[alfa] Auto Reliability

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

What's going on? No Alfa Digest sitting on my welcome mat this a.m., no
cars in the parking lot. You'd think it was a holiday or something.

All I know is I've got to get this joint cleaned up since I'm expecting
a 'new' car in Saturday.

Anyway...

Have received a few direct emails on my suggestion Detroit make smaller
cars.

I did a poor job of making my point. I know no one will agree with me
anyway, but this is what I should have said:

(Some will sound familiar, but not all)

The handwriting was on the wall long before those commie, pinko's in
government mandated Detroit get it's act together.

Had Detroit's bean counters not recommended their bosses keep their
heels dug in as deeply and as long as possible to avoid making periodic
changes for safety, environmental concerns, and fuel economy, costs
could have been more easily absorbed - both by the manufacturer as well
as the consumer.

Had the Big Three sat down and talked (amongst themselves) in the mid
sixties (or earlier) regarding the darkening clouds over Washington of
impending legislation for cars to be safer, pollute less, and get better
gas mileage AND agreed this would become their priority - rather, than
bigger, better, faster - they most likely could have fended off
legislation telling them how much and by when.

I'm not saying cars would have immediately shrunk, but might have later
if for no other reason than fuel economy.

Had the Big Three been smart (and unified) they would have told the
public these were their priorities, not bigger, better, faster.

And assuming they all got busy and began making progress, I have not the
slightest doubt any cars being imported would have been forced to at
least match Detroit's progress in these areas. Quite possibly Detroit
could have made a killing at this time until The Foreigners caught up.
Probably by then Detroit would have been in Phase 2 and that would have
become the law of the land.

I'll even bet they could have got Washington to fund some of the  R & D
(if they actually didn't).

Possibly a number of owners would have held on to their old buggies but
eventually they'd be forced to buy new. If imports had slowed to a
trickle, where ya gonna go to buy your favorite gas-guzzling hog of a
car? If it doesn't exist, damn hard to buy it.

I'm not saying that eventually cars wouldn't have become somewhat
bigger, better, faster, but probably not until The Foreigners caught up
to Detroit's progress regarding (by then) reliable emission controls,
better gas mileage, and safety concerns.

As unlikely as this questions sounds, what if Detroit had kept at least
some semblance of a conscience and made interesting cars which were
bullet proof reliable, shaming even those Way Out West, though believe
Japan is considered to be in the East (unless you live on the West Coast
of the US).

I guess what I'd suggest (as a pinko, commie) that Detroit not cater to
the lowest common denominator, but set standards for other countries and
individuals to look to as an industry which deserves their complete
respect.

Probably way too late and being way too naive.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
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