Re: RE: USA taste and import restrictions

[Italiacars@domain.elided]

In a message dated 2/20/00 4:36:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<<<< US cars don't sell well in Europe.. because frankly.. they are
 junk.  This is the same problem for them in Asia. >>>>

Ryan,
    You really should learn something about the modern age of the auto 
industry. US cars rank far above European cars in terms of long term quality 
& reliability and  are about even with Japanese produced products. Top 5 
rankings were Lexus, Cadillac, Audi, Infiniti, Lincoln. Mercedes ranked 7th. 
And that much bragged about quality of BMWs ranked 13th behind such US names 
as Saturn, Buick & Oldsmobile. You have bought into marketing perceptions and 
myths. One reason American cars don't sell well overseas is simply they are 
taxed so heavily that the products are not competitive. Another reason is US 
made cars tend to be a bit larger than the either Asian or European cars 
mostly because Americans tend to be genetically taller and larger people. 
Which doesn't work well in the tight quarters of many Asian & European cities?
 
<<< It isn't a surprise now that GM and Ford are attempting to purchase any 
foreign car company they can now (especially European).  Why is that? >>>>

Don't you realize that they turned these companies around. Especially Ford, 
Jaguar would have gone under. Ford brought quality control to them & Aston 
Martin. You no longer hear jokes about the unreliability of Jags anymore

<<<< Do you realize that Opel is actually the company that does almost all of 
GM's World market design?  From Asia, Australia, Europe, E. Europe, Asia, and 
S. America.. they are all Opels.>>>>

Of course GM has Opel doing it, it makes sense to have someone based there 
doing the job of designing cars for that market. GM has been ahead of the 
curve for years, explain why most European manufacturers now have design 
studios in North America for the North American market? They are following 
GMs lead in reverse.
 
<<<, Anyhow, I'm just saying it is more complicated than you might think.  
And if you really compare the selection of products available in the US.. 
with that of Europe, South East Asia.. or even Japan.. it is inferior.  
Sometimes I want to catch the first plane out of this country so I can go 
abroad and have access to a real, competitive market.. where I can have a 
true selection of cars.  Not this
restricted marketplace (be it by the government, society, or simply bad 
taste).>>>>
 
My God you really don't know what you are talking about do you? Have you ever 
been to Europe or Asia? Or just read about them in books & magazines? These 
markets have more restrictive barriers than you could imagine. Try 
telecommunications - go make a phone call and you'll more than likely still 
find pulse instead of dial tone, agriculture - every month there is a strike 
by farmers to keep out foreign grown products. Go to any store and your 
selection are limited compared to what is available in the US. These 
countries are heavily taxed and stifle competition for the entrenched powers. 
Name a young upstart company from any country outside of the US that is 
setting the world on fire and driving the competition? 

I had the same views as you did, but that was in the 1970s when they were 
valid. Today they are not. Remember the US is the largest market in the 
world, outselling all Western European countries combined for the total 
number of cars sold each year. Same with Asia, the only 2 markets that will 
surpass the US are China & India and that won't be for at least another 20 
years.

------------------------------