Automobile Production

When you really stop to think about the collective effort in automobile production, its amazing how they can even turn a profit. The Automobile industry truly is a thing of beauty. They have figured out how employ a team of engineers who use professional skills that took them decades to learn and develop. A team of engineers who study 100+ years of research in experimental and mainstream mechanical technology and physics. A team of engineers specifically dedicated to making an automobile safe for it's occupants in any billion number of accident scenarios. A team of designers that spend years studying trends in style to make sure we will like how the automobile looks. A team who's primary responsibility is to test the automobile in any situation, to it's limits and beyond to find weak points and any other place that can be improved. A factory with 2,500+ workers, most with degrees or decades of assembly experience. $15,000,000,000 worth of robotics. Robotics that wear out every 3 years and must be checked daily for proper operation. Let's not forget accounting, PR, marketing, R&D, worldwide shipment, dealer network and service infrastructure. On top of that, the government regulations in emissions, safety and taxation. In order for an automobile to go from conception to reality, I would estimate that over 100,000 people would have a hand in the process at some point. Be it the auto company, government or somebody along the line. All these hands have to be paid in one way or another. All of the sudden 20 grand for a new car doesn't sound so bad, does it?

I am a pretty intense critic of American cars. Ever since I started getting interested in European cars, I found most American cars are lackluster and uninspired. It seems our cultural style and economic engine has forced the American based companies into cheap, point A to point B appliances. It really is staggering to see how big of a pile our cars have become. Cadillac and Buick. Two companies that used to be know for making some of the best luxury cars on the planet is now nothing more than a Chevrolet Impala with a different bumper and badge. Filled with cheap plastic and a snap together interior full of cheap knobs and crappy cloth. Even if the aesthetics sucked, they still could have spent some money in the mechanical department and made a car that could go beyond 75,000 miles without needing a major repair... but they couldn't even do that. Armed with an invincibility complex, they were so bent on making profits that they just sat back and watched while Germany and Japan took their market share in a matter of 15 years.

America just doesn't get it anymore. Our best stuff can't touch the European and Asian mainstream. They can do it... cheaper, faster, more reliable and better looking. Why can't we?

Driving Culture

I have a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta TDI and I must profess my deep love and appreciation for the thing. Tonight, I took a long drive in the car. It seems every time I drive the car, I find some new aspect of the car to appreciate and think about. Tonight I paid particular attention to the dashboard, instruments and steering wheel. The amount of design, engineering, materials and human ingenuity that went into just these three things is staggering. There is more technology in the fuel gauge, than there is in an entire 1951 Volkswagen Beetle. My TDI is without a doubt one of coolest and most understated cars on the road.

I had a chance to really try some new American cars lately. Not just test drives, but thousands of miles spanning weeks and months. The Dodge Charger, Chevy Malibu, Ford Fusion, Toyota Sienna and Ford Escape amongst many others. They all seemed to be good transportation, but I always found myself comparing them to my TDI. It should be noted that these cars have a 9 year head start on my TDI. The Charger definitely looked better, the Malibu had a much cheaper MSRP, the Sienna had gobs of horsepower and the Escape was very utilitarian. What do they all lack? Soul. With the exception of some expensive exotics, I have found no new age car that can match the soul and overall quality of my lowly old TDI. I find it disconcerting that American people as a whole so quickly dismiss something so important as soul. In order to save a trivial amount of money, they will put themselves through 100,000+ miles of boring, spiritless and stale driving experience. Most might contest that "they don't care" and just want a cheap car. But... driving is a wonderful and joyous experience!!! I can't comprehend why anybody wouldn't want a little piece of that.

40 years ago... the Americans got it. Automobiles were inexpensive, fast and dangerously fun. As the years went by, the cars got softer and cheaper. Now today they are just uninspired pieces of rubbish. The Viper is gone now, the plastic Corvette with zip ties and duct tape and the Ford GT is $100,000. It's no wonder the auto industry is going bankrupt! Europe is laughing at us, Japan is plotting the next way to clean out our bank accounts and China is serving up auto parts made from old recycled cars to the food we eat to the plates we eat them on. What in the hell happened to that America of 40 years ago?

It's important that we realize how important automobiles are to our culture and we need to try hard to preserve that. That's just something to think about next time you purchase an automobile. Sometimes it's not about the money. I for one will gladly spend a few grand more when I buy a car if that means I can enjoy a lifetime of superb and enjoyable miles on the road.