Mexstan

There have been a few threads in the past about the decline of the American auto industry, the reasons why etc. Here is a story I have just read that may be of interest to some of you.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/...html?gusrc=rss

04ctd

Latham says his students no longer see their cars as an essential expression; their Toyotas and Hondas are just vehicles. They boast of iPods or computer games, not their 'wheels'.

'They are like walking cyborgs with all these things attached to them. Cars have become functional. They are not statements anymore. Electronics are,' he said.

Lord agrees: 'Young people do not have that same set of cultural signs. Their cultural landscape is about technology and the internet, not about convertibles and driving across America.'


I think this is true. most kids just aren't as excited about cars as we were, because cars are so common place now. they have become like dishwashers, just appliances to convey people while they talk on thier cell phone.

Shovelhead

Resistance is Futile,
You will be assimilated.


Cars used to have STYLE.
Now they're all just cloned, cheap, aerodynamic jellybeans, all trying to look like a more expensive luxury class jellybean.

Hoss

I can't really say that I agree with that article. I think Americans, as a whole, still consider their cars as much of a "class identifier" as ever. Contrary to what the article says, I don't think Americans see cars as just a means of getting from Point A to Point B. I think there is much more to it than that. If that weren't the case there wouldn't be SO many SUV's and $40k - $50k trucks and cars rolling down the highway.

I WILL agree that more and more Americans are buying foreign, but I think that has a LOT to do with fuel prices being what they are right now. Simply put, people want more efficient cars and the Big Three aren't providing that.

Chrisreyn

My 16 yr old son isnt even in a hurry to get his DL. He says it realy isnt important.......................

I cant imagine that, but he IS all afire to get the newest MP3 player, and asked me to give him money towards a newer cell phone rather than towards a car.............

might be something to this idea about them not being seen as being as important as when we were kids.......

'They are like walking cyborgs with all these things attached to them. Cars have become functional. They are not statements anymore. Electronics are,' he said.

Lord agrees: 'Young people do not have that same set of cultural signs. Their cultural landscape is about technology and the internet, not about convertibles and driving across America.'

hotdram

I think that one of the reasons people buy foreign is because Detroit doesn't build what the people want. GM put out several look alike cars, under different badges (Grand AM etc), that nobody asked for or wanted. They did away with sports cars (Camaro) and concentrated on trucks/SUVs. If they build a passenger sedan that can compare with the Accord/Camry, they will have something that people want. They have enough SUV/XUV's/Crossover/Cute 'Utes to last a lifttime. Start making cars again.
Saw a quote from Billy Ford Jr. a week or two ago when they announced all the layoff/closings at Ford. He said "Our motto for a long time has been: If you build it, they will buy it. We have to change that thinking".


~Rob

hotdram

'Nuther random thought:
Quality (or lack of it) gave Detroit a bad rap. The perception that quality is still bad is still there, that is one reason people tend to look at foreign cars. Check out this article Quality at American Car Companies, quality isn't as bad as everyone THINKS it is, there is just that perception that quality is still bad.

~Rob

MikeyB

Yep, just ask my Dad. Picked up his new '06 Crown Vic Interceptor last week and found half the wires for the speakers was cut behind the radio. Not a very good start. His '95 Crown Vic with 130k miles has been flawless .

MikeyB

BigBlue

I for one disagree with the part of the article about kids not liking automobiles. I for one am a HUGE fan of them as are all of my friends. Heck, everyone I know/see/grew up with is big into cars in one way or another. Whether it be big trucks, fast cars, imports, luxury, 22" spinners, etc. Kids these days are just as big into cars as they were back then, it's just that they aren't into american cars. They are into imports. Imports are cheap, get great mileage, last a long time, and are cheap to upgrade. Americans still do see a car as a status symbol. I know a lot of the girls in my highschool sure did. Boy I couldn't wait to get my driver's licensce. Heck, I took driver's ed 6 months before I even got my permit. I agree with you though shovelhead. Every car on the road these days looks like one another. Don't even get me started on porsche. I think the US fell out of love with it's cars when the big gas shortage hit and the big three stopped producing cars that were cool, fast, and down right fun.

grantx5

Bottom-line, we got beat at our own game.

Japan built better quality, better designed, more appealing vehicles. I love my country but, in the 70s and 80s, it built the worst cars ever.

As much as I wanted an American car, I could not bring myself to spend money on the junk they were peddling.

Look at things today. If Japan jumped into the diesel truck market right now, guaranteed they'd be cheaper and snazzier that GM and Ford. Folks would jump ship like it was the Titanic.

Having worked for years in market research, brand loyality is non-existant. Consumers, by and large, are characterized as "Switchers." They go with what they percieve has value, what represents what they want, NOT because its American made.

My '94 Toyota Camery is a rock. I have not treated it very well but it keeps going and going and going. If it was a Pinto or Vega or Escort, it would be a cube of junk metal right now. Just take a look at resale of American cars. For many you have to pay the tower just to get it out of your driveway.

Don't blame the younger generation, I'm a boomer, and I didn't buy an overpriced GM or Ford either. In fact, I didn't buy a Dodge. I bought a Cummins with a truck wrapped around it because I wanted the BEST diesel motor out there. Heck, Ford still can't build a diesel truck that is reliable, but folks buy them 'cause they love the looks and what you can do with them aftermarket.

04ctd

what are the teachers at Japanese Tech schools and Community College teaching that America isn't doing?

why do Jap cars consistently have overdesigned engines (run forever, can turbo/SC hop up, never die) are usually more gas efficient, and have a better set of overall tolerances.

what makes an engineer there better than here?

or is the bean counters here that cramp our engineers?

my 05 Rubicon got 12mpg on the highway once, usually got 13mpg city and hiway.
i sold that like a hot potato.

i got a RAGGED nissan altima in my yard, 170k miles, needs EVERYTHING, brakes, tires, alignment, tie rod ends, tranny slipping, shocks, tires, struts, sunvisors. but it STILL GETS 32.5 mpg doing 80mph

Herrin811

It's simple:

Cars used to be an expression of who you are
(To some extent this is still true...Take CTD owners for exapmle)

Nowadays, cars are an expression of how RICH (or in debt) you are
(I spent more than you !! NanaNanabooboo!!!
I got PIMPED
I have more BLING than you)

Hoss

You may have more bling than me, but do you have a concrete bedliner? I think not.

Herrin811

I have been researching asphalt to match my black paint

P.J

This is really not a Bad thing per se' (unless ofcourse you were a Ford/GM employee!) Times change, markets change, consumers change. It seems that we as Americans fear change so much, that we would rather run something in the ground than acknowledge that we aren't the best and we can be challenged.