In 1908, the best car you could get was Ford’s revolutionary invention, the Model T. What made this car so great? Maybe it was the vast color choice to pick from…black, black, or black. No, what made this car a revolution was its price. People could afford it. Cars were no longer just for the rich, but something everyone could have. In perspective, this is an extremely low standard to judge what a good car is. Now we must ask, what is today’s standard for a good car? When evaluating a car, you know you’ve struck gold when it is American made, 4x4, and/or gets more than twenty miles per the wallet-lightening gallon.
“The economy is down.” How much cash would you have if you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard that in the last ten years? American jobs are leaving the country, and at the head of this work migration was the auto industry. The idea is a car can be made for a fraction of the price in Japan and foreign workers don’t cause such a fuss. Sounds like a grand plan, there’s only one problem…why do you suppose our economy is down? Everyone else is taking our work, duh! It would make sense then to start with the biggest problem: cars. Therefore, to be a good car, it has to be stamped with red, white, and blue approval. Take the greatly admired Ford F250. The truck is large, durable, and powerful; in other words a good, solid truck. Could you guess it’s an American made? Then there is always the sleek, speedy corvette. Sitting low to the ground with impeccable maneuverability, the sports car is top rated. It is top rated and it is a craft of genius American quality. Third, you could take a look at the Grand Am. The Grand Am is an endurance race car and is revered by people everywhere. The car seats four and, combined...
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...g on gas. Perhaps the most astonishing example of a good car with good mileage is the BMW X1. This SUV annihilates its competition with a 5 passenger volume, rear or all-wheel-drive, and option of 4 or 6-cylinder power. We said all good cars have good mileage, right? This BMW is no exception with its 28 miles to the gallon. Plain and simple, the best cars are the ones that save you the most cash.
To have the best car, you have to know what to look for. You can’t have a fabulous car without it being American, safe, or having a heart-warming mileage. Truly good cars are few, but they exist, just waiting for you to realize their potential. What people must realize is that you cannot get optimal satisfaction from a car that does not have what drivers really need the most. Cars that have what you need the most are obviously the best cars and thus, the most satisfying.
Ask any ten enthusiasts what two cars epitomize the concept of an automotive rivalry and at least nine of them will instantly conclude the Chevrolet or Chevy Camaro and the Ford Mustang, two cars that make up part of a small automotive segment known as Pony Cars. These fire-breathing leviathans of the street snarl with guttural reverberations boastfully announcing their presence with the mere turn of key. For nearly five decades, these mechanical beasts have captured the imagination of the American driver and ignited the most contentious debate in automotive history: Which car reigns supreme? Muscle car buffs waste no time quoting sales figures, vehicle performance, track times, or even mundane statistics like vehicle dimensions or available colors to simply justify their support for one model over the other. As this debate rages on, the makers of these brutes fan the flames through targeted marketing strategies, consumer promotions, pricing strategies, and creative advertising all in effort to win an automotive war the likes of which have never been seen or fought before (Davenport, 2013).
Automobiles have been apart of not only American, but worldwide life for more than 100 years. The 1920’s was a period in which the use and production of them became very prevalent and mass produced like no other time before. Automobiles began to be make life easier, and increasingly more productive in just about every way. The Great Gatsby is a book in which automobiles were owned by almost every character; without the automobiles characters such as Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, and even Nick would not be able to get to the city in which they called “West and East Egg” from their suburban mansions on the outskirts of town. Intriguingly, the way their cars looked differed greatly from others of the time that showed their power,
Some say that automotive racing began when the second car was built. For over a hundred years, competition has driven innovation in the car industry, thus the industry maxim “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” NASCAR and drag racing contributed greatly to muscle cars’ success. Muscle cars were born from these competitions as factory made race cars. Because of this, the muscle car quickly moved from a low quantity specialty item to the image of the American automotive scene. Each brand had to have one and each one needed better performance and personality than the next. The Golden Age began in the 1960s with the introduction of more performance models such as the Chevy SS Impala and the Ford Galaxy Starliner (Auto Editors).
In the July 1997 issue of Commentary, James Q. Wilson challenges the consensus among academia’s finest regarding the automobile in his bold article, Cars and Their Enemies. Directed towards the general public, his article discredits many of the supposed negatives of the automobile raised by experts, proves that the personal car is thriving and will continue to thrive because it meets individual preference over other means of transportation, as well as presents solutions to the social costs of cars. Wilson emphasizes that no matter what is said and done in eliminating the social costs of the automobile, experts are not going to stop campaigning against it.
"A car should be like a fine watch," Ford said. "It should be built to last. Make one model and make it good. That's what I say." After establishing other numerous models without satisfaction his ...
I can recall when my older sister in the 70’s had purchased a shiny new Ford Pinto and pulled it into the driveway. She used at that time what she thought was her best judgment along with an economical price but only to be succumbed by our Dad when he realized what she purchased. Ford Motor Company in the late 60’s were being overtaken by other countries car manufactures in the subcompact market. The Volkswagen Beetle was still formidable, and the VW Rabbit was on the drawing board. Datsun and Toyota were readying new models. Honda was preparing to change the nature of the competition with its Civic. (Lee Iacocca 's Pinto: A Fiery Failure) It would be 10 years later that Henry Ford II, Ford Motor Co. Chairman would fire the person who ultimately
The automobile had changed America in many ways since it has been created in the early 1900’s. When the automobile was first invented it was a thing only the rich could afford. After the invention of the mass production line more and more people were able to buy automobiles because they were being produce and sold for cheaper. A historian once said that Henry ford is the reason why common people have no limitations of their geography.
Over time, there have been several technological advancements that have shaped the world in which we live and are familiar with today, and one advancement, in particular, that has influenced American society significantly is the automobile. Since the automobile’s beginning, it has continuously been improved and modified pushing the rest of technology to keep up with its rapid pace of innovation. Americans have frequently taken advantage of the automobile’s many benefits, but what they often fail to realize is that the automobile has given American society more than just the luxury of driving. In fact, the automobile has influenced this nation and the people within it both historically and culturally
Model T’s were everywhere in America, even long after Ford stopped production in 1927. (Henry) While Ford was the number one brand, selling the most cars throughout the early 1900’s, the Model T created a new industry that is distinctly American; the auto industry. Three manufacturers, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler dominated the American auto industry, and all three companies still produce cars today. The Model T gave birth to the competitive auto market. To this day, car companies in America are constantly racing to innovate, improve, and outsell their competitors. Manufacturing of cars “became the backbone of a new consumer goods-oriented society. By the mid-1920s it ranked first in value of product, and in 1982 it provided one out of every six jobs in the United States.” (history –idk yet) The demand for cars also resulted in a booming petroleum industry, and a high demand for metals, like steel. ( History idk yet) Furthermore, with so many people driving cars, construction of roads was necessary. The popularity of automobiles set off a chain reaction that created new opportunities all across the country. All sections of the modern automotive industry, from marketing to manufacturing, as well industries like petroleum refining, steel production, and road construction, can trace their beginnings to the Ford Model
This paper takes a look at the ways in which the ideas of Fordism and Taylorism helped the success of the U.S motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry has changed the fundamental ideas on the process of manufacturing and probably more expressively on how humans work together to create value.
To get the best deal you possibly can it’s recommended that you do some research on the cars in your list. The first step can be made a whole lot more effective if any of your friends or family own one of the cars you are interested in. This allows you to get a firsthand account of how well the car operates from a trustworthy mouth. Hopefully your friend or family will allow you to test drive the car, thereby either reinforcing your belief that this is the car for you or deteriorating it. The next best thing to having friends or family tell you about their car is having a perfect stranger that you’ve never met, cry about how a certain car is terrible because the oil needed to be changed five years after purchase. Excuse my sarcasm, but this unfortunately can be the most deterring part of buying a car so don’t let it down your mood. This process can be rather infatuating if you don’t mind having your hopes and dreams crushed by upset relatively low-reasoning customers. After you’ve searched through some blogs and a couple websites detailing what people like and dislike about the cars on your list its time to come to a conclusion about your purchase. You need the one that meets your criteria, the one that you can see yourself being satisfied with for the next five to ten years, and the one that… Well, let’s be truthful here, get the coolest looking, cheapest one, that has what you
The American auto industry is in a crisis, their vehicles are not in demand and they need government bailouts to keep their businesses afloat. American vehicles are not on demand because people want fuel-efficient, the car companies that are not at the point of bankruptcy, longer lasting vehicles, and hybrid cars. The American car companies are at a point of bankruptcy and people don’t want to buy cars from a company that may not be there in a couple of months. The foreign car companies are doing well and they much more dependable now that we are in an economic crisis. American cars are not fuel-efficient, not as long lasting, and don’t make many hybrids, so this affects their business negatively. I got some ideas that will make American car companies be on top of the industry again.
The world of technology is ever changing and advancing. With the automotive industry in play technology is constantly surpassing what is available today with what can be done for tomorrow. Technology and the automotive industry go hand in hand with constant improvement to components of cars. Due to technology advancement there is competition within the car industry, especially between American car companies and European car companies. European car companies provide their buyers with innovative variety and revolutionary luxuries. European car technology is superior to American car technology due to their safety, entertainment, and luxury features.
Ford’s production plants rely on very high-tech computers and automated assembly. It takes a significant financial investment and time to reconfigure a production plant after a vehicle model is setup for assembly. Ford has made this mistake in the past and surprisingly hasn’t learned the valuable lesson as evidence from the hybrid revolution their missing out on today. Between 1927 and 1928, Ford set in motion their “1928 Plan” of establishing worldwide operations. Unfortunately, the strategic plan didn’t account for economic factors in Europe driving the demand for smaller vehicles. Henry Ford established plants in Europe for the larger North American model A. Their market share in 1929 was 5.7% in England and 7.2% in France (Dassbach, 1988). Economic changes can wreak havoc on a corporation’s bottom line and profitability as well as their brand.
One of the very first things a buyer should consider when looking for a car is what kind of car he/she wants. Many different factors can affect the car buying process. For one, the buyer must consider how big of a vehicle he/she wants and safety features like airbags, seatbelts, and working brakes. Itemizing a list of accessories can also help narrow down what kind of car to buy. While some people might prefer a Sedan with a large back seat and seat warmers, others may prefer an extreme luxury car with full stereo systems and miniature televisions. Every person has different tastes in accessories; luckily, there is a vehicle that can fit almost every personality. Most new models have the latest technology installed, although some of the “newer” used cars have the option of adding in those accessories. Once the...