http://make-energy.net/uncategorized/why-didnt-the-big-3-auto-makers-heed-the-signs-years-ago-and-re-tool-to-produce-alternate-energy-vehicles Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:32:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://make-energy.net/uncategorized/why-didnt-the-big-3-auto-makers-heed-the-signs-years-ago-and-re-tool-to-produce-alternate-energy-vehicles/comment-page-1#comment-1675 Life is good Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:52:19 +0000 http://make-energy.net/uncategorized/why-didnt-the-big-3-auto-makers-heed-the-signs-years-ago-and-re-tool-to-produce-alternate-energy-vehicles#comment-1675 30 years ago, to be exact. I worked at one of the first Honda Dealers. When we drove our demos past the Big Three Dealerships their salesmen would point at our little cars and laugh. Even then we couldn't keep the cars on the lot. We would go for three weeks without delivering a new car because everything on the lot was already presold. And when the Accord first appeared we were selling them for $1200.00 over list and we still had a two month waiting period. We had customers offering salesmen bribes to be moved up the list. I purchased one - drove it for a year - and sold it for what I paid for it! An the Big Three just ambled along as usual figuring that it was just a fad and would blow away. Well; who is laughing now? The Imports got better and the North American product stagnated. They have no one to blame but themselves. I say let them go. Other manufacturers will step in with jobs. Just because the Big Three go belly up does not mean people still won't need cars. Offshore Brands will step in - build new factories - and sell us better built and cheaper cars. They learned their lessons decades ago and are very good at what they do. Satisfy the customer. 30 years ago, to be exact. I worked at one of the first Honda Dealers. When we drove our demos past the Big Three Dealerships their salesmen would point at our little cars and laugh. Even then we couldn’t keep the cars on the lot. We would go for three weeks without delivering a new car because everything on the lot was already presold. And when the Accord first appeared we were selling them for $1200.00 over list and we still had a two month waiting period. We had customers offering salesmen bribes to be moved up the list. I purchased one – drove it for a year – and sold it for what I paid for it!
An the Big Three just ambled along as usual figuring that it was just a fad and would blow away. Well; who is laughing now? The Imports got better and the North American product stagnated. They have no one to blame but themselves. I say let them go. Other manufacturers will step in with jobs. Just because the Big Three go belly up does not mean people still won’t need cars. Offshore Brands will step in – build new factories – and sell us better built and cheaper cars. They learned their lessons decades ago and are very good at what they do. Satisfy the customer.

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