The US car industry

[August]

Originally Posted by jpm1

that's a very cruel post for us europeans

this thread's beginning to stress me Chevrolet and Cadillac are going to disappear no
[mode humor on]moderators please close that thread and also burn Subsim server so that this thread can't be found again [/mode humor off]

Don't worry JPM, we still have model T's kept in running condition by legions of car fanatics. Caddys, Chevys and the rest will still be driving on American roads long after we're gone.

[Digital_Trucker]

Originally Posted by August

Don't worry JPM, we still have model T's kept in running condition by legions of car fanatics. Caddys, Chevys and the rest will still be driving on American roads long after we're gone.

Don't forget that humongous fleet of Corvairs in my neighbors yards:rotfl:

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Digital_Trucker

Don't forget that humongous fleet of Corvairs in my neighbors yards:rotfl:

Unsafe at any speed!....Ralph Nader. My sister had a Corvair. It ran on memory. :rotfl:

[Hylander_1314]

Originally Posted by Bewolf

Kay, folks, that's a topic I've been following quite a bit lately. I know the US car giants GM, Ford and Chrysler are overblown monsters, unprofitable, with cars not fitting into a world of dwindling oil reserves and climate change. Oddly enough in a country like the US there are unions that powerful making the life of these automobile makers pure hell. The cars also lack cutting edge technology by a fair shot, especially in engine development, though that appears to change atm. Too little, too late, though.

Nevertheless, on a personal level, I've always been quite fascinated by US cars. Big, powerful, raw. And as stupid the new muscle cars are from every POV common sense provides...darn, they are hot! I love these brutes with a passion. Were ressource conditions not what they are, I'd buy a new Challenger in a heartbeat! The chemics just fit.

GM declared without government help they won't survive this winter. But even with this help the problems probably are too big to save them. Pensions, a lacking model palette and lacking high techology these cars are simply 10 years behind their time.
When I was in the US last time two years ago, I got myself a Cadillac CTS to drive around. Great car on first glance, good acceleration ad lacking these übersoft suspensions typical of older cars I really grew to hate, but when I dropped a CD during unpacking, got down to get it from under the drivers seat...there were cables whereever you looked. It made the impression of beeing only half finsihed, with cables just hanging around freely. Like a childrens room where al the playtools are just shoved under the bed.

Selling by GM broke by 45 percent just this year. They lack any basis of beeing competetive in todays world. 100.000 to 200.000 would have to be fired by GM alone just to get back a healthy company size=profit relationship, something US unions are obviously unable to accept, not to talk about all the hard working ppl, some of them beeing in the company for the second or third generation.

What is to be done about this? I personally do not want to see the american car industry go down. They perfected the manufactoring of a german invention, produced countless classics and still have a reputation. Maybe I am just nostalgic, I already considered the downfall of the british car industry a great loss, but maybe dinosaurs are just bound to go extinct someday.

What is your opinion on that? What is a realistic way to solve this problem. And can it be helped at all? Are there any new upstart car companies giving some hope on the horizone?

American auto industry?

What American auto industry? Every car I have worked on made by the big 3 says made in Mexico, or Canada, or some other country. The big 3 are in big trouble, because of poor management, white collar theft of profits through loans and advances that are not under any requirement to be paid back, and lack of technological advancements.

Honda and Toyota now emmulate what a US car used to be like. Dependable, tough, and if taken care of, will run forever.

[jpm1]

i wonder if that critical situation because for me talking of the disappearance of such symbols difficult to make more critical , i wonder if that's not simply the confirmation of the petrol era end

[jpm1]

AVGWarhawk post pics of your Continental please

[PeriscopeDepth]

If the America auto industry has to fail under the free market system, it needs to fail. Giving an incompetent management a $25 billion handout is only delaying the inevitable so the Dems can say they're helping middle America. If it has to burn, let it burn now. We don't need to have the same discussion a few years from now. If the auto industry absolutely must be saved, 100% socialize them. The middle ground is just delaying the pain in the interest of looking like the Dem Congress is doing something.

PD

[FIREWALL]

Saturn is the only make I will miss.

[jpm1]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

Saturn is the only make I will miss.

don't know if one should laugh or if one should cry

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

If the America auto industry has to fail under the free market system, it needs to fail. Giving an incompetent management a $25 billion handout is only delaying the inevitable so the Dems can say they're helping middle America. If it has to burn, let it burn now. We don't need to have the same discussion a few years from now. If the auto industry absolutely must be saved, 100% socialize them. The middle ground is just delaying the pain in the interest of looking like the Dem Congress is doing something.

PD

nationalisation you got it man . some say nationalisation isn't logical in a capitalism system why not ? In France to quote a example i know all companies where the state is the major shareholder are in good condition good at the minimum in general they are in excellent condition ; why ? the controls benefit of the whole state structure these controls are regular and well made by competent persons because the bankrupcy of such company could lead to the politic in place death and believe me they don't want that to happen . Take the example of Airbus there were serious problems with the A380 as soon as the problem was detected the company leaders were changed and that several times until the company goes better . in a private system the company leaders are a kinda kings in their kingdom until the disaster's there you won't see anything , in opposite to a company ruled by the state where controls are frequent and in deep

[jpm1]

I don't think the US government'll let the whole cars companies go down , the symbol is too important . Don't know for the others but when i hear the word United states of America i don't think to the Grand canyon , i don't think a F-16 , i don't think to a SR-71 , first thing that comes to my mind's a US car yesssssssssssssssssssssss

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by jpm1

AVGWarhawk post pics of your Continental please

Same year, same color, different wheels. 275 horses of petrol sucking V8 My continental before this was a 1980 Signature Series. Friggin tank it was.

[jpm1]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Same year, same color, different wheels. 275 horses of petrol sucking V8 My continental before this was a 1980 Signature Series. Friggin tank it was.

pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ! you americans don't know how lucky you're

[AVGWarhawk]

In all reality I spend $20.00/week in gas. I only live 15 miles round trip from my work. My wife is 14 miles from work round trip and she spends $20.00 in her Mountaineer. Gas was really never an issue for us. Even when it went crazy over the summer I had to spend $25.00/week. A $5.00 increase. No big deal really.

[FIREWALL]

@jpm1 I gather American cars aren't your forte.

Saturn has one of the best customer satisfaction ratings for a US car.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

@jpm1 I gather American cars aren't your forte.

Saturn has one of the best customer satisfaction ratings for a US car.

Saturns are great cars. Also, they have come a long way in the looks department. I really like the two seat coop they have made recently.