What killed the American auto-industry was really simple.
The relationship between labor and the company was pure poison.
Add in greed, cynicism, incompetence and an f-u attitude or as long as I get mine and you know why it died. Those attitudes ran both sides up and down the whole range.
There’s a fundamental problem when plant workers say they work for the UAW and not Ford, GM or Chrysler, or even the individual sub-brand and management is worried about their private jet.