[Shotimes] cutting vent holes in the header panel

[Donald Mallinson]

Ron,

As usual, you assume, thus making an A..  ok you know the 
rest!  :)

I understand "car towns" just fine.  and in a city the size 
of Detroit with a population of over a million, and a metro 
of what?  around 2 million?  Ford employees make up a small 
percentage of the total population, and the other employee's 
aren't wedded to Ford.  Plus in the Detroit Metro you have 
other manufacturers and they will tend to even things out.

So yes, there is, as I mentioned and admitted, a bump in the 
numbers, but it doesn't skew the national averages all 
totally out of whack.

I would expect neighborhoods where execs gravitate, to be 
proportionately skewed, but other areas will be normal.

Also, I would agree that import purchases would be lower in 
detroit than in other cities.  But I have been to a LOT of 
automotive and truck assembly/manufacturing plants, and most 
of them Ford plants.  The parking lot is predominantly Ford, 
but the amount of imports and other brands is amazing to 
see.  Much higher than I would have thought.  So while the 
numbers get skewed, they aren't absolute and don't dominate 
the percentages.

There just aren't enough Ford people buying on "plan" to 
make an entire metro area, or state get that far from 
national averages.

Don Mallinson



Ron Porter wrote:
> Don, I guess not living in an "car town", you don't understand. There is a
> HUGE difference when Ford (or any auto mfr) employees are involved.
> 
> The average Ford employee gets the "A" & "B" Plans, which gives them the
> best deal that anyone can get.....and many of them buy cars every 1-2 years.
> 
> Ford management gets the company cars, and some.....like my two Ford
> buddies.....get two a year, then with special deals they each have gotten a
> 3rd car for their teenage daughters. When my buddy was getting SHOs, they
> "made" him get two '98 & '99 SHOs (6 months each), as they had to keep the
> line going when nobody wanted them. All of the Company Exec" cars that go
> through the auctions were most likely from Detroit, followed by Louisville.
> 
> GM and Chrysler are the same way. I live about 10 miles north of the D-C
> headquarters, and my subdivision is crawling with Chrysler folks. I saw the
> first PT Cruiser and new Viper on the road right in my subdivision. When the
> 300M first came out, I'll bet that I saw every possible color/trim/wheel
> option combo within the first 6 months.
> 
> People from outside the area have told me that they Detroit area has the
> lowest percentage of import cars of anywhere they have been.....and I truly
> believe that it's true.
> 
> Ron Porter