Posted on 02/19/2011 1:15:34 PM PST by reaganaut1
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Few people in this city 800 miles south of Detroit cared much about the auto industry until Hyundai announced it would build cars here nine years ago.
These days, Montgomery cannot stop talking about it.
Hyundai and its sister company, Kia, which opened a plant last year just across the Georgia state line, have brought thousands of well-paying jobs to the region and even helped nurture a little Korean culture in Montgomery, the first capital of the old Confederacy. Hyundai is running its Montgomery plant almost nonstop. Rarely do more than a few weeks pass without word that another parts supplier has dozens of new positions to fill, typically offering good benefits and double the pay that the average Alabaman earns.
Hyundai, which will observe its 25th anniversary selling vehicles to American drivers on Sunday, was little more than an ambitious, second-tier brand when it chose to build its first United States car factory just south of Montgomery. But during the recent recession, the South Korean company thrived as Americans sought out cheap cars just as Hyundais were improving in quality.
In 2010, Hyundai and Kia each posted their highest sales in the United States and, taken together, surged ahead of Ford Motor to become fourth-largest automaker worldwide. Hyundai built 300,000 cars in Montgomery last year and sold most of them in the United States.
“If folks looked deeply at how far we’ve gone so quickly, from having no U.S. production five years ago to where we are today, it’s amazing,” John Krafcik, chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, said. “I don’t know that any company has gotten to such a high level of local assembly as Hyundai that fast.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
That sounds dumb enough to have come from the pie hole of Patty Murray. She is the genius who tells American school children the reason Afghans don't like us is because, Osama bin Laden builds hospitals and day care centers there and we don't. I wonder if she knows the home of American rocketry? She' no rocket scientist so why should she?
Now with Biden as VP, she is the undisputed stupidest person in the Senate. It was a tie.
Although I believe in buying American, I can't fault you for that. Wisconsin is just the latest example of what unions have become.
Me and my brother have been hanging on to a pair of junk Datsan 210's for conversion as retirement projects for more than a decade.
Have fun. Not my bag, but enjoy.
As for the Leaf, just keep in mind that the operating distance is not quite as advertised.
I also have a Lexus SUV, the Leaf like my current Prius is strictly a nerdy indulgence.
To each his own. My nerdy indulgence would be a BMW turbo Diesel. Different strokes for different folks.
That is a nice looking ride. How was the handling? Was the steering sharp and was there some good feedback?
I bet you have never been to la grange GA, where I have been there many times, and was there several times while the plant Was underconstuction. Both the building and the highway. Those little brown men did not look southern to me. LOL actual souther entrance is the old west point exit, the plant exit is first one to the north. So tell when were you there.
I just read 0 to 60 in 6.2. I also read it is priced at $60,000.00. I have decided to buy 39 more 1983 GMC trucks @ 1500 bucks each, just like the one I have.
For a car that size, that is pretty quick.
Looking to have a fleet of trucks, eh? :-)
As for me, I have this weird fixation on Citroen DS19s and DS21s (among other older cars).
I would be happy with any Citroen.
Man, the 15CV was a helluva car, no? Good, elegant lines.
I have actually wanted an SM as a project car.
I have also thought that a 2CV would be a nifty commuter for me (my daily commute is quite short) and it would turn some heads.
They never quite matched the quirky greatness of the DS19 - DS21 again, imho. Although the Maserati-engined SM came close. It was a mechanic's nightmare. Don't break a timing chain, disaster ensues. The electricals made Lucas seem competent, too. They were pretty, though. First one I ever saw in person, Burt Reynolds was driving.
My 2006 Sonata was built there. Great car.
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