65-mpg Ford WON"T be sold in US

quote:

Originally posted by Davydd

I own a Japanese manufacturer truck, a 2004 Nissan Titan Pickup which was the Motor Trend truck of the year, but it was designed by Americans in California. The engine was made in a foundry in Tennessee and it was built and assembled in Mississippi. I doubt you can buy a Ford, Chevy, GMC or Dodge pickup truck with that kind of American pedigree. With a global economy the lines are blurred. Even if a Japanese company, Americans can benefit by holding stock in the company. Then it all comes full circle. The Japanese learned about quality assurance standards from W. Edward Deming, an American.

I personally met Deming in Cincinatti about 20 years ago during one of his conferences. I have a book of his autographed by him. He is a leader of quality. I met him when he was very frail. He taught me how to measure quality. His 14 key points made me a much better leader in industry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

How great that you had a chance to meet him Paul.
I've admired Deming for at least the past 25 years since I did a paper on him. Fascinating man.
The Japanese were deeply indebted to, and deeply revered, Edwards Deming. He was a key element of the Japanese rebuilding their country after the war.
I still occasionally quote his theory that (paraphrasing here) all problems are problems with the system, the method - not with the worker.

quote:

Originally posted by fattybomatty

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_37/b4099060491065.htm

It is interesting that they don't think Americans would be interested in this car just because it runs on Diesel. What annoys me even more is that Ford should be making engines like this in the US. It seems more foreign countries make their cars in the US than American companies. Something is wrong with that

I hear ya on how different everything seems now, fattybomatty.

The “global economy” is changing everything … we’ve really got to be light on our feet … thankfully this is something that U.S. business and the American capitalist model has always done well … re-invention & innovation.

The global economy is a train that is leaving the station and we’d better be on it.

Not to get too far off of the topic of the NHTSB and EPA preventing vehicles from europe coming to the States, but …

Recently, the mayor of Warren Michigan, Jim Fouts, told everyone who worked for the city that they “should” not (actually could not) drive anything other than a GM, Ford or Chrysler … and if they did not own one, to sell what they had and go out and buy one (!!!)
When asked whether owning a car that was manufactured in the States was allowable, he said that it was *not* … because the manufacturers country of origin was somewhere else.

A couple points …
First, this guy is a moron. ..... Backwards … shortsighted … self-serving … oh, did I mention he is a politician?
Oh - and don't let me forget "pandering" ... there is a big Chrysler plant in Warren.

HELLO?!?!!! … IF the point to such a rule is to keep JOBS here in the States, then it’s the location of manufacture that should be the criteria applied.
In this “buy American” debate after all, isn’t the issue about jobs?
And it’s not just the welfare of U.S. auto workers that he ignored, those U.S. auto workers producing non-U.S. branded cars contribute to the economy and their communities, the plants pay taxes and a host of other related positives.

Jim Fouts' thinking is an example of the sort of pointy-headed, inbred, backwards thinking that plagues our Country.

SO …
The question is not so black and white …

Isn’t it the workers that count, rather than the brand?
You can hear the obvious question now: "I mean, what are you? ... anti-jobs?"

All auto companies are completely and totally multi-national … as an example, Ford is part owner (has an equity stake in) Mazda … as well, all auto companies have workers and plants in other countries. So exactly what IS “buy American”?

The Global Economy is tough enough to deal with, without screwing - say- American workers in a plant like the Mazda FlatRock, Michigan plant, or the 10’s of thousands of AMERICAN auto workers at similar plants throughout the Country.

We need to re-double our effort to understand the new dynamics in our economy ... the questions are different now ... "black & white" thinking, as always, is the purvey of the narrow-minded, the lazy, and the uninformed.
This country needs to get with the program ... to get in the game and understand the rules ... not sit on the sideline bench and whine and wring hands about the changes we face. There's money to be made here.

Sonny I agree with you 100%. I have no problem buying a Hyundai because I know it is a very reliable car and because I know Hyundai employees many Americans. American automakers seem to constantly underestimate the American buyer. This car and that Politician's statement say it all

quote:

Originally posted by Sonny Funzio

How great that you had a chance to meet him Paul.
I've admired Deming for at least the past 25 years since I did a paper on him. Fascinating man.
The Japanese were deeply indebted to, and deeply revered, Edwards Deming. He was a key element of the Japanese rebuilding their country after the war.
I still occasionally quote his theory that (paraphrasing here) all problems are problems with the system, the method - not with the worker.

What Deming taught me was that all things are measured and how to measure them.

I have sinced learned that to improve, you have to measure against what you have done before.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by fattybomatty

Sonny I agree with you 100%. I have no problem buying a Hyundai because I know it is a very reliable car and because I know Hyundai employees many Americans. American automakers seem to constantly underestimate the American buyer. This car and that Politician's statement say it all

fattyboymatty, You hit the nail on the head about automakers underestimating the American buyer.

And I would add to that "disrespecting" and "ignoring".

Back when the writing was **all over** the proverbial wall about the need for U.S. automakers to start the change to more gas-efficient vehicles, they kept up with pushing the largest, least efficient vehicles.
Their ad campaigns which brazenly misrepresented and prostituted the idea of "patriotism" with big horsepower pick-ups bongo'ing-thru-the-mud machismo were insulting to our intelligence. Anyone with half a brain knew we were headed for a train wreck.

About 2 years ago I asked a friend who is a high level Ford exec about why they were ignoring the demand for gas efficient vehicles, and without hesitation, he told me it was because big vehicles such as trucks and SUV's have a much better margin. That is; it was pure greed. Greed in the short-term to be more accurate ... because there's nothing greedily profitable about the American consumer essentially come down and having "eaten their lunch" for them now.

They wrapped themselves in the Flag (for their own convenience) and waved their arms around about avoiding regulation, demanding the government stay out of the auto industry - not change CAFE standards etc, and to "let the American consumer tell" them when they need to change. Well guess what? ... the American consumer did exactly that.
And now we're taking it RIGHT IN THE TEETH in the region I live in and paying the price for the American auto industry's incompetence.

quote:

Originally posted by plb

Tedbear,

Are you sure those cars were designed in Japan? Most of the Japanese auto companies have design studios in the U.S. and many of their models are designed, engineered, made and sold only in the U.S.

I agree that American workers can assemble cars as good as those in Japan. I also think that US auto designers and engineers are as good as any anywhere. The problem is with U.S. executive management. Japanese auto executives spend most of their time working with people within their companies to compete with other companies in making cars people want to buy. Unfortunately, U.S. auto company executives spend most of their time competing with other executives within their own companies in office politics. And top U.S. executives spend most of their time working on extracting as much $$ as possible from the company for themselves.

Subaru is actually a fairly small auto company, and all of their models are designed in Japan. While they do make some models (chiefly micro-cars and small truck-type vehicles) that are sold in countries other than the US, all of their designs originate in Japan.

Currently, they are co-developing a small 2-seater sports car in conjunction with Toyota, and while the car will be built by Subaru, it will be marketed with Toyota nameplates in Toyota showrooms, and with Subaru nameplates in Subaru showrooms. (Toyota is a minority shareholder in Fuji Heavy Industries, the company that manufactures Subaru cars, Yamazaki aircraft, Robin engines for industrial equipment, etc.)

fattybomatty
It is interesting that they don't think Americans would be interested in this car just because it runs on Diesel.

I think it is MORE LIKELY they dont want this car here IS BECAUSE OF HOW MANY MILES IT GETS!!
 
The gas,etc... companies in this country ARE GREEDY BASTARDS and want ppl spending as much $$$ as possible!