[Closed] What's Worth Saving?

Charlie, I believe the Mustangs and Corvettes will be around for awhile. I'm not so sure about the Challangers and Cameros. I don't know the production numbers for the Mustang, but I would venture a guess of over 100,000 and perhaps 30-50,000 Corvettes. If anyone could provide accurate numbers, that would be great.

what are Obamamobiles??

Whats an Obamamobile?? Now its the Presidents fault that GM and Crysler couldnt sale good cars??

It's any American car that is designed more on the basis of idiotic government mandates and dictates, ie. bureacratic red-tape and meddling. You can just as easily call it a "Cartermobile", a "Clintonmobile" and (in some cases) a "Bushmobile".

American car companies are hardly blameless, but were and are capable of building vehicles that actual PEOPLE want to drive. Thus, the huge and deserved popularity of American SUV's, trucks, mini-vans and standard-sized automobiles over the years.

So, dump nonsense like CAFE standards, so-called "guzzler" taxes, etc etc and let regular folks decide what they want to drive ..... without unwarranted interference from government, be it Mr. Obama, the Democratic party or any foolish Republicans or Independents alike. They ALL need to get out of the way, level the playing field and let car companies build a variety of CARS ..... regardless of size or type.

I am always the optimist, first look back at the 1930s, the worst depression the modern world had seen. You would assume that expensive cars would have totally disappeared over night and yet the 1930s provided perhaps the most beautiful cars ever designed. I think societies adjust and finds ways to keep what excites them alive even in time of total crisis conditions.

I was recently looking at the Tesla roadster, hey, if I had to drive one of those I don't think I would be shedding any tears. I don't see the extinction of the cars as we know them for at least another generation (100 years). Changes, sure, but being in the high tech industry (robotics) for over thirty years I see a lot of stuff coming down the pike that could compensate for the demise of fossil fuels. The car designers will always be there to create desire......that won't change......what goes under the hood will.

Unfortunately, this 'stuff' has been around for a long time but has always been shoved under the table for various reasons (usually cheap money and greed). For example, watch (or read Harold Robbin's book) the movie 'The Betsy'. Filmed in the 1970s the dialog (theme) is almost the same as today word for word. Unions, big three extinction, fuel and new technologies.....it is all there (almost 35 years ago). Lots of nice cars since then.

We looked at an inventor's (he was very well known in the defense industry) car and motorcycle he altered ten years ago in Hawai'i for Aloha Asia International (group of international business people and government representatives) which was looking for ways to bypass fossil fuels or at least help cut down the usage. What we found was a 1978 Chrysler V-8 four door sedan which got 78 miles per gallon and yet was faster then the stock version.

The process was using steam mixed with fuel (to long to explain how it works) and it could even be installed as an after market ad-on. It was amazing. We had two members from the House of Representative of the state of Hawai'i there along with some retired automotive engineers from Ford and Chrysler. All were impressed and excited.

It was later turned down by all of the big three.......I believe China bought the rights two years later. Stories like this are quite common and very true. You have to look at the car industry much like the tobacco industry, (tobacco/farmers, automobile/gas & oil industry) they are very complex and misunderstood by the general public in how they function (good and bad motives) when you have have economics, workers, unions, shareholders and product all trying to survive.....now, even more complicated by the new global market.

Tobacco went through the purge (and rightfully so) twenty years ago but nicotine still exists even when they know they can make a cigarette with out it.......now they are going to have to.........Same with cars, they can make beautiful cars with plenty of muscle.....with out using gas......and like cigarettes....now, only because they have too. The mid east and Russia have the gas/oil and we can't depend on them anymore.

Corvettes and their like (all body styles that excite) are not going anywhere. As a side note to think about, by 1920 there were over 1,000 different automobile manufactures that sprang up in the U.S. since 1895. We are a nation of backyard inventors with spirit.......we will do it.

humm!!

Mike I hear ya but I think people have seem to have chosen the cars that they like most seem to the ones that save gas, sporty what have you.Remember this the car companies went to the goverment for help not the goverment coming to the car companies.If you were to borrow money from me I would make the rules so that I can get my money back that just makes sense.So before the crying starts about the goverment this and that those car companies flew in lear jets begging for help!!

Well said Mike. You know, the U.S. government began the death of the American auto industry way back in 1973 when theysaid all cars hadto have 5mph bumpers. The government said it save the people and insurance companies on repair costs. What happend to that? Today,if you get hit at just 5mph,the repair could cost over a grand,even more if the air bags go off. Then came the Fed. emissions law that gave us the catalytic converter in 1975 and the government has been picking away at the auto industry ever since. Oh i know the car companies take some of the blame to,that can be seen by the amount of recalls over the years 2 of which stick in my mind are the Ford Pinto fire issue the other is GM getting sued big time back in 1972 for using 1958 Impala motor mounts on the 1972 cars with the big 454's. The mounts were breaking causing the engine to run full throttle and causing accidents. But by and large i feel the government has done more to hurt the auto industry than anthing esle. Let's face it,the American auto industry that we have all loved for many years is gone forever. At least we have books and museums to preserve the memories.

and model cars

And model cars!!!

Corvette built 35,000 units for 2008.........

I'm pretty sure they were all sold or will be.
I've read reports that the C7 (the next generation) design is well underway so I think Corvette will be around for awhile,but who can say for sure.

americans just didnt love american cars

I find this funny everyone has the answer to the auto industry problems its the goverment is the one u hear the most, but the american consumer just doesnt buy american cars. Toyota and Honda and the others have just done a better job of selling cars to Americans than the big three facts are facts.When the big three can maybe convince the American public that they have a better car maybe then they can comeback!!

No, Honda and Toyota have NOT , "....done a better job of selling cars to Americans."

All the Japanese manufacturers took virtually as large (or larger) LOSS of customers during recent months as did American companies. Japanese car sales are down dramatically as they failed to move product, here and worldwide.

Also, Japanese and other foreign car companies had been surprisingly far behind the curve in previously giving many American consumers what they indicated they wanted in recent years : full-size pickup trucks, SUV's of sufficient size, popular minivans and somewhat larger-sized cars for the American market and highways.

In the US, who buys the big pick ups and 4x4's - bankers or those who have a real need?

In the UK, most of them belong to city slickers and consequently are Chelsea tractors that have never been off-road!

Paul,well put.

I dunno! The air in LA is much cleaner than it was 20 - 25 years ago!

That brown haze that was an every day occurence does not exist now. I very seriously doubt that would ever have happened if not for government mandates. Also, although American driver miles driven are way up, fatalities are much lower. Again, government mandates for safety equipment and drunk driving laws.

I've managed to get 31 MPH out of my C5 Corvette. I'd match performance with any late 60's Vette but those cars would never see 31 MPH downhill, with a tail wind and the engine not running!

Mike stop it

Mike the numbers just dont add up my friend yes the japanesse have out sold the big three but the perseption is that they have better cars thats what people think!I`ll bet a model honda civic on that!!In Fact last year Toyota beat GM and this they out selling them in the US.