I agree on the competion is good for the consumer. It gets us better cars & trucks. Its about time the US automakers woke up & start building better rides. If they don't I predict within 10 yrs the big 3 will be Toyota ,Nissan & Honda.

 

the more and more that i learn about the uaw from this forum, which i new nothing about the uaw before, combined with rising health costs, is the big three always going to have a strangle hold on them versus the competition??

and im sure the uaw costs companies a ton of money, maybe??

 

Ford, GM and DCX add a minimum of $1500.00 to each unit to cover UAW benefits. That's a BIG disadvantage over what the "ferin" automakers add, which is ZERO, because....except for the shared GM/Toyota assembly plant in Fremont CA, not ONE of the "ferin' automakers is union.


Who is responsible for this fiasco? The Big 3, the US Government and the UAW...all share the blame, because no one thought then that the "ferin' companies would make a go of it here in the US. Many imports from Britain, Germany, Italy and France had come and gone (even Toyota's 1959/60 Toyopet failed to sell). Basically no one gave a scheiss whether the "ferin" companies built plants here or not. At that time (mid 1970's), the Big 3 and AMC controlled over 90% of the US market.

 

see learn more and more everyday,

my pops told me that other countries "limit" how many cars we can sell there but thats not the case for the foreigners here??

 

Once...there were restrictions on what could be imported here on certain hot selling imported models. So, now you know the real reason the "ferin" companies built assembly plants here. To get around the restrictions.

There are no restrictions in place today on what can be imported, cars or otherwise, as far as I know.

Thanks to our politicians, the US has become a nation of consumers...and it's only going to get worse as time goes on.

 

Also, I believe there used to be a pretty sizeable tariff on imported vehicles in Japan. Keeping it more enticing for the Japanese buyers to stay with a domestic brand.

 

In all fairness.... who's fault is that?

I for one would blame the "big 3" for putting thier employee's in a posistion where they felt they had to join a union to get treated better.


Somewhere, someday, an employer will understand the merits of treating its grassroots employee well.
Toyota might already understand that...

But having said that, I don't think that is the reason Ford et al. are in the posistion they are now in. They also have had huge advantages with regards to "economy of scale" too. (which I think are much greater than the UAW dissadvantages)

 

The Big Three made it's money on the "big rigs". If fuel prices where less than $1.50, this wouldn't even be an issue. Toyota wouldn't be #1. The Truck/SUV trend is over (for now). The public is jumping on the fuel economy band wagon. (you almost have too with high fuel prices). Until the big three can compete in the better MPG market, toyota will top the market.

 

heres one, why dont the UAW and the goverments say,

if you want to sell here in the u.s.a. you have to be part of the UAW.

i dont think that foriegn co's, would risk giving up US sales, IMO

could something like that even happen?

 

Good point, but it's not like the "big 3" don't have vehicles that can get compairable or even better mileage than the vehicles Toyota and Honda produce. If fuel prices were lower as you stated Toyota and maybe Honda would just produce as big vehicles as the "big 3".

IMHO, what is hurting the "big 3" are some questionable buisness decisions. ( marketing, designs, UAW, etc )

 

No.........

 

I don't want the UAW being able to control any company. I'd like to see the big 3 kick them out & build cars without them.

 

The power of the UAW, and unions in general, has diminished, but the legacy obligations will continue .... only time or bankruptcy will take them away.