I dislike the IDEA of a bailout (helping failing companies), but when those companies are big enough to sink and take the entire US economy with it, I'm thinking that there is some justification to consider it. The market just took a big slide because they announced that unemployment figured jumped by 500k people. Add 3M people to that (the number estimated to work for US Automakers and associated companies / vendors / suppliers / etc) and it's going to be a lot longer before my 401k recovers (and my parent's retirement interest income comes back).

I heard on NPR this morning that the amount that they are asking for a bridge loan is over twice what it would take to buy out the 3 major companies completely! Hmmm... sounds like it's time to take that cash, build a new auto company with a clean, viable, long-term strategic vision and ditch all the UAW contracts and legacy 'krap' that is helping to keep the big 3 down (along with the foggy, slow, overpaid management at the top).

JMHO.

PS: My other car is a 2 year old Cadillac STS. Sharp looking car. Great ride. Nice handling (not crisp, but very comfortable). I got a stunning deal on it and couldn't pass it up. The build quality is fairly good, too. I wish that it were smaller (the smaller CTS that Caddy built at the time wasn't up to snuff in terms of interior and exterior build quality), but if the US had more cars like this one, life would be a bit better for them. I also rented a Dodge Caliber last Christmas... not the most attractive car, but it drove well and was fairly practical without being HUGE.

Unfortunately, American cars just don't inspire me to LOVE them like the MINI or even to HONOR them for their performance (Drove a V8 Mustang... yawn) like I do for BMW. They are generally just basic transportation. Unfortunately for them, selling basic transportation is a commodity market... there are few distinguishing features and lowest price will win. With the handicap of the UAW and 30 years of their retirees weighing the big 3 down, they are never gonna be the lowest price. I can't blame the UAW for doing their job of looking out for the workers... I have to blame the management of the big 3 for thinking short term 10-20-30 years ago when setting those companies down the road they chose.

 

Car's in NYC this week. Was raining last night Went to the car this AM to see someone spit a big one on my window overnight after the rain had stopped. Dripped down to the weatherstripping. I could not for the life of me figure out why that would be. ...could be this point in the OP.

 

my first car was a 78 Ford....a Fiesta made in Spain/Germany

my next was a Toyota Corolla...made in US

then I made a decision to buy american, so I got a '94 Dodge Neon, only to find out it was assembled in mexico

my wife's car is a Honda Civic....made in US


The lines are certainly blurred, but the US car companies leave something to be desired: .....why is, or at least until last year?, the Ford Focus sedan without any headrests, or any support at all above the level of one's shoulders, in the rear seats which would to certain whiplash in a rear collision......why does Chrysler tout how wonderful their fleet's gas mileage is when their best offer is the Dodge Caliber which is rated at a whopping 29 mpg on the highway......no wonder they're in trouble

 

[RANT MODE]
I don't owe any company my loyalty, they need to earn it.
That said, I am very brand loyal to the companies that treat me right.
It doesn't matter to me where that company is based or how many jobs they support.
What does matter is that they stand behind their product and build the best product that is possible.
I have owned Jeeps my entire life and I have also owned my fair share of foreign vehicles with Toyota having my loyalty for many years.
When Toyota got out of hand with their asking prices I moved away from their product.

So you tell me why I should support any company that doesn't build what I want for a price I find reasonable and of great quality.

And please don't tell me its because we have to save American jobs!

Any Bank, Auto maker, Airline or Railroad that robs the American public for years then expects handouts should have their CEO's imprisoned for life.

[/RANT MODE]

 

This really has gotten to the point where these companies are foolish. American government wake up!! We have gotten so full with greed over the years its no wonder that the American public is fed up. Healthcare has become a business, companies offer credit to those who can't afford it only to harrass the h-e-l-l outta them when they lose a job and can't pay a bill on time only to charge a fee on money they don't have in the first place. (kinda like the insufficient funds fee at the ATM....if I only have $20, and the ATM fee is a $1.50, thats $21.50 I don't have, but you charge me $1.75 of MY $20 cuz I didn't have enough to cover the initial $1.50 fee for using that particular ATM.....sounds like

-- The American auto industry leaves something to be desired always...and what sucks is that foreign car makers always seem to fill that desire...Performance/gas mileage/ and looks at the same time.

I'm currently in Kuwait and have been around the world watching as the same big 3 that give us the scraps thats left over and give the good stuff that we want and love to the Europeans, Australians, and Arabs. GM has been producing the GTO for years over here only badged as a Chevy Lumina SS(2-4 door configs) and we couldn't get that? The Focus RS (300hp hot hatch 0-60 less than 6) not coming home??? Be serious!! Why not bring it to the U.S to compete with the likes of Mitsubishi,Subaru, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes, and BMW? They bring their good stuff to us and we have no but choice but to buy the best, most reliable product for our money.
On the "we need help too" front they are putting up? I call Get your head from between your buttcheeks, stop spending more money on mulit-million dollar CEO pension plans, become the great IMAGINATIVE companies you were many, many moons ago and you will bounce back with no help provided. When a MINI with 4 grand into it can outhandle, outshine, AND run longer than America's own invention??? HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!

I think that was more than .02 cents maybe about a nickel

 

Would anyone want to explain to me why Ford came into our town, bought out a 4-5 yr old Ford dealership (really nice), then closed the doors and walked away?!? The building is just sitting there empty...no cars on the lot...NOTHING!! and they paid $$$$$$ for that business...

 

Interesting thread. I for one will probably not buy another american car. Never say never but I have had a few american cars and they are crap. The american auto manufactures were not making money even when the economy was good a few years ago. I say let them all go out of business and be bought up by a quality run non american company.

 

I live about 80 miles from Detroit and my car gets nothing but smiles and enthusiastic questions. Many of my friends in the Michigan MINI club work in the US auto industry.

 

That's it! The government is so good at fixing things... NOT! I, Joe the Taxpayer, don't want to be forced into fixing crappy cars, much less subsidizing registration fees (Rob Peter to pay Paul). What incentive is there for the manufacturers to build quality cars if the government will step in to fix them? And compounding the DMV's work load with more types of licenses, which would increase overhead for the trades (special tells me more $), give me a break!

I say let them flounder, nothing like a good kick in the pants for anyone to improve.

And for the vandalizing of cars, just stupidity at work. So glad I live in the boonies.

 

At least Ford just wants a loan available- and say they don't need it, but may in the future. Still bad, but best of the 3.
It's so dumb that many of the Big 3 sell exciting models overseas only. The GTO, the G8 Ute, the well reviewed convertible hardtop Focus.... hell, those Escorts that Cosworth suped up were something. The Ka. The 300 wagon instead of the Magnum. Bad thinking and they deserve what they get for it. I doubt any will fail- except GM, who get into the lending business with mortgages- but GMAC can get a bite of the $700 billion we flushed down a gold plated Wall Street toilet if they need money.

 

Gosh, I sure hope that they didn't spit on your gorgeous JCW because its British! Being NYC, maybe it was just someone who was jealous or some a-hole bum just looking to spit. Hope it cleaned up okay!

 

They've done this so many times in the past that it makes my blood boil. The nicest car I've seen was the Jeep Cherokee they built just for the Australians. The interior was different and even had real wood paneling. They would never put that in a US marketed car!
No wonder so many are losing interest in their products.
I also would have loved to have a Ford Cosworth but noooo, you can't sell it in America! I do not care if they go under. Their management decisions have always amazed me in terms of sheer failure and I don't really care if anyone decides to rescue any of them. The ONLY reason I support bailing out at least the best performer of the three (but NOT all three of them) is to keep the economy from going farther down the drain.

 

didnt read all the thread, but if I'M part of the problem...so be it. Like stated above... not gonna buy cheap crap if I have the choice. The only thing that has affected me during this 'recession' is cheaper gas, and well...a headache from the media...

 

I'm still mad at the way auto interests bought up and dismantled mass trasit systems that had existed in many cities.

 

get rid of the unions

 

 

^^^^