Glen Byrns wrote:
> One can argue all day that today's "American" cars are the equal of imports.
> The consumer, the only one whose vote actually counts, has left the polling
> booth. After decades of sub-standard fare, it will be a long time before
> any trust can be regained and it will take a quality product, not a quality
> argument.
It can happen. "Made in Japan" once (1950s) meant a cheap,
inferior product. Attention to detail and focus on quality made
them #1 in perceived quality. The US auto industry is getting
there -- maybe it is a matter of convincing the consumer and
changing their perception. "Made in China" may someday mean
a quality product, too. (Hi, Frank!)
Part of GM's (and the US auto industry) problem is the $1500+
built into every car they sell to cover the health benefits of
its employees [1]. All else being equal, the GM car will cost
you $1500 more. Or they'll have to remove $1500 of content
(cheaper materials, cheaper stereos, etc) to match the price
of the comparable Japanese automobile. Or figure out some
combination of cheaper content and higher price.
[1]
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102002078.html>
--
Kent McLean
'59 100 BN2
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