OVERKILL

iTrader: (3)

"Peeps" as you referred to them as DO often make decisions based on marketing (that's why we have ads on TV), and if a movie MARKETS a car (or group of them, does the green Mustang from Bullit ring a bell?) it does in fact help sell cars. Gone in 60 seconds was a great example and actually did re-create an interest in the 60's/70's Mustangs, and yes, Dukes of Hazzard DID promote an interest in the Charger. There WERE domestic cars in the Slow and the Ricey series, you are correct, I remember a Saleen Mustang getting run-over by a Kenworth, a Lightning getting used as a parts-getter and two-antique Muscle cars (Yenko Camaro, stock, 425HP SAE GROSS and a Hemi something) getting beat by ricers on spray. The only domestic that "did well" was the Charger in the first one, but hell, it blew up! Those movies BLASTED domestics BAD and the 3rd one (featuring the '60's Mustang with a Nissan TT I6 in it) is taking that over the top!

That's because Volkswagen's are very well built cars, my auto mechanics teacher was on his 2nd one, it was FREE because he rolled 1,000,000 miles on the first one and so they gave him a 2nd one free! Both were diesels. Volkswagen's aren't featured in that triad of movies though, so they aren't really relevant to what I'm saying. There is not a mass insurgence of german cars in North America, even though I would probaby say they are the best built cars in the world.

Yes, they are employing "thousands" but the big three employ HUNDREDS of thousands, there is a HUGE difference there!

That is a pretty wise decision, I don't buy new either, I own three Ford's, but they are all used. My parents bought both of their vehicles new (2000 Expedition Eddie Bauer, 2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier), but they typically keep a car for at least 10 years.......so for them, and people who have the money, knowing that you are the only person who has driven this vehicle, I'm sure provides some piece of mind.

Yes, but this has been the case between the 3 of them for a while now, GM was having some major quality issues (before the import thing happened) and started losing some serious sales......this new phenomenon is just the icing on the cake for GM and pushed things over the edge. Its hard to be competitive with companies who's headquarters exist in an ecomony who's dollar is a small fraction of our own, who pay their employees PENNIES to manufacture parts, then to appear "Proud of North America" create a few assembly lines here and assemble vehicles from those parts that were manufactured for pennies by people being paid pennies over here and don't have 40 years of union/health-care/pension dues that they are paying on in the North American market, so they can afford to sell their cars cheaper while still making off with incredible profits. They are making USD/CAD here and when that money goes back to their shores, the value of it is insane! The import car companies have far less in terms of overall expenses (not including BMW, Mercedes or any of the European cars in this "generalization") because most of the CONTENT of their cars is made in places like Korea and China where it can be manufactured for very little money.



Where do you work? That's just plain hidious

Because the positives in terms of employment opportunities this provides is offset by the number of jobs it will end up costing one of the big three, who at this point, are FAR MORE a part of our economy than any of these import companies are, which is the point I was trying to get across in my original post. Hitler was instrumental in providing a car for every German Family, the Volkswagen, the "People's Car", now that doesn't make the Volkswagen a bad car (as we've already discussed) but that doesn't mean that the fundemental move behind this (uniting Germany, bribing the German people) was a good one.

Just because Import car companies create assembly plants over here in order to appeal to the common American/Canadian to make them feel like they are interested in "helping out" North America, doesn't mean that is actually the case.

NXGHOST

Who can forget the Jetta getting owned by the S2000? They hit the spray 20 times! LOL

OVERKILL

iTrader: (3)

That's right! Those movies have ONE message on this subject:

Japanese cars = teh win! anything else = teh sux!

NXGHOST

Someone needs to make a reality F&F. None if this bridge jumping, color coordinated exhaust flame BS.

OVERKILL

iTrader: (3)

But then they'd discover they AREN'T the fastest cars in the world and that a Honda B16 lasts about a week making 600HP! And of course that is contrary to the message they have already delivered time and time again!

Wait a minute, you mean can't pull a "General Lee" off a bridge, fall through the air 30ft and drive away? LIES! They did it in the movie, its gotta be true!