The rise and fall of the US auto industry 18 Nov 08

[123abcpa]

these problems are nothing that a giant moon size astroid slaming into the earth cant fix. I think thats the best solution for our problems of all kinds.

[dave777blaster]

American Companies are among the worse run businesses in the world .

they pump out mediocre product and run their business on short term gain cycles.

often selling models long past obsolete.

Ford is a little better than the other 2 

[binaway]

America has to tax petrol more to make it more expensive and cut oil imports. Only then will the populace demand more efficient cars. GM and Ford already design and make small efficient and reliable cars but at their foreign subsidiaries. Put some of these designs into production at home once the people want them. Europeans and Americans spend the same amount on petrol. But Tax means the Europeans get a lot less for their buck. 

[sandythebear]

It died in the 1980's

[harley1450000]

good luck with that

[harley1450000]

i love driving my lexus around flint

[jocamadad]

Yea, and I'd love driving my foot up your ass. Fuck you, asshole!

[sharkloaner]

i LOVE MY NISSAN!

[mastior]

BUY USA made Japanese Autos.

Good bye US auto makers... Only cars in my drive is JAP.

[AJstar9]

@mastior can you say recall

[killdottkomm]

Hehehe, it's quite simple.

Americans cannot build cars!!

Why bailout something thats not gonna survive anyways? Pure crap!

[aviomaster]

-- EUROPE has been making fuel efficient cars  for years ,JApan the same way ,,, USA build gas guzlers , now they have to pay for this gas guzling cars in IRAQ ,,,

[peakyone]

For the first time I bought an asian car in 2006. I can tell you it is the best auto I have ever owned. No matter what the temperature that little car starts right away.

I get about 40 miles to the gallon and the car is fun to drive. In the three years that I have owned the car, nothing has gone wrong. This has never happened with the north american cars that I have owned before. There was always something to repair during the first few years. I will buy another asian car.

[unytcommsys]

Chinamerica - FUCK YEA! Japamierca - FUCK YEA! America - We're fucked aren't we? Owing money left and right, creating out pathetic strife America, we're fucked. Only thing saving us is our nukes now. America... good bye :( !

[kblopp]

The US is headed for a depression because of retards like you. Yeah encourage other Americans to be like your dumb ass.

[emforty2]

"GM the number 1 builder of Fuel Efficient Cars"

how does that statement ring in your ears ?

[Type59]

If Congress and the senate let the big three go bankrupt the US army will be directly effected. Who designs their trucks, cars, armored vehicles. US willl then have to import these stuff probably from Germany.

[jimitl5]

"If Congress and the senate let the big three go bankrupt the US army will be directly effected."

This has been one of the major concerns, that national security could be directly affected. We only need to look at what happened at the end of the depression and how the war effort revitalized the auto industry.

[jimitl5]

The conservatives are playing the samegame with global warming. If you listen to the conservative hacks on am radio they will tell you that global warming is a hoax. As a lifetime science teacher I can tell you it is not a hoax. Conservatives would prefer that we ignore the warning signs just as they wanted us to ignore energy efficiency in favor of big oil. Our next "critical emergency" will come when all of a sudden they find out that global warming was real all along.

[peakyone]

Just where did you find the truth about global warming? Did you know that we have not had any sun spots for over 2 years now and the temperature is falling?

Did you know that no sun spots are expected for at least 30 years and that temperatures will fall during that time?

You global warmer nutscases are the same people that warmed about Y2K.

You should be ashamed being a teacher and not knowing lthe truth about this hoax.

[jimitl5]

The public does have to accept some of the blame. We have known for years that fuel prices would rise and the day would come when we needed to change. The public ignored the warnings and demanded large gas hungry vehicles. During the Carter administration we had many incentives to save energy with tax credits, the Reagan adminsitration did away with them. Since that time we have ignored the conservation measures and failed to develop and energy policy.

[jimitl5]

What many people seem to want to ignore is that the public wanted the big cars. Its not like they were not selling, because they were. If anyone watched 'Russian Gamble" on CNBC last night with Erin Burnett (worth watching just to see her) GM was selling many of their cars in Russia and many of them were big cars. Its not just the US. Recent economic downturns have hurt, but there was a definite profit which was determined by the public.

[ISSAY68]

not all people i think wants big gusler, i for one understand this when i was 18 years old some 2 decades ago. I bought a small honda civic, driven it for 20 years now. I think the big3 shoved its product into every american fool enought to own one. Also shame on those american to say it is unpatriotic to own foreign cars made in the USA.

[jimitl5]

Correct, but the big 3 was selling enough of the SUvs and other gas hogs to make it worthwhile. If Americ didn't want them then why did they sell so well. Simple, they produced what America wanted. We do have to share the blame.

[unytcommsys]

There is also, creating a demand for a product before it becomes economically viable to the populous. Most people who brought them brought them because of the tax breaks. If that was the reason I'd hope they sat down and did the math, doubt many did. Another reason is because it was cool, phat, dope, hype, rade, in, etc. You know movie/tv/music stars. So the rational is I want to be cool to.

[guleiro]

what i never understand for many years(eaven before this big crisis) was why spend 10 or 15 gallons to make 100 km when we could do the same distance with 2 or 3?Trucks running on gasoline??what is that?no wounder the US had to go war for oil.American auto industry is paying for years of poor vision about fuel efficient cars.

[sharkloaner]

bECAUSE AMERICANS ARE DUMB!

[guleiro]

lol hope they start making some changes on their auto industry or else they are out of business...

[Stumpjumper14]

I say we shouldn't bail them out and see what happens and if they don't go down and survive without help, great, but if they do go down i believe we should use a portion of what would have been the bailout money and give each person that lost a job that made less than 150 grand a year $100,000 dollars to help adjust with the lost and so if they need, they can move to somewhere where there are jobs available. Just an opinion but i think its their own fault for making HUMMERS when gas was $4 a gal

[emforty2]

you gamble your future on the SUV and LOST

GAME OVER BOY !

dont ask the taxpayers to bail your sorry ass out !

[jimitl5]

"you gamble your future on the SUV and LOST"

Yep, but who bought all those SUVs? It was the public who wanted them. You can blame the industry but they did give people what they wanted.

[KhmerD0g]

they should have a backup (using SUV profit sale) by having another facility and team dedicated to fuel efficiency to compete with japan auto makers. if SUVs no longer profit then kill it and move on. u must adjust to market conditions FAST whether be SUVs or small efficient cars. if u move too slow u are left behind and lost.

[emforty2]

give the baby all the sweets it wants

[masticina]

Big gasguzzling cars for short term profits versus looking ahead and making cheaper, more reliable and economical cars.

Really they did it to themself..

Yes the big ones did sell well but really we're they that shortsighted not to pick up that times could change? I am not wanting to sound anti american but 25mpg versus 41mpg..doesn't that tells something?

That and really why does everybody in america needs a tundra and river crossing vehicle?

[betatalk357]

Look at those ballsy fuckers. Good car making companies like Mazda, Opel, and Volvo having to take layoffs and reduce this and that because GM and Ford are fucking up the works!!!

[mikezephyr]

by examinging peak oil, and exceeding the planet's carrying capacity, in a generation, there will be no car culture any longer.

[waruhn]

Great, crappy cars anyway. USA tries a socilalist approach but its too late. We as Chinese will take over together with our Russian and Middle-Eastern friends.

Bye bye out of cash USA, your violent times of killing millions of innocent children and other people abroad will soon be over.

[Inkan1969]

You bring down the Communists first. Then you can take over.

Also, get over your imperialist complex.

[jsaulgodoy]

wow i rather work at a lexus manu plant

i get to wear a nice lexus coat, and make sexy cars. woot woot

not wear wife beater and make shitty mileadge trucks

[sideslide23]

American Make industrie should go out especially ford, because Ford FOUND ON ROAD DEAD, FIX OR REPAIR DAILY FORD, and ford has a bad managment because they cheated on the buyer and made them suffer, so the ford should be cheated back and suffer by not offering bail out to them

[mitchkramah]

Why Ford over Chrysler or GM? GM has squandered a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY with their EV-1 electric car, and Daimler-Benz couldnt even give away Chrysler last year! Ford is also at fault for its own incompetencies, but according to consumer reports, they make the most reliable american car (which I know is much akin to being the world's smartest moron).

All 3 are equally at fault for their own demise. Not a single one was able to be on the leading edge of innovation as the foreign market has been

[AJstar9]

@sideslide23 sorry buddy ford is doing great

[Beadbud5000]

I hate to agree with this video but: I agree with this video! And I worked in Detroit!

[Anglichanen]

They need to wake up and realise the US hasn't made good cars since the 50's. American cars are very poor quality, tacky, they use real cheap plastics. You only have to look at the dashbords of American cars to see how badly made they are. They are not as safe as European cars. Its only the loyalty of American customers that keep it ticking along. I will buy Japanese, European cars only but not french ones as they are nearly as unreliable as american ones

[jazzeffc]

die GM

[somethingawful01]

The only future cars have is hydrogen. Batteries are far more polluting and dangerous than petrol. Hydrogen needs to be developed as it is the only source of energy that is in infinite supply on this planet. Deuterium is also a great source of energy but we are many years away from harnessing fusion while we have already harnessed fuel cell technology.

[Puzzoozoo]

Get a lesson in physics. Hydrogen isnt an energy source  its an energy carrier, like a battery.

[pakiman47]

everything america touches turns to shit

[themengsk176]

needs to happen, already

[antiparticlesteve]

Suck shit USA

[antiparticlesteve]

USA RIP. Bye Bye.

[UKNOW8WHATSUP]

not necessarily a bad thing

[marcello09]

This piece fails to mention a giant problem: health care costs. Japan, Korea and Germany all have government-subsidized health care, so their auto companies don't have to pay for it. The American companies have to foot the bill themselves, and it's a huge bill. It's never been a level playing field.

[bdyan1]

but the germans and japs produce cars people actually want

[marcello09]

American automakers still sell a huge number of vehicles, but the profits are much less because they have to pay health care for both current employees and retirees. The Germans produce decent luxury vehicles, but their mainstream offerings are overpriced and mediocre. Toyota's quality has slipped recently as well, because they're starting to face some of the same problems that the Americans are facing. The Koreans have almost no legacy costs, so they're the only ones with a bright future.

[bdyan1]

most people in overseas markets dont want american cars. if they r rich they buy german cars, middle class jap cars, poor the korean cars

[marcello09]

Many countries, such as Japan, impose huge tariffs on imported American cars, which effectively act as government subsidies for the local car companies. And one of the best-selling "German" brands is Opel -- owned by GM!

[bdyan1]

we can argue all day but the essential problem is american car industry has been going down hill because they r not making cars that can compete with the germans and the japs.

[marcello09]

If they're not making cars that can compete with the Germans and Japanese, then why is GM the world's second largest automaker? Numbers don't lie: American cars are selling, and they're selling globally. But the Germans and Japanese are more profitable because they are not faced with the same legacy costs, and they're not faced with the same health care costs. They benefit from closed markets and government subsidies.

[bdyan1]

ok let GM and Ford continue their product lines and practises history will tell who comes up on top

[AJstar9]

@bdyan1 ford is kicking ass

[random0815]

haha, germany has one of the highest labour costs in the world, its america who lacks powerful unions, and it is GM who has the advantage of business-nanny state, they also live from american buyers who prefere size and brand over quality, at one point american cars even where the laughing stock here because of their lacking electronics, horrendous ineffeciency aso., german cars are more expensive than american imports but they can afford to be..

[Beadbud5000]

They horded the market very early particularly the military sections of all countries

[guleiro]

Opel might be owned by GM but they are German engineering from day one.

And in most countries gas prices are much higher comparing with the US so it would not be wise to have a car that spends 10 or 15 gallons to make 100 kms.thats the only reason why american car dont have more sucess outside of the US.The lines are ok but the fuel efficiency is terrible and innovation: not so good.

[h57g9hqx]

In Germany health care costs are payed 50% by the employee and 50% by the employer.

[yoganandarita]

i need a new car they can give me one of them

[OddEye83]

I'm all for the decline of the auto industry, if they refuse to adapt to the changing times, it's only normal that they fade away and leave room for innovative companies.

[iamafractal]

if i were the us government, i would put all that bailout money into small start-up companies who are developing electric cars, and other green technologies, as well as for r&d, and the deployment of a smart grid that can power our vehicles.

former Big 3 employees will move to these new start-ups, and the economy will boom.

[SubmarinerAndroid]

They should invest in Tesla Motors.

[iamafractal]

EXACTLY and other companies like that. bye dinosaurs.

[inemtsev]

Completely agree, the growth of those small innovative companies will then make jobs available for those people that lost their jobs at GM, Chrysler, etc...

[bg24955]

big 3 has no idea what 'quality control' means. union also killes the auto industry. Cars are low tech. but union demands google-wage. come on.

[TraderNorton]

Fuck it, let them go bankrupt. Doing so will send a strong message to other ill-managed companies.

[asiandrummer84]

dude! i'm w/ you on this too! fuck the car companies of the u.s.! along w/ the other expensive, fuel eating cars! they deserve it!!

my parents have never once own an American car like Ford or Chevy. we have always rely on Toyota and it has kept on going for years.

[AJstar9]

@asiandrummer84 well go live in japan

[asiandrummer84]

@AJstar9 i would but i'm not Japanese.

[AJstar9]

@asiandrummer84 SO WHAT YOU CAN STILL LIVE THERE PEOPLE LIKE YOU BRING THE USA DOWN.IF PEOPLE WAS LIKE YOU IN THE 40S WE WOULD HAVE LOST THE WAS.PEOPLE DIED SO YOU CAN BUY THERE CARS.LOSER

[asiandrummer84]

@AJstar9 wow, are you so mature to sy that. lol.

[AJstar9]

@AJstar9 its true we would lost the war and we would all be speaking japanese.

[asus3571]

if the ceos didnt get million in bonusses and the us cared about quality they would not be in this mess