01.08.07
It’s Not Bias If It’s True
U.S. automakers battle public bias
A helpful clarification for the author of this puff piece on the poor, misunderstood U.S. auto industry: it’s not “bias” if it’s well-founded (or, to put it another way, there’s nothing wrong with “vicious truths”).
First, he says:
The problem for Detroit is changing perceptions that often don’t match reality.
So, I read with bated breath for the revelation about what precisely people think about American cars that’s no longer true, and I find…
…the performance of American-made cars is now actually very close to those made in Japan and higher than many cars made in Europe, [industry analysts] said.
Yay! Let’s celebrate reaching almost-parity! And hey, as the article later notes, gas prices are slightly down off their peaks. So forget about making actually energy-efficient vehicles, and let’s try to recapture the glory days:
The industry is returning to the types of autos that gave it a sense of “swagger and attitude in the 1960s,” said John Wolkonowicz, an auto industry analyst.
Yeah, that’ll work great. Finally, let’s take a look at the Big Three’s Big Hope:
Justin Watson, a 25-year old laborer and student from Beaumont, Texas, says he is fiercely loyal to American cars.
“My great-grandfather, grandfather and father fought against these people,” he said of countries that are leading competitors of American automakers. “We’re killing ourselves by buying their cars. I drive a Dodge truck, and always buy American.”
How could that lose?