From: dmarshal@Stars.Reston.Unisys.COM (Dave Marshall)
Newsgroups: rec.autos
Subject: Re: Profits to Japan?
Date: 6 Nov 92 15:33:48 GMT
Organization: Unisys Corporation, Reston, VA

In article <1992Nov5.170112.20729@rtsg.mot.com>, declrckd@rtsg.mot.com (Dan J. Declerck) writes:

> Yes, the North American Auto manufacturers do set up plants in other countries
> to build cars in other countries. But these cars and a majority of their parts
> never make it to the U.S. The engineering and part content are primarily for the market
> in which they are sold.
> In other words, The U.S. manufacturers like to integrate into the market economy
> in which they sell. The Japanese on the other hand, engineer almost everything
> in Japan, and build a majority of the components in Japan, and might do final
> assembly here (which is a pretty small portion of the total cost of a vehicle).
> IN other words, the Japanese like to dominate their aspect of the economy in which they 
> sell. 
> 
>
Well, it is Honda's philosophy to eventually design and build cars within
the market for which they;re being made.  As time goes by, more and more
of the responsibility for the American market resides in Marysville.
 
> The best thing I like about it... Engineered in Dearborn, MI.
> by Americans, for the American market. The Japanese don't seem to have the "flair"
> in design and engineering that the American companies do. SUV's and minivans are
>
Yep.  Designing and building the small cars that Americans wanted while the
Big Three kept churning out oversized lemons has got to be the
engineering gaffe of the century.
 
> I bought this car (Mustang LX5.0) because:
> 1) it has the heart and soul of american styling and the performance characteristics
> I like for the price I could afford.
IYHO.  It varies from car to car, for me.  I liked my '87 Taurus because it
had a lot of weird "futuristic" things like the interior door handles and
odd A/C controls.  When I looked at a '92, the interior had gone back to
some kind of early '80s nonsense.  Then I ran to the Honda place.

> 2) A lot of the components are made by classmates in high school.
> 3) A majority of the money spent goes back into the U.S. economy, therefore
>    raising my standard of living.
What raises your standard of living more in the long run?  A medium-sized
set of Americans who artificially prop up the domestic car manufacturers
by buying their products while a lot more Americans buy what they believe
is the best car?  Or would it be better if everyone bought the best car
regardless of who made it and where is was designed/built?

I have always believed that the best advantage that American designers
have over their foreign counterparts is that they are more easily able to tap
into and discern the current tastes of the American market.  However, two
main forces keep them from achieving superior designs:

1) Corporate rigidity, which keeps bold, innovative designs from the Big 3
off the market.  Every now and then, when something truly original comes
along, people tend to flock to it.  However, all the short-term oriented
corporate boards tend to choose "safer" approaches - producing cars that
Joe Midwest is likely to buy rather than going for a choice that will
create a buying frenzy in the public.

2) The people who always buy American cars rather than consider whether
a different car might be a better decision.  The artificial signals that
this behavior generates only serve to maintain the status quo in American
manufacturing.
> 
> If given the choice, I'd buy it again (probably get more options, though).
> I've never owned a car without a V8 motor, and never one with less than 4.3L
> of displacement. I am going to try my best at keeping it that way.
> 
Good for you.  Mustangs are fun to drive.  However, as for me, I will never
again own a Ford product.  Having my wallet raped repeatedly is an
experience I'll not suffer again.  The worst part was that not a single
person associated with Ford that I ever talked to gave a whit that their
car kept breaking.  To them, I was the Big Walking Checkbook, and they
milked me for everything they could get.  Never again.
-- 
                                           Dave Marshall
                                           dmarshal@stars.reston.unisys.com

Newsgroups: rec.autos