Hudson

I just wish they had produced something more akin to the Chronos, Atlantic (which was considered for production), early 1990s Chrysler 300 concept, Phaeton (not to be confused with the Volkswagen production car), and a number of other Chrysler concepts...including the original Chrysler LX. This "Imperial" is too much of a derivative design of non-Chrysler products for my tastes.

As mentioned earlier, the 1967 Eldorado. Also the earlier Eldorado Biarritz and any V12 or V16 Cadillac. Perhaps (going out on a limb) the 1976 Eldorado convertible and the revived Eldorado convertibles of the 1980s. And the 1949 Cadillacs.

Don't forget the Toyota Cressida, Volvo 960, and Mercedes-Benz 190/C-Class! Okay....so the Toyota and Volvo models no longer exist and the C-Class no longer has an inline-six...but they DID exist.

And I feel that Malibu sales are undeservedly high...and that the Hyundai Sonata is getting overlooked (or looked down upon) because of memories of the 1986 Excel.

Yes...but that was part of the whole topic. I thought everyone knew that a topic with "inline six" in it would assume that. The problem was... ...which seems to connect four-cylinder engines and Corvairs.

As much as I hate to prove BrewSwillis right, you've missed the point AGAIN. There are different niches within the truck market. This happens to fill one that doesn't require fifth-wheel towing. That trailer would have to be very small to be towed by a Ranger, Colorado, Commanche, Frontier....and yet nobody's complaining that they are "real trucks." The Ridgeline can handle quite a bit more than "getting the groceries," but, on the other hand, a large portion of Silverados and F-Series don't do more than haul groceries. Why should these pickups be allowed to waste fuel to get a six-pack of Pepsi from the Acme when the Ridgeline, a vehicle that gets better gas mileage and pollute less, is being bashed for having the same capability?

So you're saying that the 1975-1979 Seville rode on a unique platform unrelated to the Chevrolet Nova?

All of that goes to back up my point. It has some Mercedes-Benz parts and some parts derived from Mercedes-Benz designs, but the platform is NOT a Mercedes-Benz platform.

Did you notice the high levels of fleet sales on the new Malibu?

More than "slightly," but yes they're related.

Good point, but I'm not sure I took it the way you meant it. You don't need to remind buyers of Cadillacs of the just pre-Northstar era. Like pointed out above, why restore a 1986 Eldorado or a 1982 valiant attempt at an entry-level luxury car? And even the 1970s Eldorados and deVilles are a bit too old-school Cadillac to help generate new buyers today. The thing about old Mercedes-Benz models is that they remind buyers of when Mercedes-Benz was known for their engineering and their solid vehicles. Until you get into the early 1960s (perhaps as late as the first FWD Eldorado) and late 1950s, you're not going to show potential buyers anything in the Cadillac lineup that would impress them.

Um....Corvairs had six-cylinder engines.

Crossfire was a current Mercedes-Benz platform when it was introduced...and has been said to be the last time you see that much Mercedes-Benz in a Chrysler product. I don't think it's a problem that people think they're getting Mercedes-Benz' on the cheap by buying Chrysler. It's a positive misconception for Chrysler to have. Could be worse...Mercedes-Benz buyers could believe that the R-Class is a "hand-me-up" from the Pacifica.

Not to worry, I got it immediately. I just like the "pheasant" labor" idea better. How do they do such great work with all of those feathers getting in the way, not to mention the lack of an opposable thumb?

Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, BMW (in applications other than Lincolns), Volvo...

I remember driving one of those. Not bad for a non-turbocharged diesel. But like GM's diesels of that era, the Nissan inline-six diesel was based on their inline-six gas engine...from the 810 (Maxima) and 280ZX.

But the LX platform is NOT a Mercedes-Benz platform. The Chrysler LX vehicles share some parts (transmission design and some electronics) with last-generation E-Class models, but they don't share platforms.

Probably the most-often played Trans-Siberian Orchestra song on rock radio is "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," which had a video out (on MTV) before the full album ("Christmas Eve and Other Stories," my favorite of their discs) went on sale. It does feature bars from "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."

Yes. you'll find these stories but I can find stories that tell about how they love their Hyundais. I agree that resale values on these cars are low, but that comes with selling on price as they have for the past 20 years. The current Sonata, last generation Sonata, current generation Elantra, current generation Tiburon, Santa Fe, XG300/350, and Tucson will continue to push resale values higher. It'll take quite some time, but it'll come. As for buying used Hyundais, they're great buys for the price. Mitsubishi products have a similar reputation to older Hyundais and there's no reason to buy a more expensive used Mitsubishi over a depreciated used Hyundai. But the Mitsubishi dealer's not going to tell you that.

Is that their secret? They've figured out how to harness "pheasant" labor? Damn those Asians are good.

That's part of the problem for GM. Toyota is doing well in the US and Asia where GM is struggling. In Europe and South America, Toyota still has plenty of room to grow...and they're doing it. Toyota is constantly introducing new products in Brazil and Venezuela and Argentina and East and West Europe. They're opening plants in places like Russia while expanding markets like India and China. GM doesn't have as many bright spots around the world.

There have been many import-branded "credible" trucks...even the Ridgeline. They just don't fit YOUR definition of truck. There are hundreds of thousands of pickup buyers out there who don't need a full-frame, V8-powered, solid axle, 8-foot bed truck. Datsun and Toyota demonstrated this in the 1960s (heck, Hudson, Ford, Chevrolet, and others showed it in the 1950s). Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Subaru, and Mazda showed trucks that filled niches other than thoses occupied by the F-Series and C/K. The Ridgeline fills another pickup-oriented gap in the marketplace. It's not a "lesser" truck, it's just another type of pickup. Stop trying to compare it to the F-Series/Silverado or even the Dakota/Tacoma pickups.

You obviously don't give them full credit for the cars they build. These are excellent products especially when the price and warranty are added in. But even without those qualities, Hyundai is making excellent cars...and has been for a number of years. The speed at which Hyundai has moved from the Pony and Stellar of the early 1980s to the current Elantra, Sonata, and new Accent (not to mention the Santa Fe and Tucson) is amazing. This brand is truly competitive with the rest of the industry and anyone who dismisses them as anything less risks being left behind.

Is it excessively dry in your house (a closed house in the winter will dry up dramatically)? That could cause the bulb to blow.

I'd have to look it up but I think the Hyundai Excel actually made the top 10 in sales in the US back in 1987 (when it went on to sell 250,000 units for the year).