Some are questioning GM & Ford's ability to produce those "non-truck items"
"Cars" seem to escape them these days.
:>)
I'm in the unique position of owning two rebuilt cars from the late 70s: a Chev Nova SS and a Mercedes 240D.
The difference between them is stunning: from a power prospective, the Nova is a wonderful to drive - there's nothing as fun as cruising down the road at 35 or so and then flooring an American muscle car. It's Classic with a capital "C" when the engine drops to a lower gear and the car jumps forward.
But beyond the joys of a small-block, 305 V8, the Nova is a complete and total piece of shit. It floats all over the place...the interior is put together half-assed and is uncomfortable, parts fall off for no reason and even though the Nova is longer and wider than the Mercedes the Nova has less cabin and truck space and is very uncomfortable.
As far as I can tell, the engineers of the Nova sat at a blank piece of paper and asked themselves, "What's the cheapest way we can get this super-sweet engine from point A to point B?"
The Mercedes, on the other hand - with it's jaw-droppingly goofy 67 horsepower - is incredibly well-built and a pure pleasure to drive. It's obvious the German designers of that car asked themselves, "What's the best way we can get people from point A to point B?"
If I could get the Nova's engine into the Mercedes body...