[BW2221]

Foreign-owned companies have labor unions in their home countries. The Korean auto unions make the UAW look like the Cub Scouts.

The Japanese and Korean manufacturers learned from history and built plants in non-union areas. Likewise, when the "Big Three" builds new plants overseas, they are typically in non-union areas.

Unions are only part of the problem. Union leaders didn't design dogs like the ford Five Hundred and Freestyle. The last successful CAR Ford introduced was Taurus in 1985.

[Rev DMV]

Well there's that car called the Mustang that's doing OK, but your correct. I support automotive manufacturing as well, but it's all Toyota and currently they are ramping up three new production lines in North America...

[Nuc1]

"The last successful CAR Ford introduced was Taurus in 1985."

The new Mustang is quite a hit however it will probably not have long legs due to a limited market. My wife was looking for a crossover and tried the Freestyle. She found it harsh riding and noisy. Not to mention the styling...needless to say she didn't like it. One thing that might help American manufacturers is establishing an effective customer feedback mechanism. I sure would like to talk to the car designers. Sometimes you have to wonder what they are thinking. The new Mustang is the first good looking car that the "common" man can "afford" that Ford has made in more than a decade. Style sells, it is the most basic requirement of a successful vehicle. Performance, reliability, value must also follow.