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CarSpace The Fender BenderAutomotive commentary that is definitely not touchy-feely. Sep 23, 2008 - Why bicycles are more expensive to drive than FerrarisYou're skpetical? Read on.
Oct 22, 2007 - When in Rome, Drive As the Romans Do?
Oct 3, 2007 - Whatever happened to the G-G-G-OH Metro?Saw a Metro the other day. Battered, smoking, gasping its last few sips of gasoline prior to a cruel and impersonal demise on the shoulder of a freeway. And it got me thinking. HEY! ARE WE READY FOR THE TRULY DISPOSABLE CAR?
Sep 3, 2007 - The First Automotive Conspiracy?Before the "Who Killed the Electric Car?" conspiracy theory, and even before "The Carburetor That Got 100 MPG Was Bought Up by GM" conspiracy, there was the Tucker Conspiracy. This particular version of sinister forces working against the lily-white hero manifests itself as a theory that Preston Tucker was put out of business because his car was so revolutionary that Detroit was threatened by it.
Aug 20, 2007 - Sell To The Dog!
Aug 17, 2007 - Why The World Just Might Belong To Toyota
When the Big Three automakers first began to stumble and fall in the 1970s, various reasons were put forth for the malady; their cars were too big, too gas hungry, build quality was poor. In the 1980s, the criticism became more shrill. There were even whispers of dark forces at work: could we be seeing some kind of unorganized but highly effective economic boycott of American cars by American consumers? Are the Japanese illegally "dumping" their product on the American market at artifically reduced prices?
In the 1990s, the excuses for why the Japanese still had the better of us took a more kindly tone. Yes, the Big Three cars were not quite the equal of the dreaded Camry and Accord, but they were leaner and prettier. They were a better product all around. Some marques were even touted as risen gloriously from the ashes, such as Cadillac. “Retro” styling, which evoked the glory days of American cars in the 50s and 60s, contributed to a new sense of optimism and a few bragging rights. And hadn’t Lexus given Mercedes-Benz a bloody nose? If Mercedes could be gained on, what brand could claim to be unassailable? Encouraging thoughts, these. And yet, market share for the Americans slowly, although not exactly linearly, wound its way down to yet another never-seen-before plateau.
Looking at the rather dreary news coming out of the financial journals concerning the Big Three these days, one has to wonder if American automakers are fighting today’s wars with yesterday’s weapons. The latest scapegoat for the ailments besetting the Big Three is the labor union. Again, the excuse has its merits, just like the excuses of decades past had theirs.
So let’s say our cars are better, the industry is better regulated, and the labor unions will give concessions. Will things get improve now? How could they not?
I personally don’t think the gradual deterioration in market share will be stopped in the foreseeable future, and let me illustrate my point of view with a little story:
About a year or so ago, I decided to buy a second car. My game plan was simple. I wanted a small, gas-stingy, comfortable, agile vehicle for parking, commuting and light hauling, and it had to cost no more than roughly $16,000. My primary car was just too expense to drive and maintain for 15,000 miles a year.
I shopped the following similar (more or less) cars: --the Toyota Scion xA, the Ford Focus, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the BMW Mini and the then new Chevrolet HHR. One Japanese, three American, one European. Yes, yes, maybe they weren’t all built here, or there, but the purchase counts for market share for that brand.
First the showroom experience. I shopped only the larger factory-owned “showcase” dealers, not the mom & pop stores. What better place to understand what an automaker thinks of itself and of the consumer?
The domestic dealers turned out to be a very mixed bag. Some were spiffy outlets with less than vigorous sales personnel; others were a touch tatty, with sales staff eager but not well-informed. Lining up test drives proved difficult. On one occasion, a “bait and switch” was pulled (advertising a car at a very attractive price and not having it available when the consumer gets there), and at another I had to play the old “good cop/bad cop” routine. The cars themselves were attractive and well-designed. Some drove better than others, but all were light years ahead of the American economy cars of 1996, or even 2001. However, pricing was a constantly shifting target. Finding that “sweet spot” of car, price and service proved elusive.
The Mini? Well, I did a Google search on “Mini Cooper Problems” and that scared me off (I’m fairly risk averse by the way). At least for the 2006 model year.
The Toyota dealer? I walk through the door. This young Asian-American man, in full suit and tie, leaps out of his chair to greet me. We sit. We talk. Can I drive one? Sure. He had the features down, answered every question. So we drive. For one hour. I like this car. Price? Here’s the price. Any extras? No, that’s it. Well, gee, have I died and gone to heaven?
So to make the story short--while each car had its pros and cons, when it came to averaging out quality, gas mileage, price, driving experience and buying experience, the Toyota jumped out at me. So I sign the contract. Car will be ready in 4 days. We’ll call you. As I’m leaving the showroom, the sales manager comes over to me, addresses me by name (I had never met him). He hands me a card, writes his cell phone number on it, and tells me to call if I ever have a problem. And then he…well….he makes a slight bow as he opens the door for me.
In four days I get a call. The car’s here. The salesman goes through everything with me. The gas tank is full. There’s a gift inside-- a cell phone holder. The car is spotless.
Next day I get another phone call. Everything okay? Yes, perfect. Two days later, another call. Would I like to come to a “new owners meeting” one evening? Free dinner buffet, and technicians will answer my questions and give me a tour of the service facility. I go. There is a buffet--sushi, lavash, and croissant sandwiches. Man, we’ve come a long way from those weenies the Saturn dealers used to hand out! I ask many questions and get many answers.
Yes, there’s more. Then I get an e-mail. Did I know I can go to a website and create an account for my car? It shows all my service records. I can also schedule an appointment for service online at any one of three facilities. Saturdays? No problem, we're open. Need a loaner car when you're in for service? A loaner car? I’m a bit overwhelmed here. After all, I did not buy a Lexus!
The point, of course, is clear. The battle for market share in the 21st century will not be fought at the assembly line, nor at the bargaining table, and not even at the gas pump. Those are battles of the last war. The new war will be fought in the customer service arena, and so far, this war correspondent didn’t see anything too encouraging for our side. Yes, yes, it’s all anecdotal evidence, but nobody else I saw in those showrooms was doing much better or worse than me. Anecdotes add up.
I don’t think I am the only automotive journalist who wonders if the problems of the Big Three aren’t mechanical anymore, but inherently cultural. In other words, is it possible that the entire “corporate culture” upon which the American automobile industry is built, from the top on down, from Detroit penthouse office to the local dealership, has predetermined for itself a kind of benevolent but inevitable mediocrity?
And the bigger question: if this is true, how do you fix something like that?
Aug 17, 2007 - Classic Cars And How They Got That WayAmericans have always been curious about older automobiles, but the current passion for collecting and restoring cars as a hobby dates only from World War II. Even then, most collectors seemed to want only two types of car: Model T or Model A Fords, and the “heavy cars” as they are now referred to by classic car connoisseurs--the exotic machines called Bugatti, Cadillac, Cord, Duesenberg, Packard et al. And even among these heavies, collectors thought only specific models of these machines were worthy of salvation. Many a car magazine from the late 1940s and early 50s shows classified ads of old 1920s Packards and Pierce-Arrows cut into convertibles or converted into tow trucks and funky RVs. But most of the pre-war dinosaurs still lying around just prior to and after World War II were relegated to the scrap heap. A few fortunate ones, like Ford or Chevy three- window coupes of roadsters from the '30s, fell into the hands of California hot-rodders and customizers. This attitude of neglect, if not downright disrespect, of venerable cars persisted well into the 1960s. While there were a few instant classics, (a rather contradictory term if you think about it), such as the 1953 Corvette and the 1955 Thunderbird, by and large car lovers were yearning for the hopeful future, not the terrible past. Few wanted to be seen in an old car. Then, gradually, in the 1970s, American car- consciousness started to change. American cars were getting tiresome--dull, tinny, stylistically uninspired, mechanically demonic. The Pinto and the Vega were upon us. Older cars, both American and European, started to look good---solid, tasteful. Then the Baby Boomers came of age financially through their careers or inheritances, and they wanted to possess the cars of their early youth, or at least of their youthful desires. (Nine times out of 10, the collector buys cars manufactured when the collector was coming of age, about 16-18 years old.) The last factors in the equation for the collector car explosion also came along in the 1970s. The average American began to be exposed to cars of the past through highly publicized auto shows and nostalgic movies. And finally, the oil-crisis of 1973 and 1979 spurred a general craze for investments in anything that would help stop the onslaught of inflation, and this included going completely gaga over those potentially valuable old cars. Along with this unbounded enthusiasm came the folly associated with trends based on sentimentality. And, worse, there were the sordid business practices that often accompany any pitch to invest in something as a hedge against inflation. One could hardly think of a sorrier reason to collect anything, much less a two-ton piece of what was often hastily re-assembled old metal. Greed and ignorance can turn any respectable occupation into an orgy of speculation, and the booming hobby of collecting old cars was no exception. The Edsel was going to be one of the most valuable old cars of all time, they promised us, and the Cadillac Eldorado would be the last American convertible ever produced. But it didn't turn out that way, and many inexperienced people who looked to make their fortune in the collectible car market were sorely disappointed, either by the shoddily restored rust-buckets they paid too much for, or by the drab and utilitarian old cars they poured piles of money into, in the hope that the Smithsonian would call and make a generous offer. Fortunately, the last 10 years have brought some constructive changes. For one thing, the Classic Car Club of America has been quite diligent in trying to bring back some meaning to the much abused word classic. Through laborious historical research and a rational system of judging an automobile¹s merits, an exclusive list of cars manufactured up to 1948 has been compiled, and honored with the label "The Classics". This doesn¹t necessarily please the more liberal wings of the collector car fraternity, but the fact is that most professional appraisers, curators, dealers and collectors acknowledge the CCCA's formulations as the standard by which to judge a true Classic. Better than that, the public at large has gotten a lot more sophisticated, and while someone will still react emotionally and pay a premium price for a "classic" 1950 Chevrolet four-door sedan just like grandma owned, the majority of buyers, sellers and dealers will not. They have come to realize that the term classic represents not only the ability of a particular car to survive the ravages of time, but also embodies a timeless character--one that was clearly intentional on the part of the manufacturer. So, if the car you own or are thinking of buying is not on the Classic Car List, how do you know what you have and what it's worth? Well, for one thing, you can embrace the Golden Rule of Automotive Value, which is three-fold: condition, condition, and condition. A badly rusted 1964 Mustang convertible is worth practically nothing--a few hundred dollars for parts perhaps--and an identical year and model that is highly restored may bring $35,000. Same two cars, big difference in value. Secondly, you could consult any number of very informative price guides that are now available, such as Old Cars Price Guide and Cars of Particular Interest (CPI). Last of all, you could page through the "bible" of collector car classifieds, Hemmings Motor News, and look at comparable cars for sale. They only show asking prices, which can be hopefully high, but at least they'll give you an idea of the current market. And now for the Big Question. What will be the future priceless "classics" that are running on the road right now? Well, you never can tell for sure, but a good bet would be any low production expensive open car of outstanding style and performance. Possibly a few coupes that fit that description as well. Historically, very very few 4-door sedans have become classics, or even valuable collectibles, unless they were special, one of a kind cars. If the last 30 years has taught car collectors anything, it's taught them that the automobiles that will win the greatest admiration and achieve the highest values in the future will be the ones that were something very special on the day they were first made. The first Corvette. Porsche Speedster. Lotus Seven. The Muscle Cars. Jaguar XKE Series I Roadster. Cobra. Viper. You get the idea. Each a member of a pretty exclusive club. A "Classic" really couldn't be anything else.
Jul 15, 2007 - Who Needs A Conspiracy?
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