Posted on 04/01/2011 5:41:07 PM PDT by jazusamo
Bureaucrats can’t run a car company, let alone the whole country
Ford Motor Co. beat General Motors in March sales, another small but significant victory of private enterprise over government micromanagement. Since the 2009 government takeover of GM, competition between the two leading domestic auto manufacturers has taken on strong ideological overtones. It serves as an ideal test case, a microcosm of the competition between two worldviews, the automotive equivalent of North vs. South Korea. Right now, the good guys are winning.
Ford has been giving GM a run for its money since the competition began. In October, Ford recorded a 68 percent increase in its third-quarter net income, the sixth straight profitable quarter during the worst economy since the Great Depression. The blue oval passed Toyota to become the second largest auto brand sold in America. In March, Ford sold 212,295 vehicles, beating GM by 5,674 units - only the second time since 1998 that Ford won the monthly sales race. It did this without the supposed “benefits” of government intervention, except to the extent government minders have kept GM from maintaining its historically dominant position.
March sales numbers also highlight the lax public response to the Obama administration’s continued emphasis on “green” technology. One of Ford’s mainstays is the F-series pickup, sales of which are up 25 percent over the previous year. This full-sized truck gets 19 miles per gallon, very fuel efficient for a pickup in its class but not exactly a poster vehicle for environmentalists...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Lincoln MKX....
I was thinking an MKZ...I’ve got a 2008 Mercury Milan, loaded, and looked at the Lincolns which are beautiful and very well made, so it seems.
But my wife likes her Milan too much (as do I) and it’s only got 20K on it so will have to wait another year.
I’ve been running Lariat pickups and Mercury cars for over a decade and you just can’t beat ‘em. Had a 2002 Chevy Malibu, a 2004 Hundyai and a 2006 Suburu Outback (all of them leather, moonroof etc.) and each of the off brands only made us appreciate the FoMoCo products all the more.
GM is destined to fail again.
It was in early 2009 at or about the time the feds assisted our auto industry. It was one of the few times that I ever heard an American favor Jap industry over our own.
Maybe he was paid to make that pitch for the Japs, I don't know. But, I thought it was disgusting. I remember him specifically recommending Toyota.
EVERY single GM vehicle I have owned has been an unmitigated piece of ____. Celebrity, Vega, Malibu, 3 pickups, all garbage.
The Dodges I owned were competent but drove like overloaded haywagons.
The Japanese cars other than Nissans have all been competent but totally without any personality.
As some say, I’d rather push a Ford than drive a Chev, but I know I can rely on the Ford, and pushing it won’t happen since it’s this little thing called RELIABLE!
Go ahead and waste your money on Obamobiles. I’ll be along eventually to tow you home faster than your POS could propel itself.
if it run on fo$$il$ fuel$, much much more....OBahbah hates technical innovation
there's no doubt about your summation.
....the Ruling Class, et.al. wants all the (non-Apparachnik. :) serfs to ride Jack-As (the new-green technology :) in the future.
they're all just a bunch of neo-Luddites.... followers of Lysenkoism.
Look around - Obamamotors new customers are the Government. Every fire chief, police inspector, sewer inspector, court clerk, military contractor, country parol officer on down is driving a new GMC courtesy of the “stimulus.”
And they gov’t is paying $3.80/gallon for their gas for their 18 mpg SUV’s. The gov’ts paying for it - who cares?
Post of the day.
I don't think it's unannounced. I am openly and vocally boycotting GM because of the corrupt process for nationalizing the company and stiffing the rightful claimants on its assets. Obama and Pelosi had no business using my tax dollars to bail out the UAW, and GM will never get another dollar of my money voluntarily.
>> Ford chose capitalism and clobbered socialist Government Motors and Obama.
Kudos to Ford (which includes labor) for riding the maverick past the donkey trailered by the caravan of taxpayer funded handouts.
Best Car Eva! (well, among ‘em...)
>> Post of the day.
Fool. Post #18 will give you more for your mileage...
ping to #54
Sounds like important FR exclusive info.
I think Jaz’s point is that the Volt has been shown to be a bomb and especially in cold weather.
I think his other point is that the administration and GM were promoting the volt as the car of the future here now.
IOW, they were insinuating that it would be a sales leader.
Whether their first year run was limited numbers is not the issue. The issue is their giving the impression that Volt was their big splash in the car market.
Yeah, I hear you. I’m actually ordering a custom 2012 Ford Focus for pickup in November. This is the first time since 1988 that I’m choosing a domestic car.
(I had a chance to sit in one at an auto show, and was very impressed with the quality of the interior. Plus, 40mpg is a powerful draw with gas prices rising.)
My 1988 Pontiac Grand Am was so bad that I swore off domestics. Not that it ever broke, but it was so badly engineered and designed that I never wanted anything like it ever again.
1. The EPA keeps moving the goalposts for diesel emissions. The diesel engines in Europe now meet the old EPA standards, but the EPA has since changed those emission standards. So those European engines, despite being cleaner than any 5-year old diesel car on American roads... cannot meet our EPA standards. Volkswagen, Mercedes, and BMW are the only automakers that actually have engines that meet most US requirements... well, except for the CARB states - they still can't sell new diesels there.
2. The diesels that actually get those high fuel economy numbers are very, VERY slow. Like 18 seconds for a 0-60 acceleration test. How many Americans do you think are going to pay extra for the privilege of risking their lives merging into highway traffic? (diesels usually cost a little extra)
“The government will escalate attacks and sabotage of Ford.”
No, they won’t, because they both take orders from the New World Order.
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