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Drive what u like

I dont think anyone but those who would like everyone to drive american cars is saying what to drive.But if you take my money I hope to have a say in what u sell!!I want my money back dig!!

I really believe there was a time when (1970-80s) when American cars let down the quality standards and allowed the bean counters make many stupid decisions. The industry assumed the buying public had no choice. Well, the Japanese took advantage of that and at a time when gas was high and money tight; came to the American market place with a reliable product that got good mileage at a cheap price. You also had Germany hammering away on the upper end market with BMW and Mercedes selling 'handling'.(the strange thing though, they loved the way our Cadillacs and Buicks drove....like riding on a cloud). The grass is always greener on the other side of the pond.

By the mid 1980s, Detroit finally started to react and saw the threat. One of the first major attempts aside from just trying to copy (Fairmont, Vega, citation, K car etc) their cars was perhaps the Ford Taurus in 1986. Like it or not, it was the beginning of the turn-it-around American manufacturing revolution. The Taurus like the Camry provided good/fair fuel economy, cabin comfort, good handling, and a lot of bang for the buck.

In the early 1990's Cadillac El Dorado and STS followed suit and proved they could more than hold their own with Mercedes, Lexus, BMW and Infinity. The American cars made leaps and bounds and soon caught up; unfortunately the American perception did not. Surely it was not the American workers fault, Camrys and Subaru Outbacks are mostly made here by American workers....the same American workers who make our own cars. When the SUV craze hit America in the 1990's that changed the whole landscape and focus......least we forget that the Japanese market took a hit....remember their economy troubles in the 1990s?.......

They all of a sudden had to change course too, and build SUVs and larger cars to keep up with our market. It was no longer a 'quality issue' America had caught up....it was a product issue. The big three had a hell of a run. When the gas prices went through the ceiling in 2008 everything hit the fan. Panic.

But what gets me is that America did have cars on the market that were extremely good and could match any foreign cars. The Fusion, the Impala, Cadillac, Buick.....these were/are very good cars and can compete very well in every way........but the message got caught up in politics and the blame game fueled buy a sinking economy and another bubble explosion (first the dot com and then the housing).

I guess what I am trying to say is that pointing fingers and trying to find blame is a waste of time.....everybody is responsible for doing something or nothing....it is called life and shit happens. A person in a Honda Civic drives by a SUV and says 'Why'..... A person drives by a Cadillac in a Camry and says "Why".....An SUV drives by a Smart car and says "Why"....a person drives by in a Corvette ......and says nothing because they are having to much fun to give a damnn........There is an ass for every saddle......we just have to figure out how to keep the horses fed.

right on

You are so right on Paul.These debates pop up here and then about what happen,life happened people buy what they like I saw that new Buick sweet I own a ford and ponitac had a honda prelude in the late eights and a BMW in the 90s.Its a new day and thats what we need to focus on!!

The check is in the mail John.....

James, the $20 is in the brown paper bag in your mailbox....thanks.

Paul.......That was an OUTSTANDING reply to it all. Honest, inteligent,and factual. AND I'm just driving by and having fun;)

Good point well said!!!

My sediments exactly Well said!!!

Bob Geco

listen to 790AM radio for The Motor man Mr Kaplin him self.

Not Obama's fault

James:

I think the term is relative to the bailout of Chrysler and General motors not the President. People are fed up with crummy cars. That is why Honda & Toyota sell so well.
Mercedes-Benz ,BMW these are cars you would not of ever seen as many of in the 1960s and if you did it was a special treat.

General motors, ford , Chrysler all have been abled buy our lack of concern to build better automobiles. now that we are hit with the turmoil of a very bad economy it was the governments choice not President Obama's to bail out General Motors and Chrysler in fear that if they fell so would the rest of economy it all trickles down hill.

So there we have it. down size it is. I am hoping the technology we are getting from Toyota, Honda and many other car companies addressing this issue will advance the the American automobile back to the top again.

Bob Geco