FLU: In fairness to both you and Scarlet, the argument isn’t that simple (American versus foreign). My dad worked for Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto back in the bad old days of the 1970s and 1980s and part of his compensation was the lease of any Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicle for damn near next to nothing. We also participated in the Ford A Plan (of which I’m still a member).
I can recall what absolute flaming POSs Ford (and the rest of Detroit) was putting out back in those days. The quality was deplorable and the attitude of the Big 3 was even worse. Then Ford implemented their “Quality is Job 1” program and things changed for the better and pretty quickly.
That being said, I’ve had mixed results in terms of Ford products. We had two excellent Ford Expeditions (1998 and 2003 model years) before “upgrading” to a Lincoln Navigator (2006 vintage). The Expeditions were worry free from beginning to end and the Navigator is a hunk of crap. In that same period I owned an F350 King Ranch with the 6.0L diesel. I loved that truck, but I also had to put in a new tranny at 34,000 miles. I now own a Ford 500, which is a surprisingly good car in my opinion.
I’ve had friends who will buy nothing but Toyota or Honda and, based on the reliability of their vehicles, it’s hard to argue with their choices.
I think GM has a “broken” business model, especially when you consider the legacy costs of a GM product versus an American constructed Toyota or Honda. Ford, GM and Chrysler have had some hits in there, in terms of vehicle designs and the Ford Europe designs are uniformly excellent, both in terms of quality and appeal. However, they’ve had a lot more misses and the ingrained attitude that GM is an American icon and cannot be allowed to fail is patently ridiculous.
A writer recently opined that if the British Empire wasn’t too big to fail, why is Citibank? It’s a good question and the “creative destruction” that Schumpeter discusses as a violent, but necessary part of capitalism should hold sway, and not weepy sentimentality over Detroit’s glory years.
Final note: My first “real” car was a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I with a 428CJ and a four speed. That remains the best car I ever owned. Built like a brick shithouse and FUN to drive. I can remember stomping Porsche 911s on the Foothill Expressway and the Bayshore. Couldn’t handle worth a damn, but in the straightaways it was a monster. If GM and Ford can dredge their collective memories and remember how to build cars like that again, Detroit would regain her former glory.
