On 4/18/2012 8:26 PM, Max Heim wrote:
> Not to start another flame war, but I have to say I'm curious where this
> viewpoint is coming from -- clearly, all manufacturers who sold cars in the
> US, not just the Detroit-based ones, were subject to the same government
> regulations. So how did this kill the "American car market", which seems to
> have survived to the present day? More different companies build cars in the
> US today than did in the "unregulated" 1960s.
Before the rabid environmentalists took over, cars were designed to be
bought by people. American car manufacturers tried to build cars
Americans wanted. Then the politicians got into the game, with "CAFE"
standards and crash tests pushing the designs from opposite
directions. Foreign car-makers were already making smaller cars, so
they had an advantage under the new laws. The new standards weren't
the only influence that killed Detroit; the unions helped in its
demise. Perhaps you have seen the sets of pictures that show Hiroshima
and Detroit today.
-Rock
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