The Bachelor Guy » 7 Reasons We Need to Keep the Big 3 Auto Makers Around

7 Reasons We Need to Keep the Big 3 Auto Makers Around

12/05/2008

The CEOs of the Big Three headed back to Washington this week (car pooling this time), hands out, looking for bailout money. Even more than they got turned down for last time.

Some think they should get the bail out. Some want them to crash and burn... "$34 billion? I don't know, I'll have to talk to my manager..."

Sure these guys have made mistakes. Sure they took millions in compensation while their companies tanked. Teetering on dragging millions of jobs and entire industries down with them. But I'm no economic genius. I can't tell you what'll happen if they get the money, or what the consequences would be if they don't. But I do know this - love them or hate them, we have a lot to thank the Big Three for. And here's why:

American Muscle
No one builds cars with balls better than Detroit. We love horsepower and big blocks and Hemis and ridiculously low 0-60 times. Plus, no guy ever sat in his driveway for an hour revving the engine of his Accord.

The Minivan
We don't invent them, there's none of those Soccer Moms we love.

Cop Cars
Imagine there was never a Crown Vic. Now imagine our police having to drive those pansy euro cop cars with that siren that sounds like a dying donkey. Exactly.

Pickup Trucks
Like a rock and built ram tough. And try telling a Texas good ol' boy he's gotta hang his longhorns on a Tundra.

TV & Movie Classics
The Bandit outrunning Smokey in a Datsun. Bullitt chasing the hit men through the streets of San Francisco in a Celica. The Duke boys hood sliding across an orange Corolla.

The Cadillac
Elvis gave them away and Springsteen sang about them. Pimps wouldn't be as pimp without them, and wiseguys? Fuggeddaboudit. And what's more pathetic than a rapper and his posse rolling in a CR-V on dubs?

Classic Songs
"Mustang Sally", "Pink Cadillac", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Little Red Corvette", "409", "Coupe de Ville", "From a Buick 6", "Hot Rod Lincoln". Just to name a few.

CARS

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Comments

Qix wrote:

I know im taking your article way to serious, but i had to comment.

I should say, I'm against the bailout, not becasue i have any problems with the Big three. But becasue I don't see how throwing money at companies that lost almost 40% of the revenue last month will help. (Almost 40% is a FACT via Yahoo news)

Most of your reasons revolve around the classic heritage of American cars. Especially in the media. Well, its not like Hollywood or the music industry can't keep making songs about classic cars. Also take note of how the entertainment industry has already left the current American cars. Because, to be frank, they suck. I mean, you dont hear any songs about Ford Mustang's 4.6. No yea hear songs about the 5.0. The classic. You don't hear any songs about any other American sports cars, becasue 90% of them got axed like the Camaro, Charger, etc. When some of them came back, they had cheap interiors, etc and still cost the same or more than foreign cars. The Miata is a better sports car than similiar American cars. I mean look at the cheap American copies of it. All heavier, slower, less trunk space, and MORE expensive. Seriously, how do you expect ot stay in business like that? Why should we give you money to keep doing that?

12/05/2008 01:58 PM

Brian wrote:

Dear Bachelor Guy,

I disagree.

12/05/2008 02:03 PM

J:M wrote:

This article is definitely a good example of why the Big 3 is going out of business.

12/05/2008 03:09 PM

eemes wrote:

uh huh.. well in that case, fuck you gentlemen.

its called American muscle for a reason. without them, we'd be the lil 98 pound weaklings that on the other side of the world, whos ass we have been kickin ever since our establishment.

12/06/2008 05:43 PM

Missing the point wrote:

Gentlemen, or ladies whichever the case may be, you're all wrong. We don't need American production for any of the seven reasons (although they're nice) or you're replies. Two little words: "war production." To shut down the American auto manufacturing machine is to shut down the last legitimate vestige of any manufacturing capability whatsoever. If we're completely dependent on foreign transportation, they can withdraw that any time they choose. We can't ramp up in the case of a major war (God forbid), and we'd be paralyzed. This type of industry kept the country's economy going through two world wars, and contributed to our military success at the same time.You simply can't convert a Dell call center into a tank factory.

That being said, give Ford it's loan, bail out GM with strict oversight, and let Chrystler fail. That a private equity firm has an eighty percent stake in the company but isn't willing to spend its own money to save it is telling. They don't deserve to be rescued.

For the record, I liked the list...

12/07/2008 09:33 AM

3 Olives wrote:

First of all, people should enjoy the article for how it was intended. It was not meant as a political statement. The author even said, "I can't tell you what'll happen if they get the money, or what the consequences would be if they don't"

The article was dead on, "try telling a Texas good ol' boy he's gotta hang his longhorns on a Tundra" that is a great visual.

We are reading a Bachelors website, not the congressional minutes. If you want to talk politics there are certainly plenty of other forums and blogs to discuss the relevant factors behind the bailout.

The only thing this article is missing is a topless car wash scene.

12/07/2008 03:03 PM

Monty wrote:

Bachelors need jobs too, and if the big three fail, the country would loose up to 2 million jobs.

Its kind of hard to pick up women from the unemployment line.

12/08/2008 09:18 AM

America First world maybe later wrote:

Great reference to American Ways, Stupid comments abound already. GM alone has pumped the requested loan amout in to the govt several times over. GM shutdown its factories before and no one complained...of course it was during the world wars. I wonder what Japan Korea Germany did at the same times. Everyone also wants to blast the unions and GM for paying too much for labor and benefits. Whos gonna pay those if they go under? The govt/the people, not to mention the only reason those people exist is that GM has been employing AMERICANS for over a hundred years.

12/15/2008 04:31 PM

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