Do The American Car Companies Problems All Boil Down To Just Plain Stupidity?

I know there are bad times and that things aren't always that easy, but nevertheless...
...it's just plain stupidity from the domestics.

More like a case of surecockedness, corporate inbreeding, ethnocentrism, cultural superiority complex, and corporate favouritism instead of meritocracy.

granted, the big 3 made plenty of mistakes...but plain stupidity, no.

are massive health care costs of $1500 per car sold due to a massive number of retirees stupid? no, they're circumstantial.

are fleets of large cars that were built for a 20-year run of cheap gas stupid? no, the market simply shifted and all big cars were hurt.

are overpaid workforces stupid? well, yes, but the big 3 are stuck with the UAW while foreign manufacturers are not.

it's really not that simply boys. they've made plenty of mistakes, but the big 3 have been stuck with a lot of shitty circumstances.

Pension and healthcare obligations are a killer. You can't spend extra to put that European suspension in when you have to pay all that extra money to the workers. In fairness to the workers nobody put a gun to the Big 3's head to promise them that, so they deserve to collect.

Badgewhore
I guess Germans and Japanese are incapable of arrogance. Honda is by far the most arrogant car company on earth!! Period!!

The big 3 need to file bankruptcy. They are just not going to learn any other way.

Ford I think already has learned, as they are going to build world cars instead of US cars, Asian cars, and European cars. All cars will be sold across the globe. Chrysler well they have been passed around like a joint at a Pink Floyd concert. GM on the other hand it seems is actually trying to fail. They have great products coming but they aren't bringing them to the US for NO apparent good reason.

I honestly think Ford can survive on its own, Chrysler will get paired w/ someone (God I hope it is Renault/Chrysler or VW and not GM), and GM will get a bailout on its own if it has any hope of surviving.

and what would you suggest the several million americans who work in the industry do for a living? do tell.

A really interesting article...the fact that American workers CAN build cars for the foreign firms, sort of throws out the argument they can't build quality for the domestics. In reality though, the management of many of these firms have spent years trying to maximize profit and bonuses at the expense of quality and employees. One thing that usually works is the old idea of selling a product people want...if a company can do that, there is no reason money can't be made with a happy workforce.

This was one of the more intersting articles I've read about the history of success and failure, they probably could've added more about the specific decisions that led to the downfall of the individual companies.

IMO, if you as a worker/employee, have a job, save for your future. Don't rely on pensions. Companies, instill this into your employees/workers so they will learn to save. In return, continuously and consistently develop new technologies and attractive designs for your cars so that people may want to buy them over and over. Its easier said than done but at the end of the day, this is how it should be.

I agree with you... its the buying public that wanted big trucks and SUV's. Funny thing is.. I've never heard any news article about Big3 gangsters putting guns to people's heads and making them buy vehicles they didn't need.

Please,

All the problems due to stupidity?? Cmon now, let's be reasonable.

Yes, domestics made really crappy cars for a damn long time.

Yes, competition forced detroit to build better cars like the the malibu, CTS, etc.

Let's use our brains here though, American car companies' hard times are a result of a number of causes. Firstly, detroit made crappy cars for far too long. Second, union labor deals. Third, cost structures here in the US. Lets face it, why would anyone want to have a factory in America... the regulations, taxes, insurance, lawsuits, etc etc etc.

The biggest problems that American car companies face are A) Politicians in Washington DC and B) snooty Americans.

A) Let's not even start with the politicians... between their absurb mileage regulations, the diesel emissions regulations, and their de-regulation of oil markets, we are all royally F***ed. And thats just the half of it.

B) Americans shouldn't buy Japanese cars for everyday purposes. Yes, it definately was true that Japanese cars were MUCH better than their domestic counterparts, but that argument doesn't hold true anymore.

Here's an example I would like to bring up....

Imagine that all Toyota Camrys, Corollas, Honda Accords & Civics were Ford Fusions & Focuses, Chevy Malibus & Cobalts. Now think... would America be better off or not, economically speaking. If you can't come to the obvious answer.. maybe you shouldn't be on this site.

Remember, When Detroit profits big, America profits big, and America stays safe. Remember.... Detroit won WWII for us... not Toyota or Kia. We need our heavy industry, and we need our jobs and all of their associated trickle down jobs.

People in this country need to support their own country... pull that "United We Stand" sticker off your Lexus LX470 and seriously contemplate what your everyday actions really mean.

And for the record, by "everyday cars" i mean the appliances like the Camry & Accord (both very nice vehicles).

If you have a love of a certain car because you are some enthusiast, etc... then by all means go for it (like the G37 sedan/coupe which I would die to have, but I still would take the CTS... just an amazing car). Anyways, I'll stop ranting now... sorry for the long posting.

clueless. the fuel economy standards benefit ALL americans so stop making idiotic statements about the one thing the government and advocates for fuel efficiency got right. second, americans already make and buy good card built in america. they are called maximas and camrys and accords. union greed and shortsighteness and management idiocy is why detroit manufacturers are dying. as they should die. instead of trying to impress the witless car mag writers with pathetic useless tripe such as a 100k corvette american manufacturers should make cars that are BETTER than the maxima camry and accord. I am not buying that crap they make now.

poor managing and unions. does every dealership really need 2000 ford fusions a year? unions seem to think so because then they get paid more and are garaunteed hours.

I would have to agree with nuetral as well, I drive an 06 gs and really considering trading in my car for something that is made in the U.S. I really dont care form what car company american,korean.japanese or european as long as its gonna pay an american a salary I'll be happy with that but we as a people should be a little patriotic as the rest of the world really hates us.And its not because of Iraq even thou it did enrage them more.We should support american made products regardless of its corporate heritage.