In response to talk of bankruptcy as a better solution than a bailout, jgoods says you don’t shoot the horse you are riding.
He and I agree on the bottom line: the auto industry needs a complete overhaul. We both want to see the U.S. companies become competitive, and even lead, in the world of automotive innovation.
We agree that they’ve simply followed the easy money when Americans were in love with city dwelling monster trucks. In fact, I wrote a blog about that here. It’s true that the American public simply got what they were demanding and probably should accept some guilt.
However, it’s the responsibility of a corporation to plan for the possibility of future scenarios, rather than just hope a lot that things stay the same forever. That’s where the Detroit 3 have failed miserably.
The UAW hasn’t helped. The union has bogged down the industry with high labor costs and forced the Big 3 into paying unfathomable sums of money for health care and retirement benefits. While being good for the employees, it came at the cost of stagnant innovation and sub-par quality. That’s not good business.
It’s time to accept that the U.S. auto industry isn’t confined anymore to the United States. Those foreign transplants, Toyota, Honda and all the others, will have a significant impact on the shape of the industry here. We have to think bigger than our borders and accept the fact that organized unions can’t control everyone.
The U.S. automakers do need our support. And now that they’re being humbled and forced to play on the same field as the rest of the world, they’ll probably earn it. But that doesn’t mean all 3 companies have to survive by being bailed out.
Remember that horse? If he’s got broken a leg and won’t take you where you want to go, it’s time to shoot him. Even if you can’t imagine traveling without him.
Do you think all three U.S. auto companies can be succesful in the future? Let us know where you fall in this debate!
-tgriffith
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The Flex has two main innovations that will give it a shot at winning, the first being a built-in refrigerator that is surely a hit with parents on road trips. The second is Ford’s EasyFuel capless refueling system, which reduces the risk of gas theft and decreases the release of fuel vapors. Too bad it won’t win, though; the Flex’s exterior design is apt to produce emotions, just not the kind that make us feel good.
The $80K Nissan, with a twin-turbocharged V6 that corrals 473 horses and the ability to scream to 60 mph in three and a half seconds, could blow the doors off some Porsches. It has everything going for it, including a dashboard monitor to display steering angle and G-forces. This car will make your heart pound and your palms sweat… but it’s not something the average car consumer can identify with. That’s why it won’t win.
This reincarnated icon of the past is being brought back to life and will be accessible to nearly anyone with the desire to drive a symbol of American muscle. Yes, that muscle has weakened in past years, but that’s not the point. The Challenger invokes pure emotion in the millions of Americans who remember Dodge’s heyday. This isn’t just a car; it’s a car that builds hope in America’s automakers. And that’s the point of the ICOTY awards and why my money is on the Challenger to win.
