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eric wrote:
"......I think that recent American car designs are leaps and bounds ahead of 5 and 10 years ago....
Yes, I agree. However. Their corpulent leaps and bounds still leave them many years behind the imports. One example: What do the domestics offer to counter the hybrid-technology cars from Toyota, Honda and soon-to-be Nissan? A hybrid Ford Bronco? Okay, it's one of their big selling, big margin vehicles; but is that the best one of our companies can do? What does GM have to offer? Nada. Sure. they have hydrogen fuel-cell engines "under study". Seems like ever since Smith took over GM back in the 80's, they have settled into producing a commodity for the masses. Nothing more. The Corvette, attractive as it is, could have been an even a better car now had GM decided to move the engine to mid-ship and do away with outdated suspension, poor quality and poor design in the 80s. I say that because it takes a lumbering behemoth like GM that long to get their act together.
BTW, as usual, GM allows 1% market share slip away every year. Thinking they had the truck and SUV market to themselves (w/the help of current administration energy policies), both GM and Ford were content to concentrate on these max-profit gas guzzlers. The Japanese now have this market in their sights.
Sorry for the rant, I had such high hopes when I was younger.
Sherwood
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