a New Mustang?

[Kyle]

With the Intercepter name, I am sure that is Ford's idea. But like every Ford concept it would be toned down for production. The Mustang, Zephyr (MKZ), Edge, & the up coming Fairlane went from Wild to Mild in the concept to production migration.

I looked through my magazines with the mustang concept and the production model looks REALLY close to the concept.

Has anyone seen the Lincoln MKR concept, now that is a sexy car.

[shelbyscarab]

Ok, the Interceptor is a hot car. Ford needs to build this. Awesome!

This would go head to head with the 300M/Charger which seems to be selling well. I see quite a few on the road.

[ASCMCLRN]

you have a couple companies in the wrong spot, Mazda, Jag, Volvo, Saab, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Mitsubishi are all American cars, Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge are still American (you could say Mercades is American now rather then vice versa) and Nissan is about to merge with Renault (ive heard)

According to several reports Toyota's fit and finish quality is falling, they are number seven (behind GM, Ford, and Kia) in fewest problems per 100 vehicles for the first 6 mo of ownership and Toyota and Honda have more recalls then any other company, they just don't announce them like Ford and GM do.

The offerings for Ford, GM, and Chrysler actually look pretty good, GM and Chrysler are offering RWD and Ford is going AWD. I have never been impressed with Japanese cars.

Also American cars are MUCH less expensive then their Asian counterparts. A loaded Fusion with AWD is $24-25k, a Camry/Accord without AWD is nearer $30k+

Few comments. Mazda is partially owned by Ford not fully. From what I remember by Japanese law a foreign company can not own a majority interest. That iis one major reason why Ford can not use the rotorary engine design they've been wanting to sink their teeth into. They presently own 33.4% of Mazda. Check out this link: http://www.ford.com/NR/fordcom/centenni ... Mazda.html

The same would go for Mitsubishi. Question how can you consider Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge American car companies when the parent company is now foreign? Nissan and Renault have been talking for sometime as Nissan hasnt been doing well either, but they will never own a controlling interest in the company.

The idea of Toyota fit and finish failing is great news and have heard with the production of mass vehicles virtually any company would have many issues but were are these reports coming from? I would love to look over them and be able to reference too. Isnt it by law they are required to announce recalls? I am sure they still have ways around announcing it though. I love the things you are mentioning I just want some sources so when I mention it elsewhere if I get called on it can eleborate thanks.

Nick

PS the Lincoln MKR is sweet looking now if only they give it a real name like Contenental.

[mustang marty]

I looked through my magazines with the mustang concept and the production model looks REALLY close to the concept.

Has anyone seen the Lincoln MKR concept, now that is a sexy car.

the Lincoln MKR

[75coug]

The MKR needs a Mercury grill and the Cougar moniker. That would be pure sweetness.

[Kyle]

Few comments. Mazda is partially owned by Ford not fully. From what I remember by Japanese law a foreign company can not own a majority interest. That iis one major reason why Ford can not use the rotorary engine design they've been wanting to sink their teeth into. They presently own 33.4% of Mazda. Check out this link: http://www.ford.com/NR/fordcom/centenni ... Mazda.html

The same would go for Mitsubishi. Question how can you consider Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge American car companies when the parent company is now foreign? Nissan and Renault have been talking for sometime as Nissan hasnt been doing well either, but they will never own a controlling interest in the company.

The idea of Toyota fit and finish failing is great news and have heard with the production of mass vehicles virtually any company would have many issues but were are these reports coming from? I would love to look over them and be able to reference too. Isnt it by law they are required to announce recalls? I am sure they still have ways around announcing it though. I love the things you are mentioning I just want some sources so when I mention it elsewhere if I get called on it can eleborate thanks.

Nick

PS the Lincoln MKR is sweet looking now if only they give it a real name like Contenental.

You're right about mazda, I didn't realize Ford owned so little of the company, virtually every car they make is a Ford platform or vise versa, Mazda3/Focus, Fusion/Mazda6 Tribute/Escape .... etc

I read the reviews in the magazines adn on the web for, see this months Car and Driver, toyota placed 5th in a 6 car comparo, and they didn't even include the Fusion OR Malibu

As for recalls, no, the company doesn't have to announce them to the public if its not a safety recall.

Chrysler and Mercedes merged, thus DailmerChrysler, to me that still makes them american, just my opinion though

[eeprete]

First of all, Hi, I stumbled across this site when looking on eBay for Mercury Capri's and McLaren Capris... I've heard of Sandy and I think I even wrote you back and forth a couple of times when I was doing my thesis several years ago (I did a DB driven website of Mustangs and history)... Great site.

Car companies these days are no longer domestic or foreign unfortunately. Most have turned into huge global empires where their loyalty to their homeland is lost, as is their homeland's loyalty to them.

Look at Ford...
Jaguar, Volvo, Aston Martin, Mazda, Land Rover, etc etc....

What's strange in all this is American's confidence in American products is rediculously low, which is a slap in the face to ourselves, our brothers, sisters and our next door neighbor. I have this arguement on a regular basis with friends and even my wife (she drives a Camry, I have an Explorer).

However some of the biggest overseas sellers are American brands. Ford is HUGE in Europe (and even have some cool cars too). Buick I believe is one of the biggest sellers in China.

So why can't we seem to get it right over here?

Historically, Amercian car companies have severely let down their buying public with sub-par quality, which in turn set the stage for Japanese (and now Korean and soon to be Chinese) manufacturers to take a good share of the pie.

Our culture (and consumeristic attitudes) have fostered this behavior now for the last 20 years. No one wants to fix anything, everyone wants to buy new, but never have to repair or fix. So therefore we simply buy what we know will last for the duration of what is expected of it (everyone wants new cars 3-5 years).

It takes a lot more to win back a customer than it does to lose it.

[Sandy]

WELCOME

That said, I have an entirely different view of things, perhaps because I've spent 30 yearsor so IN the car business.

The number 1 reason is PERCEPTION. The American consumer is of the perception that the Asain car costs less (not true), get higher gas mileage (not true) and will last them thru all the abuse they can dish out & then some, with minimum care. True in the 1980s ~ not true, today.

2 points to make

#1. The Media. The media tends to "feed" viewers an angle or a slant towards the way public perception is, rather than buck the trend, even if the trend is wrong.
Case in point. A few months ago, on the same day, Chevrolet issued a recall of 125,000 Malibu models TO BE CHECKED to see IF there was a potential for a fire underhood, as 3 or 4 such units did begin smoking in that area.
ON THE SAME DAY, Honda issued a recall on 400,000 Hondas for a fuel line starvation problem that cut out the feed of fuel to the engine AT SPEEDS OVER FIFTY ! A potential high speed accident awaiting.

Which story did ABS & NBC carry ?? ?? ??

Of course, the one about the Malibu. Now, the viewer goes, W-O-W ~ See, those American cars are crap, I'm buying that Honda !

Listen, with your own ears, to the evening news, when they do recalls, and read http://www.automotivenewsonline.com
on line, to see which recalls never made the news. You'll be speechless !

#2. Foreign car owners will praise their cars no matter what !

Friend trades in his Pontiac Grand Prix with 91,000 miles. During ownership mainly routine maintenance, but a new fuel pump was need.
Car had some rattles in the dash from 6 months old and on.
Crappy car !
So, he buys a brandy new Volvo ....
At 6 months of age Volvo destroys its tranny. Vovlo get towed to dealer & gets new trany. At 1 year Volvo's A/C quits. Bad Condensor. Break in July, new part arrives 3 weeks later. No A/C
A year later, Volvo Tranny balks. Dealer installs a new one and tends to a rear window that leaks in the rain, and destroyed the rear package shelf, with water damage. Keyless Entry quits. Reciever unit bad.
Never once did my friend ever bad mouth that Volvo. But...the G.P. ?
Bad mouth it all the time.

People (owners) will NOT bad mouth a troublesome foreign car. But, oh boy will they ever an American car. Why ?? ?? ??

Simply because it's IN VOGUE. Just like the newscasters do !

[shelbyscarab]

WELCOME

That said, I have an entirely different view of things, perhaps because I've spent 30 yearsor so IN the car business.

The number 1 reason is PERCEPTION. The American consumer is of the perception that the Asain car costs less (not true), get higher gas mileage (not true) and will last them thru all the abuse they can dish out & then some, with minimum care. True in the 1980s ~ not true, today.

2 points to make

#1. The Media. The media tends to "feed" viewers an angle or a slant towards the way public perception is, rather than buck the trend, even if the trend is wrong.
Case in point. A few months ago, on the same day, Chevrolet issued a recall of 125,000 Malibu models TO BE CHECKED to see IF there was a potential for a fire underhood, as 3 or 4 such units did begin smoking in that area.
ON THE SAME DAY, Honda issued a recall on 400,000 Hondas for a fuel line starvation problem that cut out the feed of fuel to the engine AT SPEEDS OVER FIFTY ! A potential high speed accident awaiting.

Which story did ABS & NBC carry ?? ?? ??

Of course, the one about the Malibu. Now, the viewer goes, W-O-W ~ See, those American cars are crap, I'm buying that Honda !

Listen, with your own ears, to the evening news, when they do recalls, and read http://www.automotivenewsonline.com
on line, to see which recalls never made the news. You'll be speechless !

#2. Foreign car owners will praise their cars no matter what !

Friend trades in his Pontiac Grand Prix with 91,000 miles. During ownership mainly routine maintenance, but a new fuel pump was need.
Car had some rattles in the dash from 6 months old and on.
Crappy car !
So, he buys a brandy new Volvo ....
At 6 months of age Volvo destroys its tranny. Vovlo get towed to dealer & gets new trany. At 1 year Volvo's A/C quits. Bad Condensor. Break in July, new part arrives 3 weeks later. No A/C
A year later, Volvo Tranny balks. Dealer installs a new one and tends to a rear window that leaks in the rain, and destroyed the rear package shelf, with water damage. Keyless Entry quits. Reciever unit bad.
Never once did my friend ever bad mouth that Volvo. But...the G.P. ?
Bad mouth it all the time.

People (owners) will NOT bad mouth a troublesome foreign car. But, oh boy will they ever an American car. Why ?? ?? ??

Simply because it's IN VOGUE. Just like the newscasters do !

Sandy, I think you hit the nail on the head there in many ways. Somehow its the right thing to do in critizing American Cars if the wind blows the wrong way during a test drive, but it seems that in the medias' eyes and many car mags Japanese cars can do no wrong.

[ASCMCLRN]

Sadly we can expand this anti-American rhetoric beyond the auto industry. We are asked to Police the world, pay for everything, and told to but out at the same time. Ourr copyrights were never respected in places like China and now they are part of the WTO, go figure? I just get the feeling things are going to go bust sooner or later. I hate seeing the likes of AMC, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, possibly Buick, and Mercury dissappear.

Nick

[Sandy]

Our government has no "self-protection" balls.

My Fix:
Any individual who purchases a car made by an American Corporation (Ford or GM) will recieve a 5% income tax break on next year's Federal Income Tax. Persons purchasing any other car/truck get slapped with a 6% tax surcharge.

Win Win = US Govt earns more than it losses, and the scales of justice tilt toward OUR industrailized corporations, finally

This all recorded at DMV when said vehicles are registered.

Sure, there will be angry voices, and vocal at that, too.

Tuff.

[ASCMCLRN]

Our government has no "self-protection" balls.

My Fix:
Any individual who purchases a car made by an American Corporation (Ford or GM) will recieve a 5% income tax break on next year's Federal Income Tax. Persons purchasing any other car/truck get slapped with a 6% tax surcharge.

Win Win = US Govt earns more than it losses, and the scales of justice tilt toward OUR industrailized corporations, finally

This all recorded at DMV when said vehicles are registered.

Sure, there will be angry voices, and vocal at that, too.

Tuff.

Best way IMO is to fix the price on the foreign or domestics to begin with. In other words hike the price of a foriegn car 10% for instance. I am afraid your way might cause someone to purchase the Domestic and trade it in for the foreign and still get the benefits you mention.

Nick

[Sandy]

How does he get benefits? He will get a 5% tax break and then a 6% tax hike. He loses 1% and takes a wicked beating on the trade in allowence.....

[ASCMCLRN]

How does he get benefits? He will get a 5% tax break and then a 6% tax hike. He loses 1% and takes a wicked beating on the trade in allowence.....

If that were the case the tax would have to be used just once or people can argue those who can afford to buy more cars will save more on taxes compounding it. So if it doesnt compound the way around it is to first purchase your tax break American vehicle and then trade it in for a foreign car.

For arguments sake just say we use your example of coming out to 1% then anyone with the intention of owning a foreign car is now only penalized 1% vs the original 6% by side stepping and buying an American car and trading it for a foreign car same year. Just say the depreciation on the American car is $5k, retaining 5% of tax earning would mean a family income of $100k or more would offset the cost.

Other obstacles what if you have your own business and show a loss, how would you pay taxes on no earnings? Best way imo is to put the added cost up front into the price of the vehicle. This way it is a direct cost on top of the item and an imediate deterent from buying a foreign vehicle.

Nick

[Sandy]

I agree with you, now.