There was a time when the world envied the American big three car manufacturers: Chrysler, Ford, and GM. These were awe-inspiring times when little boys were fascinated with the beauty of American steel. Classic cars from the 50s, 60s, 70s...wow. During this time, to state that Americans made the best production cars in the world would not have been totally untrue. And in this same period, it would not be incorrect to say that the Japanese made ridiculously cheap cars that couldn't hold a candle to American quality and value. In addition to being excellent on gas (Japanese cars in this era) they were great at eliciting a chuckle on the streets - trust me, I remember because my friends and I were always teasing another friend whenever he picked us up in his tiny Honda Civic in the early 80s. No boy fell in love with Japanese cars in the 50s, 60s, or 70s. So, to recap, here we have the big three getting fat and rich, living it large in the three decades of their rule - and rightfully so! At that time, who would have given any Japanese manufacturer a chance? Right?
Well, it seems the big three three forgot about the story of the hare and the tortoise. And they paid dearly for this slip, starting in the 80s. In 1988, we purchased a Ford Taurus GL. It was the biggest mistake ever. Literally driving off the lot, three problems were detected - the headrest of the front passenger seat wouldn't stay up, I can't recall the others but they were minor headaches. As the years went on, the power locks went prematurely, the engine had major issues that required $200-$400 to repair at least three times that I could remember. The transmission then went and we had to have it rebuilt. The power windows on the passenger side stopped working, the rear defog broke, and the list goes on with smaller more minor stuff. It seems it wasn't just my ford, because I started to hear jokes circulate about what "FORD" stood for. The punchline being: Fix Or Repair Daily/Found On Road Dead. The lemon-aid guide printed clearly that the Ford Taurus '88 was one of many vehicles people should NOT buy. When I stared at this list, I noticed almost all the cars on there were American. At the same time, in the eighties, the Japanese started to rise. They started to gain a reputation for high quality in addition to fuel efficiency. But, people were still hesitant because the cars were smaller and didn't feel as heavy and sturdy, leading many to believe they were not as safe as American cars.
After this point, the tables were turned and through the 90s til now, we saw Toyota whiz past the big three and saw the stock values of the American three plummet. Government bail outs were discussed. Pontiac, a brand with rich history in racing and in production is now no more. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
Toyota is going through a stumbling block but will, in the end, still maintain it's number one status for some time.
Now, the reputation of Japanese cars are quite the opposite of what was in the past when they were producing dinky Hondas for budget strapped students. It is the Americans who suffer from the "cheap" moniker...and might I add, deservedly so. Yup, I said it. It had to be said. What happened to American car companies they did to themselves by producing - mostly - ugly vehicles that broke and ate up people's time and money during the 80s. What was so hard to understand about what customers wanted? They wanted value - a car they could proudly drive that wouldn't burden the family budget or waste everyone's time by sitting in the garage getting fixed. Give the American car makers credit, they tried with the Ford Taurus and it made an impact, it really did. Iacocca brought in the three cab-forward designs in the LH cars. Great concepts. But so what? None of these cars were reliable - contrary to Ford's moniker "Quality is Job 1". Who care if you have a great looking car if you can't depend on it to work when you need it? They did it to themselves.
Then a funny thing happened. Some executive with power finally got it. They started to make visually interesting - if not stunning cars for the average person with an average income to buy. A car that they could be proud of driving. A car that gave value in terms of what options were available and in terms of economy. And people started paying attention. People started to notice they were finally understanding "ugly" is not hip - unless it's a Subaru WRX, but I digress. Slowly, we are seeing the transition NOW in both GM and Ford. Not so much Chrysler, I'm afraid. But it's happening.
Yes, I still believe the American car companies need to play catch up. But historically, it wasn't too long ago, no one gave the Japanese a chance at all! So for any one person to write off the American big three, they should do so with caution. History has shown, as well as the story of the hare and tortoise, that in the real world, the tortoise can prevail.
Personally, after my Ford nightmare, I will never buy a Ford again. And although I'll admit, they have great designs and I give them credit for bouncing back, they lost me a long time ago. GM I wish you the best of luck, Toyota and Honda, thank you for setting an example and slapping sense into these stupid American CEOs of the big three.
For now, I remain a loyal import buyer - Lexus, Subaru, Honda. If, however, GM proves to me that its cars are still around on the streets 5+ years from now, and in good condition, then perhaps, I may be swayed...but only time will tell.
