Posted on 07/06/2009 3:29:16 PM PDT by Para-Ord.45
"Government Motors" is driving Americans away
There is a groundswell of disdain for the federal bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler, even as polls show that a growing "Buy American" sentiment is boosting sales for the only Detroit automaker that avoided bankruptcy and federal rescue - Ford.
"I won't buy a socialist car," columnist and radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt thundered.
Others agree - at least about GM.
"Over the years, we have mostly been a General Motors family. Since GM has become Government Motors, we will never again buy a GM product," said William Crowley of Spicewood, Texas.
However, Mr. Crowley already drives what some would call a "socialist car."
The bailouts were opposed by most Americans, including substantial minorities of Democrats surveyed in March and June polls, according to Gallup.
That could mean bipartisan support for Ford.
"You could say even Obama supporters don't like [it]," said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive officer of car-buying site Edmunds.com. "I'm not sure you can put a party label on it."
Kate Internicola drives an old Hyundai but said there will be two Fords in her driveway soon.
" We decided to go with Ford, and our reason was that they didn't take any money from the government," she said.
Mrs. Internicola loves the couple's new Escape sport utility vehicle, and is waiting for Ford's 2010 lineup to replace her Hyundai, she said. "I'm definitely going Ford."
Ford's U.S. market share has risen in eight of the past 10 months, and surpassed Toyota's in April. Ford is now second in U.S. sales, with 17.2 percent of the market, behind GM, with 20.2 percent.
Ford's U.S. sales in June fell just 11 percent from a year ago, while sales at GM, Chrysler, Toyota and Honda fell 30 percent or more.
(exceprt)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
This was a ‘given’.
Countless people have stated here and elsewhere that they would never buy GM or Chrysler products again.
Time will only tell, but as long they remain under the banner of ‘Government’ influence, I hardly see much changing in their favor.
I bought several thousand shares of Ford in February . . .should have went with my gut and bought 10 times that!!!
I think it still has upward potential however...
British Leyland, anyone?
...Not only is the car roomy and comfortable, but it offers as good of a drive as you can expect from such a large sedan. Not considering fuel economy at all, this impressed me as a quality car from Ford. When you toss in the Smartgauge and two-mode hybrid system, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is an absolute pleasure for any ecodriver looking for something larger that can still throw down some good fuel economy. On my full-throttle test drive around midtown I still managed 40.4 mpg, better than I would’ve expected with any car.
-http://ecomodder.com/blog/2010-ford-fusion-hybrid-gas-mileage/
All I’ve got to say, is thank God for Ford. It would grind me to no end, to have to buy a car from a fascist controlled enterprise.
Obama will be the absolute death of most everything he touches. He is a severely flawed politician.
My daughter bought a Ford Edge recently and my wife is looking to do the same. No Obama Motors for us. I have been a GM man but no more while under Obama.
Never again will I buy a Chrysler product and not because of the bailout. It’s because of the Dodge Caravan, also known at my house as the van from Hell, I was finally able to get rid of a couple of years ago.
I just got a letter from Ford telling me, I am preapproved for $40,000 on a new Ford, with 120% Kelly Blue Book trade. in.
There is no way I would uby a GM. We currently own a Chrysler but not for much longer. Is Dodge out of the question?
Outside the Ford Edge...
Inside the Ford Flex...
GM is garbage motors....the fit and finish sucks and they look like a stamped tin friction car toy car from the 50’s. Nobody I know wants one.........the only government car with a prayer is that new Dodge Challenger
Whether it's a quiet boycott of cars, banks, or health care, I sincerely hope (grrr) that from Day One, this will be a marvelous case of The Incredible Shrinking President.
I think it’s only a short amount of time until GM (for sure) and Chrysler (probably) are back in bankruptcy. I believe neither will operate at a profit, needing constant injections of cash to survive.
That means their existence depends on strong Democratic majorities and a Donk holding the Presidency. As soon as a GOP’er wins the Presidency his “car czar” can order the firms to liquidate, or just shut them down as no longer viable. A GOP House or Senate could conceivably cut off funding to them.
Even with Donks in control at some point John Q. Public is going to be sick of the red ink and insist on cutting bait.
The next bankruptcy will probalby be Chapter 7 and will result in the end of the UAW and their claims on the assetts remaining in any meaningful way.
Neither company will likely ever be able to borrow in the private equity markets again, after the screwing that bond holders got recently. This alone makes them surviving unlikely as the auto industry (esp. with the many new CAFE regulatoins Obama insists on) is capital intensive.
Dodge is Chrysler. Go Ford.
IMHO GM and Chrysler will be well supported by the Baraqqis until Nov 2012.
After that, not so much.
GM and Chrysler were having problems with sales before the government takeover and now becoming “government motors” consumers have more reason to be wary. I would worry about warranty service as more dealers close and parts as whole divisions of GM are closing ...for example where would you get a replacement fender, etc for a Pontiac when that division disappears. In the future GM will under government control will likely only be producing glorified golf carts and $40,000 electric cars that no one will want to buy.
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