Bill Noble wrote:

(snip)
- why
doesn't GM make a BMW killer? who knows, but it's not that it can't be
done.


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

In a way they do, the Caddie STS, also Chrysler has the 300C. Both have
bleeding edge suspensions and powertrains that a US baby boomer like me
could only dream of in our youth.

Problem is, too many US consumers want a rocket ship for the price of a
bicycle (Wally world understands that).

If BMW had only the US market to sell into they would be a very small
company. It seems ironic to me that the STS, 300C and to a lesser
extent Mustangs sell well to the "beautiful people" in Europe. In the
first two there is no "status symbol" only the love of a good driver,
powered by a pushrod V8 thunderlump. The "Stang" is simply an icon over
there.

About Detroit... I have a hard time blaming the worker(UAW), we used to
have Harvester in Moline. If you're paid a handsome wage to put parts in
a turret lathe that someone else set up and "marked" the dials for you,
then comes by periodically to check your parts, "AND THEN" hands you a
Journeyman's card, what the he** are you supposed to know?

If I blame the UAW at all it's for not jealously guarding the skilled
crafts and thus losing them.

The real sad deal is that Detroit management is more fit for "pounding
sand" than the folks on the line.

Oh BTW... I don't think big Exec wages and bennies are "bad for the US"
(I think of that as a "big tip"). But it does tell me something of the
Execs MANNERS for taking that "big tip".

Lastly, it was horrible when those middle aged folks from Harvester
began showing up in job shops in the late 70s looking for work, they had
been given no clue... SAD, VERY SAD...

Matt