Trouble ahead for German car manufacturers?

I think the Marshall plan had a lot to do with reviving Europe. Something like $110 billion in today’s dollars from the US to rebuild. Most economic models require investment that has to come from somewhere.

Yeah and I’ve been both Repub and Dem over the years and have problems with both so I’m one of those deciders in the middle that make the difference. I would only ask that thou consider who it is that is spitting hate and divisiveness when a restaurant refuses service to a political appointee because of their membership in a political party. Isn’t that the same as the old white and black establishments in the south and even north that we fought hard against?

Enough said. Just be careful where you get your information from and ask whether Soros has money in it or not.

Back to cars. If you didn’t get to the Back to the 50’s show in St. Paul, you really missed something. Everything from wrecks to absolute beauties. Even saw a few VWs but no Mercedes.

Did I claim Fortune magazine was a radical left wing publication? I just pointed out that the headline used for click bait was a bit hyperbolic, even a strawman perhaps.

About believing everything you read in print.

I have been an avid motorcycle enthusiast since my youth, and have been riding motorcycles non stop since the presidency of LBJ.
I stopped reading motorcycle magazines long ago because I realized that they were essentially advertising masquerading as journalism. Take them too seriously and they will have you thinking you can’t live without the latest stupid-powerful sportbike or stupid-big cruiser the industry puts out on the market. They will tell you everything about the bike, except that it totally misses the point of a motorcycle.
I have the same regard for Motor Trend and other auto journals.
It taught me to read between the lines and look out for advocacy journalism, which is common in a lot of mainstream journals.
A couple of employees of our local newspaper told me that a big problem is journalistic laziness, reporters will allow some advocacy group to write their stories for them without fact checking or researching the other side or the rest of the story.
Hypothetically, a news article could report “luxury cars account for the vast majority of the carnage on our highways” and when you look up the footnote next to “luxury cars”, you find that they are referring to all cars that have an electric starter and a radio.

3 Likes

Morning. I wasn’t in too much yesterday. Thanks to those trying to make this primarily about cars. Can we please try to stick to the substance of the proposal? Thanks.

Yeah I get both Motor Trend and Car and Driver and they usually come on the same day from the same publisher. Even though it only costs $10 a year, I am not going to renew. I really don’t know who they are appealing to anymore but its not me. I’m not interested in $150,000 or more exotic cars and really who cares anymore about whether it takes 6 or 10 seconds to get to 60 mph. I’m interested in normal cars, or old cars, and what’s going on in the industry and why, but I really can’t hardly believe a word they print anymore. The letters to the editor point out some of the folly but the responses show they just don’t get it. Often I’ll spend a little time looking at them but then they go directly into the recycling bin.

1 Like

Right! I used to read both as we’ll as Road & Track. Not any more . Age may have something to do with it. My last auto race attended was the Le Mans 24hrs many years ago.

Consumer magazines like Consumer Reports and TV programs like Motor Week give more balance info with a more practical twist.

The Old Car magazines are OK for a restorer or hobbyist but are not very useful for a daily driver.

P.S. Those automotive writers can’t contradict all the advertisers (many of products that don.t make sense for everyday use) that keep the magazines alive. CR accepts no advertising and Motor Week uses some neutral advertising like spare parts sources.

The president of the NRA never badmouths guns, for example.

1 Like

I look forward to Motorweek too, especially when they review something I’m interested in. Just today I watched a review of the GMC Terrain diesel. They told me all about it, warts and all. Good torque off the line, but slow after that. 0-60 took 9.9 seconds, and I think the quarter mile took 17+ seconds. Other than being slow, they liked it. We are replacing my wife’s van, and maybe she wouldn’t care about slow acceleration.

Americans find themselves ignoring the facts in favor of reality TV and internet fantasy. And the fantasy industry is throwing all the reality they can think of out to us AND WE’RE BUYING IT ALL.

2 Likes

People see what they want to see

People believe what they want to believe

Nothing new here

2 Likes

Ask Paul Simon.

The Wall: “We don’t need no education.” Over, and over again, He is the poster child forcing all of us to get an education. And I’ve seen those German cars trying to break into Federal offices, they’re in cahoots with Korean cars.

A friend in publishing business informed me these are called “adver-torial” content.

He has no idea what is going on in his head. Setting a process in motion that you don’t understand is a dangerous undertaking. Trade wars hurt workers.

4 Likes

Paul Simon? The 60’s folk singer? I’m a little dense but what does he have to do with German cars? Ya gonna have to 'splain a little bit when you just throw something out there.

So how about a U turn from psychology, economics, trade practices, heads exploding politics, back to cars? I used to own a German car, a VW, and that’s part of my heritage. I had some issues with it just like my relatives but in this fine corner of the world, you can buy whatever you want. Drove by the Chrysler Belvedere plant and noticed a whole lot of Toyotas parked out there for some reason.

Yes.

That reminded me of a line from Simon and Garfunkel’s The Boxer:

A man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest.

2 Likes

Yea, the singer/songwriter, not the presidential candidate who wore the glasses and bow tie. (which was really a camera :wink:)

OK, but you realize the knife has two edges. “Walk Away” must have been done by somebody.

Yup, “You just turn your pretty head and walk away” the James Gang but it is becoming a firestorm trend if you Google or youtube. People waking up from the dead.

Just walk away Renee was sung by The Left Banke

No one does.

Maybe no in that story…

Direct quote from story above…

“[The European Union doesn’t] take a lot of what we have, and yet they send Mercedes in to us, they send BMWs in to us, by the millions,” Trump said. “It’s very unfair, and it’s very unfair to our workers and I’m going to straighten it out.”

As usual - he hasn’t a clue.