the Lexus.
Time for my 2 cents worth. I too have been critical of the big three. So don't be bashing us for doing so. We are not unpatriotic. We want them to see the light after 30 years, we are pulling for them. But the fact remains, they have been making ugly unreliable cars. Whose fault? Not the union, not the government, it's management. They are in charge! The playing field is level for all car companies that sell here. Until they admit the problem they won't solve it. My personal opinion is that the financial types have been in control. They are not car people and have short term goals. Don't know if that will change unfortunalely. Having worked for a large corporation, have seen first hand how idiots promote idiots and yes men. If you have ever heard of read the "Peter Principal" it is rampant at the big three. Hope it changes!
If working for GM makes it above my head, Then it has to be above yours as well. BE AMERICAN BUY AMERICAN OUTLOUD As amatter of fact, I do own the board :moonu:
I am pretty American, I think - after all, I was born in Delaware which, if I'm not mistaken, is the first state in America. I also subscribe to a belief where a free market economy benefits everyone. While not an American idea, it is something that America likes to think as her own. That's why I am using this Apple computer that was created in California. My Phillips radio is probably made somewhere in Asia by a Dutch company. The wine my girlfriend had last night was Spanish, and we went to bed in a French fashion. So what was your point, again? Or was it the haughty, British-like tone of your post that got me going?
I am just glad I got a car from when GM was king. This will be my daily driver as long as someone doesn't hit me or it gets stolen. If I ever have to find another daily ride it will be a 1950s Buick with a Nailhead. See, these are exciting cars! They were exciting back then and they still are. ALL the common new cars today are BORING! I think naturally humans like change. We get bored, and look for something new and interesting. Like how the automakers used to change the design of the cars EVERY year. That's why I will be driving old cars for as long as I can. Maybe, I am just strange, but it's how I feel.:beers2:
Well, I wouldn't say that! Cars today light-years better than back in 1970, and Japanese cars aren't light-years better than American cars anymore. But there are those in Detroit and in places that used to be automotive states who think they can dictate what we should buy, and they tend to have this fascist fascination with tying their opinion (they're right, of course!) to patriotism. Do you like people telling you what you should buy? Doesn't it sound like Russia when they forced something on you and you had no choice but to like it? It's anti-freedom at its worst, and his point of view is absolutely holding us peons responsible for the troubles his bosses in Detroit gives him without holding *them* responsible. If they build something I want, I will come. I will not buy something I don't want or need.
Exactly. For me, what they built in the 30s-early70s, is what I want. Big, Powerful, and with real chrome. The only feature that I think is really required is power steering, real power steering, not the half-ass power steering in some new cars. I'm in Bama so rust isn't an issue, and I don't commute 1000 miles a week. I know this is not what everyone else is looking for, but it goes along with how they can never tell us what to buy.:Smarty:
If the US Government uses our tax money to give the big 3 a financial bailout should they have to spend all the bailout money in the US or will they spend it at their cheaper to operate Mexican, Brazilian, Asian and European facilities? Mike
I am not sure the unions are breaking the backs of the Big 3. They haven't gotten the auto workers anything I would not want all my neighbors that work hard to have. Lack of government intervention into medical costs and too much intervention in restrictive controls contribute to the problems. The Big 3 do have some self inflicted wounds though. e.g. Ford Flex, what were they thinking when they approved that monster as the salvation of Ford. Did you know that Opel (GM) is the top manufacturer in Europe? Did you know that Ford is the top manufacturer in Russia? They know how to make nice cars and address the markets over here. For some reason they just keep making bad calls in the US. It is a complex problem, but one that needs to be resolved. It is still the most important US manufacturing segment. If the Big 3 fail it will be a very deep and protracted recession for the US economy. I am not a big fan of the US practise of having large dealer inventories with vehicles loaded with ridiculous options that sum total exceed the value of incentives. And then having to deal with the shysters in the finance department that try to add on worthless sealants, extended service plans, etc. The latest gimmick being the $500 life time option of having nitrogen in the tires.
