(no subject)

[ebonlock]

Ok this I have to share:

A Ford dealer angered over the proposed bailout of U.S. automakers blames the nation's sour economy on Congress and criticized buyers of Japanese cars, calling the vehicles "rice ready ... not road ready" in a radio ad.

O.C. Welch, who owns a dealership near Savannah in Hardeeville, S.C., began airing the minute-long ad on a dozen stations in the area over the weekend....

The car dealer, though, said Tuesday he had received more positive calls than negative ones. His dealership sold 15 new cars Saturday -- half of them to people drawn to the lot by the ad, he said....

I recognize that when times are tough people get scared and angry and profoundly, profoundly dumb. So some bigoted moron at a Ford dealership made a stupid commercial that some equally moronic people seemingly approved of...big deal, right? Thing is I think this is only the tip of the iceberg and that we're going to start seeing some serious and vicious racial hatred bubbling up to the surface over the next few years. Especially when the disenfranchised finally see just how screwed over they were by their Republican overlords and cast about desperately for some scapegoat they can put the blame on...and possibly beat the stuffing out of.

But beyond that can I just say that the reason people aren't buying Fords is that they are some of the biggest piece of crap automobiles on the road today?

Seriously, my first car was an '87 Escort and a month off the lot the transmission blew. I mean no warning, no accident, nothing, just no more transmission. I can't even begin to tell you how many hours of my life I wasted in car shops trying to keep the damn thing going. And let's not even discuss the money I spent.

But you know what? The Honda I've been driving for several years now needs no more than a routine oil change and purrs right along. I don't have to give it a second thought. And the miles per gallon I get on this thing are almost as good as a hybrid.

You wanna' know why people have turned away from American cars and happily embraced the Japanese models, that's it in a nut shell. While companies like Ford were happily building in planned obsolescence and racing to make the biggest, most bloated and fuel-guzzling vehicles they could, Japanese auto companies were doing the exact opposite. And that's why they're staying afloat while Ford is forced to go begging to Congress.

Comments

[tattermuffin.livejournal.com]

Sadly, a lot of this has come from the American vs. Foreign business models. America tends to be about "the next quarter" so looking 10+ years down the road and building cars today that will mean short term losses before the market catches up is just impossible. The stockholders won't hear of it because "next quarter" and "end of year" are where the focus is.

So while Honda and Toyota were making hybrids and not selling many/not making huge profits on them initially ... when the crunch came, they were ready and waiting and already had cars (and proven cars that had been on the roads for a few years already) for people to buy.

America, as a nation, has to learn to look a lot further down the road to avoid this kind of "oh crap, now what" crunch again in the future.

And yah ... I hear you on the POS thing. I love my Civic.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Civics are possibly the best little cars ever invented, no question about it. And I totally agree with you regarding the outlook, this short-term gain over long-term gain viewpoint has been driving me mad since the 80's. Even more so when the grasshoppers all turn with confusion to us ants wondering why their businesses are failing.

[tattermuffin.livejournal.com]

Totally.

In fact, I was really confused at first why the lockdown of credit means to many businesses were going under. I didn't realize how many companies rely on credit to pay bills or even payroll each month! The only "loan" I used in starting my business was to get the business license and fictitious name statement - and I did those when I had a first sit already lined up, so that first job paid back my personal account for the start-up costs. Every other thing I've done for the business (advertising, getting a logo, shirts to wear, business cards, etc.) has waited until there was money in the account to pay for them.

It seems very strange to me to be paying interest on loans in order to run a business (although I can understand it for inventory and such, I still wouldn't think you'd carry a ton of credit all the time). You know? Paying interest means less profits, to my mind!

[frodobaggins252.livejournal.com]

Just a side note -- I've had nothing but good luck with Fords -- the 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 I got from my grandfather and sold to someone up here when I married Phil is STILL on the road, as is the '86 Aerostar (you remember that one -- we went to Toronto in it) -- I still see them periodically (each having a couple of identifying characteristics) -- and the '96 is still going strong after over 260,000 miles and still gets an average of 20 mpg -- the Escort wagon we had to replace the little Mazda GLC that died when I was pregnant with Melissa (6 months pregnant and I had to push it off the road) was wonderful but we outgrew it -- sorry you had terrible luck with Fords -- isn't it weird how that sort of thing works out?

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I think there were periods in which the US auto makers were forced to build better cars, but only under duress. Having worked at the auto history museum I looked back on the past 15 years or so as a re-do of the 50's where the companies were in a race to build vehicles bigger, more gas guzzling and less likely to remain road worthy for more than a few years at a stretch.

I mean can you believe we lived through a time where Hummers were considered viable family vehicle options?

Again, planned obsolescence was the name of the game, and until they're forced to stop playing that game they're going to lose out to Japanese and European manufacturers.

[scoreboard.livejournal.com]

Oh, they could have done it - witness my little '93 Saturn SC2 that averaged 30,000 miles a year the first six years without a fight - but it required radically different thinking. GM is not capable of comprehending radically different, and if you mention "radically different" to the UAW, they look for the truncheon in the other hand.

Somebody needs to do to GM what Himself did to AAPL in '97-98, but I think it may be too late.

Meanwhile, the Hooverist thinking in the GOP boggles my mind - who in their right mind thinks that cutting people's wages in the middle of a recession is not only a good idea but a necessary condition? Oh that's right...plantation-ists.

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

You know most of the GOP would mention indentured servitude as a possible option if they thought they could get away with it.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

The only way this bigoted little ass gets my Sapphy is if he pries the keys from my cold, dead hands. I've had five cars in my life, and the only ones I'd buy again are the Hondas.

[phillipalden.livejournal.com]

My Toyota Camry was made in Tenn. But even if it came from Japan I still wouldn't buy an "American" (Ford/Chrysler/GM) car, because as you so accurately point out - they suck.

BTW - I've opposed every "bail-out" from Wall Street to Detroit.

[missjones.livejournal.com]

FORD = Found On Road Dead. :)

[scoreboard.livejournal.com]

Pretty bold talk coming from a Fix Or Repair Daily dealer...

/chevyredneck