Monday, September 24, 2007
The UAW just called a nationwide strike against GM. Earlier in the year, Toyota became the biggest car-maker in the world and is not unionized.
Sure, there are other factors, but how many people see the connection?
Have a look at this article about Toyota. These guys are serious. I own one of their cars, and you know what? It never breaks. It's got over 120,000 miles on it, and it's almost as tight as a new one. I drove it on a cross-country trip, 2000 miles one-way last year and didn't think twice about anything but tires. The word I got from an honest local mechanic is that if the Americans made their engines like Toyota—and most of the other Japanese makers—he'd be out of business. And he meant it as a compliment: Do regular maintenance and they're good for 300,000 miles without taking the heads off. The American ones? Not even close.
Now, I have all the confidence in the world that the Americans can compete, the question is will they be allowed to?
Sure, there are other factors, but how many people see the connection?
Have a look at this article about Toyota. These guys are serious. I own one of their cars, and you know what? It never breaks. It's got over 120,000 miles on it, and it's almost as tight as a new one. I drove it on a cross-country trip, 2000 miles one-way last year and didn't think twice about anything but tires. The word I got from an honest local mechanic is that if the Americans made their engines like Toyota—and most of the other Japanese makers—he'd be out of business. And he meant it as a compliment: Do regular maintenance and they're good for 300,000 miles without taking the heads off. The American ones? Not even close.
Now, I have all the confidence in the world that the Americans can compete, the question is will they be allowed to?
# posted by goldpython @ 2:47 PM 
