Thadeus Thornton III

Ford Gaining on Honda, Toyota in Perceived Quality

Interesting comments, especially by fearful Toyota backers. As if their "perceptions" will bail Toyota out of it's failing quality and sales issues. The article is about FORD, folks, and how it is making inroads in sales and quality. Even GM, who has been so badly bashed, still has sold more vehicles in the USA than Toyota, Honda, and others, even through it's difficulties. See:

online.wsj.com/mdc/pub...

And Ford keeps creeping up on Toyota sales figures. This is not a perception. . . it is numbers. It continues to amaze me how people will back and support companies that contribute to the trade imbalance and weaken our long term economic health.

GM: What Its Progress Report Doesn't Say

Hello

Toyota Motors: A Fantastic Short if We Soon Retest Market Lows

This is actually not accurate. Even now.
Mad Hog Hunter :
""General Motors (GM) has 6,500 dealers in the US and Toyota Motors has 2,000, but Toyota sells more cars than GM""

If you check last months sales, and even sales for the quarter, GM STILL sold more vehicles than Toyota or Honda. In fact, even Ford just sold only 1700 less than Toytota. Sorry Mad Hog Hunter. Facts:

www.autoobserver.com/2...

Five Reasons to Say Yes to American Cars

A glimmer of hope. GM sold some 155,00 light vehicles in March which is up from February, but of course, down from last year. Up is... up isn't it? Also, GM sold almost 17% more vehicles than Toyota with Ford only about 1,700 units behind.
Here's hoping this crisis has helped GM, Chrysler and Ford to get leaner. The cars are very much on par with the competition, if people would just take a look, take a test drive, and see the value in the American BRAND cars.

Chrysler, GM Travails Could Be a Boon for Honda

Just for some perspective. .. according to the newly released March sales figures. GM sold almost 17% more light vehicles in March than Toyota. Even Ford was only about 1,700 units behind Toyota. GM sold some 155,00 vehicles in March, which is actually up from February. Well, up is up isn't it? A glimmer anyway.

Five Reasons to Say Yes to American Cars

He is. .. indeed, one and the same. LOL

I think these guys need to write a lot to stay employed too. Can't blame them. .. I guess. :D

Five Reasons to Say Yes to American Cars

I just hope GM rethinks what brands it might do away with. Saturn has the most unique and European designed and engineered vehicles in GM's stable. The Saturn Aura is a great buy, especially now. I test drove a Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. I bought an Aura after a friend recommended it, and it compared favorably to the fore mentioned at $2,200 to $4,500 less. It has European, styling, amenities, and handling. I'm getting 23 to 26mpg around town, and have gotten between 31 and 36 on the highway. The Astra is not too shabby, but due for a makeover as the Aura is. The "new" Aura will be like the new 2010 Buick La Crosse. It is based on the Opel Insignia, quite a nice car. Also, the Saturn Vue is actually made after a similar model GM has made in Belgium and sells in Europe.
I hope GM reconsiders and doesn't shoot itself in the foot as it has done so many times, unfortunately. I have always thought an average car savvy person would make better product choices than GM often did.

Ten Cars Detroit Should Copy

I think I refuse to contribute any comments.( other than this one)

All we are doing is justifying this kind of poor economic article and the writers who are biased, do little research, and write off the top of their collective heads. Or worse. .. out of the other end.

The Latest Bad Idea: Government Sponsored Vouchers for Car Purchases

Germany has been doing the voucher deal on cars since last Fall. From what I read, it only applies to German made cars. Wake up U.S.A. If this goes through, support American BRAND and made cars. Some people will label this protectionist. What do you think other countries like Japan do?

The Latest Bad Idea: Government Sponsored Vouchers for Car Purchases

It's too early to tell much from this article.
----> "To be sure it's hard to perform a detailed analysis on this plan until it's finalized because so many things can change between the proposal stage, and the time the bill passes." <------

The Latest Bad Idea: Government Sponsored Vouchers for Car Purchases

Cars are selling up to 50% off? What brand, where,? Perhaps you are talking about the "buy get one free" thing. I've only see that involving left over 2008 unpopular models like the Chevy Uplander mini van and you get a free Cobalt. So you end up buting something you don't want at almost full price to get an higher mpg compact you might want. Where's the deal in that? I've not seen any specific deals for new, 2009 models 50% off. I'd like to know where, specifics. For 50% off I might be in the market. Otherwise this is just more "foof".

Time for GM to Declare Bankruptcy?

We can't give tax credits for auto purchases. All that money just went to AIG execs for "talent bonuses". LOL

Time for GM to Declare Bankruptcy?

Here is an interesting insight about the term "Socialism". Many do not realize The city of Milwaukee had 2 Socialist Mayors for many years and both business and individuals benefited. I'm just saying. Many people equate Hitler with Socialism. He was a fascist and used the term "socialism" to get his public to buy into his agenda. I'm just saying. . .
So here is an except of an article at this site:

letters.salon.com/news...


* * * > I'm a product of Milwaukee Socialism < * * *

I still am unable to see what all the kerfuffle is about, regarding Americans and socialism. I grew up in a major American city (Milwaukee - during the 1950s) when Mayor Fran Zeidler brought many vast changes, improvements. He is generally described as the "last Socialist Mayor", see e.g.

www.cbsnews.com/storie...

www.washingtonpost.com...

and:

americancity.org/magaz.../

Extract from the last:

"Milwaukee has produced more notable Socialist politicians and policymakers than any city in the United States. Socialist Emil Seidl won the city’s mayoralty in 1910, as did 21 Socialist city aldermen that year. Daniel Hoan served as a Socialist mayor from 1916 to 1940 and kept the city debt-free through the Great Depression. Charles Whitnall, another Socialist, was Milwaukee’s chief planner during the 1920s and 1930s. On the national stage, Victor Berger represented Milwaukee in the House of Representatives during World War I, and his anti-war stance made him famous. Collectively, these leaders showed a remarkable willingness to experiment, remaking Milwaukee’s urban form. By 1920, it was the second most densely populated city in the country. When Whitnall created a comprehensive zoning ordinance in 1920, Milwaukee became the first city to enact zoning. Socialists built Milwaukee’s Garden Homes in the 1920s, the first municipally funded housing project in America.

Frank Zeidler, originally an engineer by trade and an admirer of both Hoan and Whitnall’s planning-minded development, came to lead Milwaukee by chance. His older brother, Carl, defeated Hoan in the 1940 mayoral election. Two years later, Carl Zeidler signed up to serve in the Navy during World War II. After his ship was lost at sea in the Pacific Ocean, he became a legendary local figure. In 1948, Frank Zeidler, already a longtime Socialist party member at age 38 and a former City of Milwaukee School Board member, decided to run for mayor in a crowded field of fourteen candidates. He emerged the victor, due at least in part to his locally famous surname.

After World War II, American cities struggled with housing shortages, increasingly drab downtowns, and emerging racial divisions. Zeidler addressed these differently than most big-city mayors. “Growth coalitions” of downtown businesses, civic elites, real estate interests, and politicians were emerging as national paradigms for rebuilding the central cores of cities such as Pittsburgh and Chicago. But Zeidler’s administration openly resisted this model. Never comfortable with Milwaukee’s business establishment, Zeidler recalled in his memoirs: “I could see that these men moved in a stratum of society into which I had never entered.” Rather than focus solely on the urban core, Zeidler urged his planners to preempt suburbanization by designing large communities in the rural countryside.

In 1951, Zeidler announced an audacious plan to build a ten-square-mile community in neighboring (and then rural) Waukesha County, a “satellite city” that would house over 50,000 residents on city-owned land. Catherine Bauer, a noted housing reformer, once told Zeidler that his satellite city was “the most progressive and significant move being made in the whole field of city planning and housing in America today.” When the plan faltered due to suburban resistance in the courts, Zeidler’s administration stepped up annexation, with the goal of creating a single metropolitan government for the Milwaukee region."

Growing up in this enriched, people-supported environment, I came to believe this was the natural order of things. Until I lived in other American cities (Miami, New Orleans, Baltimore, Tampa).

But under Zeidler, people had a chance, Their quality of life improved, even if working class and laboring at the breweries downtown. (Schlitz, Pabst, Miller etc.)

Auto Manufacturing: What Does 'Buy American' Even Mean?

**** " There are enough cars on this planet to last us til the next new and improved. Just make them affordable for all of the future economically impoverished. Or will the lower class be riding the bus? " *****

Good points, probably both. I'd like to think that if more people drove a car with a 4 cylinder engine we could stave off a lot of green house effect. My dad taught me to be frugal and drove mostly 6 cylinder basic Chevy's with rubber floor covering, no carpet. A heater and AM radio was an option on some of them. Before those Chevys he had a Whippet , Willy's and aa feew others with 4 cylinder engines too. My wife and I both drive 4 cylinder vehicles getting between 18 & 24 mpg city and 26 to 35 mpg highway. My wife's car does have leather seats, so yes, a bit of the luxury bug!

I think we have , again, been deceived and beguiled by Madison Ave advertising for years. That and cheap oil for years. Luxury and performance.... some of us are convinced we "deserve" those lavish extras and status.

My dad and my uncle would declare: "Foolishness!" Perhaps they were right,

Auto Manufacturing: What Does 'Buy American' Even Mean?

Yes and it was again, the yuppie automotive journalists who hyped up the foreign brands. In 1979- 1981 Honda Accords fenders rusted off. Nissan engines oil seals blew out like firecrackers. Volkswagen still isn't really a great car. They are "OK", but nothing special.

So it's no different than the real estate business and banks that "hyped" people up on house values and risky loans. Their is no real value or better quality in the mass produced foreign brands. Perception brought on by years of Madison Ave. advertising has taken it's toll. Truth in advertising has become a myth and it wrought more destruction through deregulation by the same people who want "less government" in everything else. The blanket idea of "less government" is also a contributing factor.