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Does America Even Need Its Own Automakers?

1788 messages,  Last post on Mar 03, 2009 at 2:18 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

What is this discussion about? Automotive News, Truck, Sedan, SUV


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#61 of 1788
Re: The right thing [cooterbfd] by fezo
May 23, 2007 (7:31 pm)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (May 23, 2007 6:08 pm)

You have to remember that in WWII these companies that are permanent weapons makers weren't around or were much smaller companies.
 
We now have a manufacturing base that is capable of turning out astonishing amounts of military hardware. Darn good thing, too, since we are about to get an enormous bill for replacements for all the stuff we're wearing out overseas.
 
Whichever side of the fence you might be on you have to know that's gonna be a heck of a bill.
#62 of 1788
Re: The right thing [cooterbfd] by british_rover
May 24, 2007 (5:28 am)
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Replying to: cooterbfd (May 23, 2007 6:08 pm)

I was about to call complete BS on GM making hummers in africa but then I found this...
 
H3 in South Africa
 
People keep refering to WWII but they forget that modern weapons and military vehicles don't have a thing to do with most modern vehicles.
 
I mean a sherman tank and a tractor or construction bulldozer are not that different. The tank just has armor and a gun while the bulldozer does not.
 
A M1A1 does not share anything at all with a big CAT bulldozer. Hell the armor isn't even made out of any kind of metal that you can even describe. The heaviest armor rating on the M1 is equivalent to 600 mm(23.6 inches) of conventional armor for kinetic rounds and 1,300 mm(51.2 inches) of conventional armor for chemical rounds.
 
M1A1
#63 of 1788
Re: The right thing [fezo] by gagrice
May 24, 2007 (6:24 am)
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Replying to: fezo (May 23, 2007 7:31 pm)

Whichever side of the fence you might be on you have to know that's gonna be a heck of a bill.
 
That is the reason all you see in Congress is talk. They all know when we quit building war materials this country will go into a MASSIVE recession. We have no other giant projects to sustain the current economy. Talk of GM or Ford or Chrysler going away is very premature. We did bail Chrysler out once before. We subsidize every other industry, why not automakers?
#64 of 1788
Re: The right thing [gagrice] by fezo
May 24, 2007 (6:44 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (May 24, 2007 6:24 am)

I suspect that the reason people balk at bailing out automakers (even as we bailed out Chrysler once and that was a successful bailout) is sheer size.
 
However, as you point out, losing that kind of chunk out of our economy would indeed start us on a major recession. It would probably be cheaper in teh long run to do the bailout.
#65 of 1788
Re: The right thing [fezo] by gagrice
May 24, 2007 (7:00 am)
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Replying to: fezo (May 24, 2007 6:44 am)

They would need leadership that has a plan. I don't think GM is to the point of needing a bail out. Ford may be, I don't really know how bad they are bleeding. The UAW plays a big part in this. They have a couple choices. They can get out and organize Toyota and Honda or go backwards on wages and benefits for the Big 3.
 
The UAW needs to have ads showing line workers from the Big 3 driving BMW, Cadillacs and Mercedes to work. That would get the attention of the Honda and Toyota workers that can only afford a Yaris or Fit.
#66 of 1788
Re: The right thing [british_rover] by bpizzuti
May 24, 2007 (7:18 am)
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Replying to: british_rover (May 24, 2007 5:28 am)

it's not metal at all: the armor is a ceramic composite called Chobham.
 
An Abrams still uses a lot of automotive technology. They need transmissions, suspension pieces, gagues...that's why it's necessary to have a strong automotive industry in order to build tanks. Most tanks need engines too (The Abrams uses a turbine, so it's an exception).
 
Remember, we don't ONLY make the Abrams...there's this little thing called the Bradley which uses a combustion engine...then the Marine corps LAVs and Army Stryker vehicles, which are also ICE, and use wheels rather than treads. Again, in addition to the engine and fuel system, you need shocks, struts, chassis engineering, transmissions, controls and gauges, tires, wheels....
 
Then of course, there's the military trucks, FAVs, and HMMWVs, which ARE in fact automobiles. Want to import them?
#67 of 1788
Re: The right thing [gagrice] by bumpy
May 24, 2007 (7:23 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (May 24, 2007 7:00 am)

It would also be a public relations disaster. Lots of people think UAW line workers are overpaid as it is.
#68 of 1788
Re: The right thing [bumpy] by gagrice
May 24, 2007 (7:44 am)
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Replying to: bumpy (May 24, 2007 7:23 am)

I doubt it. The goal is to let the HonToy workers see they are under paid. If other groups also responded to wanting a union job it would benefit all unions. I think corporate greed has just about reached the point that spawned unions a long time ago. In fact I would say corporate leaders today are worse than those that forced people to unionize.
#69 of 1788
Re: The right thing [gagrice] by bumpy
May 24, 2007 (8:18 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (May 24, 2007 7:44 am)

Spend some time in other automotive forums. Every time the UAW comes up, they get excoriated as ungrateful, gold-plated goons doing their best to suck the domestics dry regardless of the consequences. There's not much truth to it, but that is the prevailing stereotype. The reaction to your proposed ad wouldn't be "I should make that much money," but "They shouldn't make that much money."
#70 of 1788
Re: The right thing [bumpy] by gagrice
May 24, 2007 (8:38 am)
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Replying to: bumpy (May 24, 2007 8:18 am)

I guess it is hard for me to understand that mentality. I always felt I deserved a share in the profits if my labor contributed. I am sure the UAW will have some hard times. I do think it is more the entitlements built into the contracts than the actual wages for actual work done. Being paid when not working is a big negative for me to accept. Our union gave up full medical for retirees 20 years ago as excessive. 3 of my last 5 GM trucks was built in Mexico. The UAW is probably the reason.

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