NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- After nearly a year of flagging sales, low gas prices and fat incentives are reigniting America's taste for big vehicles.Are we quite possibly the stupidest fucking nation that ever existed? Do we have the collective attention span of a gnat on crack? Are people really so stupendously stupid that they think the current low gas prices are anything other than a momentary blip on the radar?
Trucks and SUVs will outsell cars in December, according to researchers at the automotive Website Edmunds.com, something that hasn't happened since February..
Meanwhile, the forecast finds that sales of hybrid vehicles are expected to be way down.
And lastly, are the Big Three so incredibly greedy that they will ramp back up production of the behemoths, only to have them languish on the lots once gas prices go back up???
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayanna said well over 100 years ago. What's especially infuriating is the news is replete with stories about the big three needing Fed assistance:
U.S. throws GMAC $6 billion lifeline
How the Feds will Govern GM and Chrysler
Ford's bailout plea to include pledge for smaller cars
Any guesses on how that pledge works out for Ford? Anyone want to bet if GM starts making fewer Hummers? Think Chrysler's gonna stop stuffing hemis into everything they make? Or are they going to go right back into the "live for the second" mode that says "people are buying SUVs. Therefore people will always buy SUVs" and pretend that the last year never happened?
If the "Big Three" are dumb/greedy enough to fall back into the easy money trap, they deserve to fail.
Not. Another. Fucking. Penny.
That is all.
10 comments:
People still NEED trucks, no matter the gas price. A hybrid isn't going to haul that trailer of mine. The Big Three are desperate for sales and prices are low. The Big Three still make the best trucks.
I just wish I needed to buy a new car now, with the prices low, rather than later, when they will probably be up.
Attention span of a gnat on crack. . . I like that one. . .
I also think even that gives folks too much credit. Hell, just look what is making it on prime time TV and you can tell this country is F'd
They deserved to fail a LONG time ago Jay.
This isn't the 1st time we've bailed out Chrysler.
T-bolt,
I drive a Ram with a hemi; believe me, I know that trucks have a legitimate place.
Most people don't want or need trucks. They want large, safe cars.
But no one MAKES large, safe cars any more because of the CAFE standards and fleet mileage requirements - which light trucks are not subject to.
Rather than dump production into MOAR SUVs, they could have looked into bringing back a large car that got better than 15 MPG, but they chose the path of least resistance.
JD,
Y'know, sadly, I'm inclined to agree with you...
Mike W.,
Good point. And how did Chrysler reward the American consumer for the bailout of 1979?
The fucking K-car...
We'll add this to the reasons my next vehicle will be another import (of the same make).
Not to mention the fact that it is 7 years old, has 152k miles on it, I've beat the ever loving crap out of it and aside from oil changes & tires I've only ever had to change the ball joints in it (after 145k miles)
I heart my Xterra.
Are we quite possibly the stupidest fucking nation that ever existed? Do we have the collective attention span of a gnat on crack? Are people really so stupendously stupid...
Um...Yes?
Actually, I think it's just human nature. I don't think we've got the stupid market cornered or anything. There is a reason that every great civilization in human history has failed.
The vast majority of humankind are little more than sheep...wanting nothing more than to be kept and cared for.
Trucks may be cheap enough to offset gas prices. The plant I work at just quit production, but there are enough already built to last past the end of the 2009 model year. I've heard of these selling for 5 figure discounts--That buys a lot of gas.
I don't think the answer is "never build SUV's". The answer is "be flexible"--don't plan for the market to remain as is, be able to switch production quickly.
I just pulled a trailer with a 4,500 pound payload in it from SC to FL. Used my Isuzu SUV and got around 15mpg doing it. Show me any hybred or green car that could have done that.
Anon,
See my response to NJT. I *own* a full-size truck. I tow a 6,000 pound camper with it - nothing short of a full-sized truck with a large 8 cylinder engine would fulfill that task.
My point, and I'll be the first to admit that I didn't make it as best I could have given the bile spewing forth, is that the "Big Three" *should* keep their production of large trucks and SUVs constant right now, as gas prices are certain to rise in the near future.
Which means people will go back to buying smaller, more efficient cars.
I have strong doubts that they will do this, though...
The big 3 take so long to react, it would be years before they ramp up SUV production again, even if there is a magical breakthrough tomorrow that guarantees gas will never go above $1 a gallon again.
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