  Mike Member Username: Mike Post Number: 610 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 66.227.165.194 |
http://yahoo.businessweek.com/ autos/content/may2006/bw200605 25_134613.htm Good read, "what have you done for me lately" | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 591 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 207.200.116.139 |
Writer Ed Wallace hits on a point that brings back memories, being among the old farts of posters on DetroitYES. Starting in the late forties, each new car year brought huge excitement. What would the new models look like? What features would they have? Styling was the main thing, coming off of the dinosaur tanks of the late 30s and post war 40s. The 1949 Ford was radically different from the '48, and most of the big 3 bragged of their styling. That mindset lasted all through the fifties. Around the early sixties, the "thrill was gone" for the most part. Probably the only biggie in the sixties was Lee Iacocca's Mustang and some of the Pontiac models. But from, oh, 1965 on, new model introductions had become pretty much a ho-hum thing. Then, of course, in the seventies the big three made a lot of sub-quality vehicles and they laughed at the introduction of the cars from the Land of the Rising Sun. Two big mistakes. But the fifties were great. Had a '51 Ford tudor, a '55 Ford convertible, then got married and got a '58 Ford Station Wagon. Loved each one of those, more so than any car that I've had since. I'm rambling. But I'm old. Ignore me.  | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 702 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 68.42.220.37 |
Very interesting. So, we have 4.5 million people, a border, a signficant global industry (whether or not a status symbol), a lot of engineering talent, a ton infrastructure including one slightly used downtown with a lot of potential. What do we do? This city is like the ultimate Harvard Business School case study. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4189 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.173.151 |
GM may lost it status, but its stocks are now worth $1.39 a share. | ||
Focusonthed Member Username: Focusonthed Post Number: 183 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 209.220.229.254 |
...OR $27.90 as of yesterday | ||
Jsmyers Member Username: Jsmyers Post Number: 1729 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 209.131.7.68 |
Finally read the whole thing. Great article. The word he didn't use is commodity. Most cars have become commodities, which is why they either have to made with as little labor input (money wise) as possible. I bet that this is the one thing that few in the big three ever thought could happen 40 years ago. |
