The Way Forward is Back

[ehaase]

I agree entirely with this article. Ford and GM need to return to building the kind of cars they are good at. They will never be good at building the kind of cars that Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are good at.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/1...26886/index.php

Harley-Davidson has been making obsolete, inefficient and technologically deficient motorcycles since the 60’s. Despite an unrelenting onslaught of technically superior Japanese product, the Harley-Davidson brand has stayed true to its roots (however inadvertently). They’ve never stopped building bikes that maintain the charm and character of old-fashioned American motorcycling. Or, put another way, Harley makes its living convincing otherwise responsible adults to pay premium prices for old technology. This transition-- from cutting edge to outdated to nostalgic to a way of life-- is a perfect model for the American automobile industry

[Drew Dowdell]

I agree entirely with this article.  Ford and GM need to return to building the kind of cars they are good at.  They will never be good at building the kind of cars that Toyota, Nissan, and Honda are good at.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/1...26886/index.php

Harley-Davidson has been making obsolete, inefficient and technologically deficient motorcycles since the 60’s. Despite an unrelenting onslaught of technically superior Japanese product, the Harley-Davidson brand has stayed true to its roots (however inadvertently). They’ve never stopped building bikes that maintain the charm and character of old-fashioned American motorcycling. Or, put another way, Harley makes its living convincing otherwise responsible adults to pay premium prices for old technology. This transition-- from cutting edge to outdated to nostalgic to a way of life-- is a perfect model for the American automobile industry

Uh, isn't Harley's newest engine the pinicle of design and co-developed with Porche?

[CARBIZ]

I'm hoping this guy is kidding.............

However, there is one thing I partially agree with: Ford and GM need to find an American way of dealing with Japan Inc. and one of those ways may very well be to stop trying to build a better Camry or better Civic.

I don't like the way Japanese cars look, especially inside. I am an average North American demographic: male, 44, educated, $60k+ income. I grew up with American cars and looked at Japanese cars in the '70s as curiousities at best. I've never changed my opinion.

Ford and GM need to figure out how to sell to people like me....forget about seeing who can come up with the coolest round dials and guages - what about the truly wacky, wierd but different interiors that GM used to try (ie., late '80s Buick Riviera, early '90s Olds 88...)

These are just off the top of my head, but if GM lets the tables get turned whereas WE are seen to be copying THEM, then all is lost.

I passed by a '91 Cavalier Z24 today while walking my dog and I have to say that that car was better looking than either the Civic or the Corolla of its day, but better than that you knew it was an American car.

[siegen]

I passed by a '91 Cavalier Z24 today while walking my dog and I have to say that that car was better looking than either the Civic or the Corolla of its day, but better than that you knew it was an American car.

Well that's because the 91 Civic was the last year of its boxy body style shared by the 80's Civics (the ugliest Civics IMO). A 92-95 Civic coupe/hatch looks much better IMO. I do like the earlier Cavalier/Sunfire body style, I know two people that owned each. In their day they were very sporty looking.

[regfootball]

Uh, isn't Harley's newest engine the pinicle of design and co-developed with Porche?

yes, the V-rod engine was essentially developed and engineered by porsche.

[regfootball]

sure, you can use Harley as an example, however, nearly all Harleys are in the more expensive market segments. Trying to do the same thing with cars is a double edged sword. Limiting yourself to the upper segments immediately kills your chances at sales volume. Plus, look at all the competition you have in the high end that already has its claim staked out by other manufacturers.

Cars are commodities. Motorcycles are luxuries. You can convince someone to buy a motorcycle wtih American 'style' to pay as much as harley asked because its a toy..... and for the most part, its not a purchase decision based on economics. Buy a car, and in most cases your decision IS based heavily on what you get vs. what you can afford. When you are changing to selling something that is a neccessity, then you are forced to think about what the competition is doing as much as 'its our way or the highway'.

Let's look at TV's or some other consumer electronics product....how many people are gonna buy it if its 'got American style' and pay twice as much if they get a product that is top tech, works great, is relevantly styled to the recent trends from your Samsungs and Panasonics of the world?

Let's not reduce American cars to a 'boutique industry', please.

[mustang84]

Was this guy being serious? I kinda find it hard to believe. Go back to solid rear axles, carb'd engines, and screw fuel economy? Yeah.....

American cars need to get the attitude back, but there's no need to be resurrecting stone age technology in 2006.

[ehaase]

I don't favor going back to carburetors, but I don't think that people enraptured with the Camry, Accord, and Altima, as well as BMW's, Acuras, and Lexuses, etc., will ever give Ford and GM a chance. I don't think that the Fusion is doing very well; it will be interesting to see if the Aura and next generaion Malibu succeed. I favor more cars like the Mustang and 300, and it appears that GM will give them to us.

[regfootball]

in order for the domestics to ever survive, they need to be big players in volume and mainstream segments