Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.

--Vic

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.


It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:47:43 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.


It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

In the 70's the Big 3 were the only game in town for large cars.
My '70's Chevys were ok. Just ok. But I did my own work.
I didn't want a small car.
But millions of others would, and even more in the '80's-'90's
They failed to anticipate the marketplace,
And when they did, their response was inadequate.
Even now, they are infused with management living in the past.
Their only chance is Obama kicking their dumb asses around
until they can make a profit.
That's what they have to learn. Make a profit.
I'm a stockholder now.

--Vic

On Jun 2, 8:47*pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith

wrote:
Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.

It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. *When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

When we had the gas lines and the big three started trying to make a
gas saving vehicle, the Honda Civic came into play. Then GM tried with
the Vega, Ford the Pinto, Chrysler with the K car. BUT, out of those
crappy vehicles came the technology and research to make some decent
fuel efficient cars. I can only hope it'll be the same this time
around. During that time, the U.S. was bailing them out, too, just
like now.

wrote in message
...
On Jun 2, 8:47 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith

wrote:
Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.

It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

When we had the gas lines and the big three started trying to make a
gas saving vehicle, the Honda Civic came into play. Then GM tried with
the Vega, Ford the Pinto, Chrysler with the K car. BUT, out of those
crappy vehicles came the technology and research to make some decent
fuel efficient cars. I can only hope it'll be the same this time
around. During that time, the U.S. was bailing them out, too, just
like now.
-----------------------------------------

The only "bailout" I remember was a loan to Chrysler which was paid back in
full and ahead of schedule. Where there others?

Eisboch

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
On Jun 2, 8:47 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith

wrote:
Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.

It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

When we had the gas lines and the big three started trying to make a
gas saving vehicle, the Honda Civic came into play. Then GM tried with
the Vega, Ford the Pinto, Chrysler with the K car. BUT, out of those
crappy vehicles came the technology and research to make some decent
fuel efficient cars. I can only hope it'll be the same this time
around. During that time, the U.S. was bailing them out, too, just
like now.
-----------------------------------------

The only "bailout" I remember was a loan to Chrysler which was paid back
in full and ahead of schedule. Where there others?

Eisboch

ummm... "were" there others?

Eisboch wrote:

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
On Jun 2, 8:47 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith

wrote:
Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.

It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

When we had the gas lines and the big three started trying to make a
gas saving vehicle, the Honda Civic came into play. Then GM tried with
the Vega, Ford the Pinto, Chrysler with the K car. BUT, out of those
crappy vehicles came the technology and research to make some decent
fuel efficient cars. I can only hope it'll be the same this time
around. During that time, the U.S. was bailing them out, too, just
like now.
-----------------------------------------

The only "bailout" I remember was a loan to Chrysler which was paid
back in full and ahead of schedule. Where there others?

Eisboch

ummm... "were" there others?


There have been other U.S. government bailouts of corporations and
financial institutions...Lockheed, Penn Central, the S&L bailouts, and
others.

On Jun 3, 9:04*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Eisboch" wrote in message

...







wrote in message
....
On Jun 2, 8:47 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:04:30 -0500, Vic Smith

wrote:
Mencken famously stated ""No one ever went broke underestimating the
taste of the American public."
GM has proven him wrong.

It worked for a while but they lost touch and started coasting. When
you look back at some of the barges they were selling in the 70s it's
a wonder they lasted as long as they did.

When we had the gas lines and the big three started trying to make a
gas saving vehicle, the Honda Civic came into play. Then GM tried with
the Vega, Ford the Pinto, Chrysler with the K car. BUT, out of those
crappy vehicles came the technology and research to make some decent
fuel efficient cars. I can only hope it'll be the same this time
around. During that time, the U.S. was bailing them out, too, just
like now.
-----------------------------------------

The only "bailout" I remember was a loan to Chrysler which was paid back
in full and ahead of schedule. * Where there others?

Eisboch

ummm... *"were" there others?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes, but not as publicized, because in those days, Carter's bailout of
Chrysler was massive. But at the same time the government was
dribbling money (in loans again) to the other two that added up
substantially. The bailouts of today are designed as loans also.

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 06:28:53 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Then GM tried with
the Vega,

There were five thousand with four valves per cylinder, DOHC. Only
Lotus and Jensen-Healy offered that. My brother had a Jensen.. Called
it the road oiler. Bought it in 72 and it rusted while he spent years
on a flattop. Then he got home, we stripped it down to the frame, more
or less, and chased the rust. He has probably put an thousand miles on
it since.

Casady

Richard Casady wrote:
On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 06:28:53 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Then GM tried with
the Vega,

There were five thousand with four valves per cylinder, DOHC. Only
Lotus and Jensen-Healy offered that. My brother had a Jensen.. Called
it the road oiler. Bought it in 72 and it rusted while he spent years
on a flattop. Then he got home, we stripped it down to the frame, more
or less, and chased the rust. He has probably put an thousand miles on
it since.

Casady


Ahhhh...British sports cars.

My introduction to them came in junior high. One of my buds was one of
three sons of a fairly wealthy lawyer. His two older brothers were given
Austin-Healeys for their 16th birthdays, and we got to wash them and sit
in them and drive them around the circular driveway when we were about
13. When my friend turned 16, his dad bought him a new Jag XK150. I fell
in love with that car. We even took it up to Lime Rock once and ran the
track on a non race day. Great fun.

After I finished my junior year in college, I got a summer job at a
newspaper and used my practically non-existent salary to buy a pretty
MG-A. I loved that car, but it was completely unreliable in every aspect
possible.

But I loved driving it when it would start! Then I bought a new
TR4-IRS, and that became my favorite sports car. It wasn't as pretty as
the MG, but it was rock solid reliable. It was followed by a Lotus
Cortina, which was an English Ford with an engine "worked on" by Lotus.
Well, that should have done it for me, because it, too, was a P.O.S.

While in Florida, I bought an unrestored, original and near-perfect Jag
XK150-S with, incredibly, just under 9,000 original miles. I drove it a
little on dry, windless days, but mostly it lived in a good solid
garage, under a soft bedsheet. It stayed in Florida when we moved to
Maryland. A friend took care of the car for me in between my visits.
Sold the car last year with 11,000 miles on it. The new owner had to
supply his own battery. I really liked the car, and still think the
XK150 and the original XKE's that followed were the high point of
British sports car design. I never like the Lotuses much.

There's a firm in England remanufacturing XKE's, and from what I have
read they do a fabulous job. They have original, cleaned up E-types, but
what really interests me are the fully modernized, remanufactured XKE's.

Oh...the buddy...he cracked up the XK150 and the next week, his dad
bought him a new "E" type.