Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Things not looking good for US car industry....

For an intellectual discussion on the plight of the US car industry, post your thoughts.

Ford and GM have both reported losses in market share for the last quarter, a stedy trend for the last several years (maybe even a few decades). GM market share hs fallen below 25% in the US for the first time EVER in tis history!

Meanwhile, Japanese companies like Toyota are leading the industry in sales, producing ho-hum cars for the masses.

What does all this mean? Where can US car companies turn to produce products people will actually buy? And is this sustainable?

Discuss....

Doubt will ever lose US manufacturers. I don't really care if they're making $20 billion or $40 billion, they're still making money. And no I don't care about economics and my ideas are based on my own fantasy world. I think it'll just make American companies step up, which I think they're already doing. Sorta hard to change people's brain washed opinions that imports are always better.

I mean what would you rather have for a car, a camry or a taurus or impala? The camry is just the better car even though they are a little more expensive. When their 4 cylanders do just as good powerwise as some of our 6 and their engines easily last up to 200K with minimal maintanence, that is why people go with them. I personally think that most of japans and germans cars are better then what we have here. If you think those cars are ho-hum I hate to think what you think of american cars. There arne't that many good looking american cars, not that I am saying there isn't any.

Ford and Gm are running scared out of there minds lately, with major cutbacks and cost cutting measures. I enourage people to go out there and check out the new products from Gm or Ford and start thinking American again. They may have some more work to do, but at least there making a step in the right direction. The U.S. automakers are essentialy the life blood of our economy, there effects spread far past car factories. Between outsourcing and imports, almost all Americans are effected in someway. The idea that all imported cars are essentialy better, is realy one way thinking. There have many of the same problems Amercian manufacures do.

Don't worry I am not some gun hoe Union worker(major pet peave), and I don't blame people for going to the "other side" when Oems were offering what they want, instead of thinking of the consumer, but I belive there slowly pulling there head out of there azz, wether they want to or not. In this time with war and the threat of Terroists, we can only beneift from supporting our country. Our economy needs it.

I agree that GM and Ford will never go out of business, besides, things run in cycles. Whenever the U.S. automakers get behind the Japanese automakers, it takes them a few years to catch back up.

However, your comment about "brain-washing" is slightly off. A lot of people will buy ANY car (import or domestic) based on personal experience with that brand, or someone else's experience.

Very few people just blindly say, "Imports are always better." Just as very few people say, "Ford cars are always better." Some people say that imports are better based on their experience, but then some people say Ford cars are better than imports because of their experience. Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't mean they are brain-washed. Brain-washing when it comes to buying to cars is saying, "Toyota makes better cars than everyone else", when you have never owned anything else to compare the Toyota to.


I would submit to you that there are at least as many people who are "brain-washed", or blindly loyal to Ford, GM, and Chrysler as there are to Toyota, Honda, and Nissan.

I also agree that Toyota and Honda are making cars that the masses want. If some here think Japanese cars are ho-hum, I'd hate to see what they say about cars like Malibus and Cavaliers.

I think that when US auto makers decide to borrow more heavily from their European counterparts, their products will improve as well as their sales. It seems that Chrysler is getting a lot more Mercedes-esque as of late and I'm impressed with some of their new designs. I love the Magnum station wagon and the 300C.

When Ford uses more Aston Martin and Jaguar style(not just chassis), I think it will help to change peoples minds. Hopefully they make some V8 AWD beasts when I go to buy a new car.

We all know the UNIONS are what is driving the American Car companies inot the ground.

Between Health Care & Pension costs American car companies just can't pull ahead.

Product life of an American Car company is too long and they can't afford to re-engineer and re-tool to get the cost down because the volume isn't where it used to be.

I wouldn't step within 500ft of a Ford/Lincol/Mercury Dealer if I was shopping for a new car. Nothin interests me, not even the bland looking GT.

GM has the same issues but seems to be answering the call wtih some of its newer vehicles.

Chrysler is regaining market share and bringing inventive cars to the table by going to the Daimler parts bin and exploring the HP market with SRT products.