Still no pics from my trip to Munich...thanks ma. :)
But in the meantime, I can report the weather here is getting quite nice. The snow is receding up the mountains (which is an interesting phenomenon in and of itself), the Rhine is filling up with runoff, the sun is out more and more each day and the temperature is getting much more suitable for outside activities. Over the last 5 yrs the arrival of spring for me meant the arrival of car season. Car shows, racing, cruising Woodward, but more than anything, just driving. No destination, no time schedule, just a full tank of gas and the open road.
There is actually a surprisingly vibrant car culture here in Lichtenstein. This can be attributed mostly to the income level i think. I've seen your standard Porsches and Bimmers all winter long, but now the Ferrari's, Roll's, Lotus's, Aston Martin's, Vette's and other non winter cars are starting to peak out from under their protective covers and test the springtime air. I love it. Just today i saw 2 Ferrari's out cruising. In case there is any doubt, they were the ones doing the passing, not me. I'd love to have my cars here, but the costs are prohibitive. So until i get back home, it's cruising in the Polo for me.
Friday, April 14, 2006
My new toy
Impulse buy? Yes.
Did i pay too much? Probably.
But i love it.
Half healey, half vette...all fun.
My Camaro
10 years and untold dollars later...i still own my first car. It's a labor of love. And besides, Orange never goes out of style.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Coming From America
Despite winter's last gasp of snow, i returned from Zürich last night after successfully delivering my parents to their hotel. They were in town for a short visit which turned into quite the whirlwind tour for them. We kicked things off at the Zürich train station where we immediately boarded a train to Munich. Four days in Munich brought castles, cars, cuckoo clocks, a concentration camp and of course some good German Beer. Following a few days in Munich we rode the trains back down to Lichtenstein where they spent 2 more days enjoying all that the Crown Prince has to offer.
Everyone departed last night with a smile on their face which I think means it was a successful trip. Speaking for myself, i had a great time and it was nice to see my parents. We typically cross paths twice a year, in a good year. So the fact that they were willing to fly 6000 miles to come visit for a week was great, although the location may have had something to do with it too. It was also really nice to hear about life in NY and how all of the friends and extended family are doing.
I won't ramble on too much, I'll let the pics do the talking. However I must comment on Dachau. For anyone living underneath a rock, Dachau is one of WWII Nazi Germany's concentration camps, one of the few actually in Germany. Starting out i wasn't really sure what to expect. From history and movies i had a picture in my mind of what i thought it might be like, but my mind is rarely accurate in such matters. Right from the start it felt a bit strange walking to the ticket counter and asking for a ticket to Dachau. You got the feeling that you needed to stress the fact that you wanted a two way ticket.
“Return ticket?”
“YES!!!”
Upon entering the city you realize that Dachau is more than just a concentration camp site, it is a true blue city. Dachau schools, Dachau Car dealerships, Dachau Churches, the Dachau Shriners.....the last one might be a stretch, but you get the point. I couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for these people. No matter how much time passes since this town's gruesome past, it will always be known as a concentration camp first and town second to 99% of the world.
Enter the camp itself and again, it was not at all what i envisioned. It seemed, for lack of a better word, too sanitized. It seemed almost too clean, too new, too much like a prop for a movie set. It's obviously a fine line to walk between reality, history and respect for the victims so i can certainly understand why things are the way they are. But the site itself retains few of the original buildings, nearly all of which are empty of any artifacts. I expected to see offices, desks, uniforms...I think the site loses some of it's impact when you walk in and most of the buildings are empty. The few structures that remain were largely rebuilt or new since the war. As i said, i guess i expected more of a “shot in time”. I hope that doesn't sound morbid or gruesome as i don't intend it this way, but for me some of the potential impact was lost.
That's not to say the site wasn't emotional experience though because the site certainly does leave an impact. The movie shown and the undeniable historical facts will leave anyone shaking their heads. Of all the things to see and take in at this site, the one that made the most impact to me were the words integrated in the gate above the entrance (pics soon). These three words somehow incorporate the mentality of the captors and the brutal reality for the prisoners in one very short but powerful statement. Unfortunately my company has a history with the Nazi's so it also hit home in that regard. Those times are obviously long gone though.
Once again, thanks for the visit M&D! It can get pretty quite over here and it was great to have some family over for a visit. Come back any time!
Pictures do say a thousand words so I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. As soon as my ma sends me all her pictures and i load a few up that is.
Everyone departed last night with a smile on their face which I think means it was a successful trip. Speaking for myself, i had a great time and it was nice to see my parents. We typically cross paths twice a year, in a good year. So the fact that they were willing to fly 6000 miles to come visit for a week was great, although the location may have had something to do with it too. It was also really nice to hear about life in NY and how all of the friends and extended family are doing.
I won't ramble on too much, I'll let the pics do the talking. However I must comment on Dachau. For anyone living underneath a rock, Dachau is one of WWII Nazi Germany's concentration camps, one of the few actually in Germany. Starting out i wasn't really sure what to expect. From history and movies i had a picture in my mind of what i thought it might be like, but my mind is rarely accurate in such matters. Right from the start it felt a bit strange walking to the ticket counter and asking for a ticket to Dachau. You got the feeling that you needed to stress the fact that you wanted a two way ticket.
“Return ticket?”
“YES!!!”
Upon entering the city you realize that Dachau is more than just a concentration camp site, it is a true blue city. Dachau schools, Dachau Car dealerships, Dachau Churches, the Dachau Shriners.....the last one might be a stretch, but you get the point. I couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for these people. No matter how much time passes since this town's gruesome past, it will always be known as a concentration camp first and town second to 99% of the world.
Enter the camp itself and again, it was not at all what i envisioned. It seemed, for lack of a better word, too sanitized. It seemed almost too clean, too new, too much like a prop for a movie set. It's obviously a fine line to walk between reality, history and respect for the victims so i can certainly understand why things are the way they are. But the site itself retains few of the original buildings, nearly all of which are empty of any artifacts. I expected to see offices, desks, uniforms...I think the site loses some of it's impact when you walk in and most of the buildings are empty. The few structures that remain were largely rebuilt or new since the war. As i said, i guess i expected more of a “shot in time”. I hope that doesn't sound morbid or gruesome as i don't intend it this way, but for me some of the potential impact was lost.
That's not to say the site wasn't emotional experience though because the site certainly does leave an impact. The movie shown and the undeniable historical facts will leave anyone shaking their heads. Of all the things to see and take in at this site, the one that made the most impact to me were the words integrated in the gate above the entrance (pics soon). These three words somehow incorporate the mentality of the captors and the brutal reality for the prisoners in one very short but powerful statement. Unfortunately my company has a history with the Nazi's so it also hit home in that regard. Those times are obviously long gone though.
Once again, thanks for the visit M&D! It can get pretty quite over here and it was great to have some family over for a visit. Come back any time!
Pictures do say a thousand words so I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. As soon as my ma sends me all her pictures and i load a few up that is.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Umm....whoops
Well, theres a first time for everything. Despite all of my past legal indiscretions I've never been arrested. I've been face to face with cops quite a few times, even mounties. (If you consider mounties cops that is. Their horses are surprisingly fast). But I'd never been hauled off to jail, I've never been handcuffed, never been fingerprinted..until now that is.
It's funny, the US is so anal about what you bring into the country but they don't seem to care what you take out. So there i am going through security in Detroit. Two perfectly legal radar detectors packed into my carry on. You see folks i had a dilemma right from the start. Do i check them, or do i carry them on. Knowing the security at the airport, i thought it highly likely that one or both would disappear somewhere on my luggage's 6000 mile journey. But if i carried them on, i knew that my bags would be x rayed at least once. In the end, i decided to carry them on. I just dropped over 500 bucks on radar detectors and i didn't want a chance on them getting stolen. I mean worst comes to worse i could always bribe a customer agent.
Back to the story....so there i am in line at Detroit. I approach the x ray machines with some caution toting my contraband safely hidden in my backpack.
“Laptop sir?” Says the guard.
“Yes” i reply.
“Any metal on you?”
“No”, i reply.
“Any metal in your shoes?”, she continues. How many times does she say this per day i wonder.
“No”, i reply. No bombs either i think to myself.
With some hesitation, i place my back pack on the conveyor belt and watch it disappear into the black hole otherwise known as Mr X ray. I hold my breath and continue on through the bomb sniffing machine (what a strange machine that is) and the metal detector. I exit the other side with no beeps declaring i need to be searched. Alles Klar.
From the safe side, acting of course as if i have no particular interest in whether my bag makes it thorough...i wait. And wait.
“Sir we need to rerun this at a different angle.”
“Sure, no problem”. Don't look too close...don't look to close....doesn't that other guy behind me look like Osama Bin Laden i think?
Then without further incident my bag reappears and i quickly gather my things and head for the bar. This calls for a drink! Off to Applebee's for some nachos and a beer. Then off to the gate and onto the plane for my seven and a half hour journey across the big pond. I won't lie, i may have enjoyed a few more beverages on the plane too.
If that were the end, then that would be a boring story. But sadly, that wasn't the end.
Paris, Sunday morning. Worse friggin airport ever designed my man. Or maybe it was designed by a woman..ha!
Exit the plane...a bit tired, a bit drunk, ready to deal with the French. For some reason it was decided that all passengers needed to re-clear security. What's this? This wasn't required last time? Did they catch wind of my new toys on the plane somehow?
Once again, i approach the security lines with reservation. Although it's 8AM, it feels like 1AM to me and I'm in no mood to deal with some jackass security agent.
“Excuse moi...sir...you are next!” Projects the snotty Frenchman.
I move forward without a sound. Trying to blend in with the crowd.
“Laptop?” He squeels
“Yes” I reply
Off comes my coat, out comes my wallet, change, and laptop to once again travel through the best safety tool the world can come up with..the x ray machine.
“Next” He says
I approach the metal detector and shuffle through. No beeps...step 1, done. Then my heart sinks.
“Sir, we're going to need to check your bag” says guard number two. An equally French looking and French sounding Frenchman. Why don't you go home and riot some more you wanker.
“Sir, whats this?” He inquires.
Laser gun...hard drive....guitar tuner...my mind races.
“A radar detector” i reply.
“A radar detector?!” He barks, with emphasis on the second a in radar.
“Yes sir”
“Do you know these are illegal here in France?” He smiles as he asks.
“No sir, i didn't. But I'm going on to Zürich, here's my boarding pass.”
I hate you. I hate you.
“But you're in France now. And you have two of these, are you planning on selling them?” Must be a slow morning, he is enjoying this way too much.
“No, one is for me, one is a gift” i lied. I must be projecting hate like a heat lamp.
“Well I'm sorry sir, but you cant continue to travel with these”.
“But I'm not staying in France, I'm not even leaving the airport” I reply, moving closer.
“As i said sir, it doesn't matter. You are in France now, and i can't let you travel with these.” The crowd must be loving this. I wish i had an Uzi. Just kidding. No I'm not.
“Well, they are mine. If I can't travel with them then either pay me for them or mail them back to me in the states”. I demand.
“I'm sorry sir, I'm not authorized to do that”. He takes a step towards me. The gap is now the distance over the conveyor belt. The other guards are taking interest now too.
“Well I'm not leaving without them, or without you compensating me for them. You can't just take them, that's theft. Nowhere does it state that i can't bring them into the country” I yell, now pointing.
Well, you can imagine what happened next. My finger had just started pointing at him, inches from his face, when he grabbed my arm and pulled the universal cop move, twist and down. I was face down on the conveyor belt watching bags slowly moving towards my face at 1 mile per hour.
“Sir, you're under arrest.”
“Wait...how about 100 bucks!” i pleaded...
Now that's what i call a sticky situation..... And their we'll pause like a commercial break in a Dukes of Hazard episode.
I'm just kidding, i made all that up. The truth is i got in and out of the country with no problems, radar detectors in hand. Well, I'd already seen the movies on the plane which sucked, but that was the worst part of the week. Truth is i had a very long, somewhat fun trip to the states. Work was, well, work. But over the course of the week i got to see some friends and catch up, i even met up with my cousin Dan and his girlfriend Jess in Indy. I had some Thai food at my favorite place, went to Hooters one night, i even managed to get in a little American TV. The Simpson's just aren't the same dubbed in German. I'd missed quite allot over the last 5 months but that's life. Everybody was doing well and had some great stories to tell. The 'rents are in town Wednesday and we're off to Munich for a long weekend. Munich is where they have the big Oktoberfest tents..but it's March new. Why are we going again?
It's funny, the US is so anal about what you bring into the country but they don't seem to care what you take out. So there i am going through security in Detroit. Two perfectly legal radar detectors packed into my carry on. You see folks i had a dilemma right from the start. Do i check them, or do i carry them on. Knowing the security at the airport, i thought it highly likely that one or both would disappear somewhere on my luggage's 6000 mile journey. But if i carried them on, i knew that my bags would be x rayed at least once. In the end, i decided to carry them on. I just dropped over 500 bucks on radar detectors and i didn't want a chance on them getting stolen. I mean worst comes to worse i could always bribe a customer agent.
Back to the story....so there i am in line at Detroit. I approach the x ray machines with some caution toting my contraband safely hidden in my backpack.
“Laptop sir?” Says the guard.
“Yes” i reply.
“Any metal on you?”
“No”, i reply.
“Any metal in your shoes?”, she continues. How many times does she say this per day i wonder.
“No”, i reply. No bombs either i think to myself.
With some hesitation, i place my back pack on the conveyor belt and watch it disappear into the black hole otherwise known as Mr X ray. I hold my breath and continue on through the bomb sniffing machine (what a strange machine that is) and the metal detector. I exit the other side with no beeps declaring i need to be searched. Alles Klar.
From the safe side, acting of course as if i have no particular interest in whether my bag makes it thorough...i wait. And wait.
“Sir we need to rerun this at a different angle.”
“Sure, no problem”. Don't look too close...don't look to close....doesn't that other guy behind me look like Osama Bin Laden i think?
Then without further incident my bag reappears and i quickly gather my things and head for the bar. This calls for a drink! Off to Applebee's for some nachos and a beer. Then off to the gate and onto the plane for my seven and a half hour journey across the big pond. I won't lie, i may have enjoyed a few more beverages on the plane too.
If that were the end, then that would be a boring story. But sadly, that wasn't the end.
Paris, Sunday morning. Worse friggin airport ever designed my man. Or maybe it was designed by a woman..ha!
Exit the plane...a bit tired, a bit drunk, ready to deal with the French. For some reason it was decided that all passengers needed to re-clear security. What's this? This wasn't required last time? Did they catch wind of my new toys on the plane somehow?
Once again, i approach the security lines with reservation. Although it's 8AM, it feels like 1AM to me and I'm in no mood to deal with some jackass security agent.
“Excuse moi...sir...you are next!” Projects the snotty Frenchman.
I move forward without a sound. Trying to blend in with the crowd.
“Laptop?” He squeels
“Yes” I reply
Off comes my coat, out comes my wallet, change, and laptop to once again travel through the best safety tool the world can come up with..the x ray machine.
“Next” He says
I approach the metal detector and shuffle through. No beeps...step 1, done. Then my heart sinks.
“Sir, we're going to need to check your bag” says guard number two. An equally French looking and French sounding Frenchman. Why don't you go home and riot some more you wanker.
“Sir, whats this?” He inquires.
Laser gun...hard drive....guitar tuner...my mind races.
“A radar detector” i reply.
“A radar detector?!” He barks, with emphasis on the second a in radar.
“Yes sir”
“Do you know these are illegal here in France?” He smiles as he asks.
“No sir, i didn't. But I'm going on to Zürich, here's my boarding pass.”
I hate you. I hate you.
“But you're in France now. And you have two of these, are you planning on selling them?” Must be a slow morning, he is enjoying this way too much.
“No, one is for me, one is a gift” i lied. I must be projecting hate like a heat lamp.
“Well I'm sorry sir, but you cant continue to travel with these”.
“But I'm not staying in France, I'm not even leaving the airport” I reply, moving closer.
“As i said sir, it doesn't matter. You are in France now, and i can't let you travel with these.” The crowd must be loving this. I wish i had an Uzi. Just kidding. No I'm not.
“Well, they are mine. If I can't travel with them then either pay me for them or mail them back to me in the states”. I demand.
“I'm sorry sir, I'm not authorized to do that”. He takes a step towards me. The gap is now the distance over the conveyor belt. The other guards are taking interest now too.
“Well I'm not leaving without them, or without you compensating me for them. You can't just take them, that's theft. Nowhere does it state that i can't bring them into the country” I yell, now pointing.
Well, you can imagine what happened next. My finger had just started pointing at him, inches from his face, when he grabbed my arm and pulled the universal cop move, twist and down. I was face down on the conveyor belt watching bags slowly moving towards my face at 1 mile per hour.
“Sir, you're under arrest.”
“Wait...how about 100 bucks!” i pleaded...
Now that's what i call a sticky situation..... And their we'll pause like a commercial break in a Dukes of Hazard episode.
I'm just kidding, i made all that up. The truth is i got in and out of the country with no problems, radar detectors in hand. Well, I'd already seen the movies on the plane which sucked, but that was the worst part of the week. Truth is i had a very long, somewhat fun trip to the states. Work was, well, work. But over the course of the week i got to see some friends and catch up, i even met up with my cousin Dan and his girlfriend Jess in Indy. I had some Thai food at my favorite place, went to Hooters one night, i even managed to get in a little American TV. The Simpson's just aren't the same dubbed in German. I'd missed quite allot over the last 5 months but that's life. Everybody was doing well and had some great stories to tell. The 'rents are in town Wednesday and we're off to Munich for a long weekend. Munich is where they have the big Oktoberfest tents..but it's March new. Why are we going again?
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
America....F#ck Yeah, Revisited
My little brother Mike got back from Iraq a few nights ago and i wanted to take a moment and say welcome back. so, uh, welcome back! Maybe little isn't the right word, ever since uncle sam got ahold of him i'm pretty sure he could kill me in at least 100 different ways now.
After many long months in the sandy oven that is Iraq, i can imagine that it's a little overwhelming to be back stateside. You've got a few weeks off, so what are you gonna do? What's first on the agenda? Well mike, you need to go out get drunk, find a chick, take her hom..wait... mom might read this.
Take Two
What's first on the agenda? Well mike, you need to go out and catch up with all the family, take a few days off and rest, maybe see a priest. Have some good wholesome fun.
See you in 2007
After many long months in the sandy oven that is Iraq, i can imagine that it's a little overwhelming to be back stateside. You've got a few weeks off, so what are you gonna do? What's first on the agenda? Well mike, you need to go out get drunk, find a chick, take her hom..wait... mom might read this.
Take Two
What's first on the agenda? Well mike, you need to go out and catch up with all the family, take a few days off and rest, maybe see a priest. Have some good wholesome fun.
See you in 2007
Monday, March 13, 2006
America.....F#ck Yeah
It's been over four months since i stepped foot on my native soil, but this saturday i'm heading home, well Detroit anyway. Detroit Rock City here i come. The trip is mostly for work but by pure coincidence, i swear, it jives with some good doin's going on back in the motor city.
I think the first thing i'll do when i get off the plane is take a deep breath and enjoy the sweet smell of capitalism. Actually, detroit kind of smells like a toilet, but whatever. In my head...it'll be bliss.
Second item on the list is to clean up at the hotel then head to Hober's st paddy's party and partake in large amounts of Guiness. The band formerly known as the best band in the world, i.e. shutup robert, will be playing. I say formerly because ever since they lost their second guitarist, i'm told they get no radio play anymore. I'm just saying.
Third on the agenda (after sobering up) is to hit Best Buy and get some radar detectors. The damn swiss 5-0 isn't getting anymore of my hard earned money and i promised to bring a few back for friends since they are illegal to buy here. The swiss and lichtenstein fuzz has taken quite a liking to these unmanned radar boxes, they're hidden everywhere. I think its bullshit. If you want people to stop speeding, tell people where they are and people won't speed (near thebox anyway). If you want people to stop speeding everywhere, get rid of the boxes and hire more cops that will move around. But neither is really the goal....it's good revenue!
Friggin extortion.
But enough about that. Aside from those three things, the trip really is for work. Meetings in Troy, Auburn Hills and Plymouth then to Danville Illinois, then back to Detroit, finally back across the pond. If nothing else i'm looking forward to some actual English conversations. There's 1 brit here who claims to speak english. We're heading to the UK on wednsday to visit a new customer, i told him i'd be the judge of his language skills. I take great pleasure in correcting his "english".
"Hey kevin, that was a big lunch, let's take the lift".
"The what?".
"The lift. "
"Do you mean the elevator? "
"Yes, the lift".
"Brilliant!!"
I've been taking German classes since the beginning of the year and my conversational German is getting alright...Nicht Schlect. But at work, what a different story. The German's like to take multiple words and just put them all together. For fun, here are a few...one is fake the rest are real. Can you tell? Hell, just try to sound them out and you'll get a feel for what 90% of my day is like.
entwicklungsfakturen
kostenrechnungskreis
druckseitenformatierung
prototypenherstellung
summierungsstufen
entwicklungsjostenüberwachung
nockenverbindung
maschinenbelegungskosten
komponentenherstellung
urgstadtenherung
Needless to say.....when people try to speak technical German to me i usually just sort of nod my head allot and think about other things.
Anways, enough rambling...Card, if you read this, i have a special bottle of blue (it's not green) liquor coming your way. I tried some and despite waking up in my neighbors yard i don't see what the big deal is. Maybe i'll even smuggle a few cubans home. Cigars that is.
Oh, and the last word was fake. i just closed my eyes and hit some keys. maybe my german isn't so bad after all!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
EEEbay
I love ebay. It's like pure capitalism at work. So i'm browsing the ferrari pages and there, spending money i don't have and there, at the bottom of the page, for sale is my dream car. These rarely come up for sale, so i just had to post the link and a few pics. the pics don't do this car justice. The car is only a few hrs south, maybe i'll go down and see if he wants to trade is MM for a VW Polo. It could happen.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FERRARI-340-MM-BARCHETTA-1953_W0QQitemZ4619653122QQcategoryZ6212QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The blue car below is for sale too....no price listed though.
http://www.mariobernardi.de/mario-bernardi/english/cars-for-sale/ferrari/1951-212-export-touring-barchetta-detail/index.htm
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FERRARI-340-MM-BARCHETTA-1953_W0QQitemZ4619653122QQcategoryZ6212QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The blue car below is for sale too....no price listed though.
http://www.mariobernardi.de/mario-bernardi/english/cars-for-sale/ferrari/1951-212-export-touring-barchetta-detail/index.htm
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Some random humor...
This dude is hilarious. Got forwarded one of the videos and i had to share with the world.
http://www.thekidfrombrooklyn.com/
Two of my favorites...
http://www.mikecaracciolo.com/movies/WhereAreYou.WMV
mms://68.178.174.134/BigMan/sStarbucks_01_06.wmv
http://www.thekidfrombrooklyn.com/
Two of my favorites...
http://www.mikecaracciolo.com/movies/WhereAreYou.WMV
mms://68.178.174.134/BigMan/sStarbucks_01_06.wmv
The Geneva Auto Salon
I just got back from the Geneva Auto Salon. Overall impressions? Not very impressive. I've been to the Detroit Autoshow a bunch of times and this is pretty much the same thing, just in French. I guess i expected something allot different.
There were a few high points worth mentioning. This show did have a larger contingency of coach builders at the show. Pininfarina, Spyker and Bertone just to mention a few. There were a couple of Euro model cars that i hadn't seen stateside or on the net. Also, due to the fact it was the 100th anniversary, they had a small contingency of classics. That's more to my liking and i spent nearly the same amount of time checking out the one room of classic's as i did the entire rest of the show.
There were a few high points worth mentioning. This show did have a larger contingency of coach builders at the show. Pininfarina, Spyker and Bertone just to mention a few. There were a couple of Euro model cars that i hadn't seen stateside or on the net. Also, due to the fact it was the 100th anniversary, they had a small contingency of classics. That's more to my liking and i spent nearly the same amount of time checking out the one room of classic's as i did the entire rest of the show.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Near and dear..
The health of the auto industry is and issue that is near and dear to my heart. Not only because I’m a car nut, but my career thus far has been spent completely within the auto industry, albeit partly in the aftermarket.
I must be in the minority though, because when I look at the problems facing the US auto industry my reaction is completely different than my colleagues here. I keep getting asked, why don’t Americans buy more American cars? Why don’t they support their own industry? How about because that is self defeating!
Consumer reports today released the 10 best list and surprise, surprise, the Japanese automakers had a clean sweep. This is the first time in the history of the nine year survey that this has happened. As an American, who was deep in the gut of the industry (Detroit) for 4 yrs, How does it make me feel? Well, I’m happy. I see a bunch of very nice, affordable and innovative vehicles on the list. Consumers are getting better, safer, cheaper more reliable products that have more features than ever before. But what about the US auto industry? Well to be blunt, it’s sink or swim time. In today’s global economy, protectionist tactics will only work for so long. As long as we value consumer choice and free markets over the survival of a relic company, the big three are in trouble.
Who am I kidding, the big three don’t exist anymore, at least not in the historical GM, Ford and Chrysler sense. No, the new big three are GM, Toyota and Ford, with Nissan and Honda gaining ground fast. The Big 5 would be more accurate. Even calling GM #1 is a little bit of a false statement, depending on how one measures the size of a company (revenue vs production vs assets etc.), Toyota is already # 1. And yes, this is good for America. Maybe not certain Americans, but America as a whole has and will continue to benefit from this competition.
What is an American Car. Is it a car that is designed here? Is it a car that is built here? Is it a car whose sale generates profits that stay on American soil? Well by any of those metrics, there is no such thing as an American car. That dodge truck? Probably assembled in Mexico. That Toyota truck, probably built in Texas. How about a nice German car? That might have came from North Carolina. This is the real problem I see with all the protectionist sentiment now surrounding the troubles with GM and Ford. Some have predicted a backlash against foreign competitors. Some (such as the UAW) are actively promoting this. I don’t see it happening. The American people are smarter than that. The choice we have to make is simple. Do we prop up uncompetitive manufacturers to save jobs in the short term, almost assuredly guaranteeing a long term failure. Or do we allow our industry to innovate and compete on a Global level ensuring continuing success for the company and the industry in the US. This is the choice that must be made.
If I were Rick Wagoner, or maybe I should say, if I were Kirk Kerkorian…this would be my strategy at GM.
-Cut capacity. To put it simply…GM has to much capacity. They have the ability to build way to many more cars than they can hope to sell. All this excess capacity is tied up capital that could used elsewhere.
-Confront the Union. The times for games is over. Delphi did it, this alone may force GM to confront the high cost of union employees. If Rick or Kirk need some help…call up Caterpillar and discuss their strategy when they were in the same situation 15 yrs ago. What point does the union serve this day in age? They fought so hard for government intervention in safety, wage laws and working hrs that the only real purpose of the Union is job protection. You should keep your job based on the merits of your work, that’s it. And this jobs bank, well I just find that offensive.
-Dump some brands! 50 years ago brand loyalty was a given. You could expect a consumer to start in a Chevy, graduate into a Pontiac, marry into a Buick, retire into an Olds and die in a Cadillac. But this just isn’t reality anymore. 1 Premium brand, 1 regular brand, and maybe 1 truck brand…this is really all they need. Think about the cost to maintain all the separate dealer networks, design unique fascia’s for multiple brands, tool up and maintain a supply base for all the different parts. Forget it…dump some brands. If GM were to benchmark it’s successful peers, they would notice that NONE maintain so many brands. If it were me, I would keep Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC (only for commercial trucks). People don’t care that Pontiac is for excitement, call it a Chevy…the car is or isn’t exciting based on it’s merits, not the badge on it’s fender.
-Cut the white collar ranks. If for nothing more than as a good faith showing that the Union workers aren’t the only ones losing out, GM needs to cut it’s MGT force and salaries. This would be much easier if they were to cut brands as suggested above.
So there you have it, my 4 pronged strategy. So Kirk….When do I get my signing bonus and company jet?
I bit the bullet and started a more political blog. I’m turning into such a dork.
http://thenewconstilibertarionist.blogspot.com
I must be in the minority though, because when I look at the problems facing the US auto industry my reaction is completely different than my colleagues here. I keep getting asked, why don’t Americans buy more American cars? Why don’t they support their own industry? How about because that is self defeating!
Consumer reports today released the 10 best list and surprise, surprise, the Japanese automakers had a clean sweep. This is the first time in the history of the nine year survey that this has happened. As an American, who was deep in the gut of the industry (Detroit) for 4 yrs, How does it make me feel? Well, I’m happy. I see a bunch of very nice, affordable and innovative vehicles on the list. Consumers are getting better, safer, cheaper more reliable products that have more features than ever before. But what about the US auto industry? Well to be blunt, it’s sink or swim time. In today’s global economy, protectionist tactics will only work for so long. As long as we value consumer choice and free markets over the survival of a relic company, the big three are in trouble.
Who am I kidding, the big three don’t exist anymore, at least not in the historical GM, Ford and Chrysler sense. No, the new big three are GM, Toyota and Ford, with Nissan and Honda gaining ground fast. The Big 5 would be more accurate. Even calling GM #1 is a little bit of a false statement, depending on how one measures the size of a company (revenue vs production vs assets etc.), Toyota is already # 1. And yes, this is good for America. Maybe not certain Americans, but America as a whole has and will continue to benefit from this competition.
What is an American Car. Is it a car that is designed here? Is it a car that is built here? Is it a car whose sale generates profits that stay on American soil? Well by any of those metrics, there is no such thing as an American car. That dodge truck? Probably assembled in Mexico. That Toyota truck, probably built in Texas. How about a nice German car? That might have came from North Carolina. This is the real problem I see with all the protectionist sentiment now surrounding the troubles with GM and Ford. Some have predicted a backlash against foreign competitors. Some (such as the UAW) are actively promoting this. I don’t see it happening. The American people are smarter than that. The choice we have to make is simple. Do we prop up uncompetitive manufacturers to save jobs in the short term, almost assuredly guaranteeing a long term failure. Or do we allow our industry to innovate and compete on a Global level ensuring continuing success for the company and the industry in the US. This is the choice that must be made.
If I were Rick Wagoner, or maybe I should say, if I were Kirk Kerkorian…this would be my strategy at GM.
-Cut capacity. To put it simply…GM has to much capacity. They have the ability to build way to many more cars than they can hope to sell. All this excess capacity is tied up capital that could used elsewhere.
-Confront the Union. The times for games is over. Delphi did it, this alone may force GM to confront the high cost of union employees. If Rick or Kirk need some help…call up Caterpillar and discuss their strategy when they were in the same situation 15 yrs ago. What point does the union serve this day in age? They fought so hard for government intervention in safety, wage laws and working hrs that the only real purpose of the Union is job protection. You should keep your job based on the merits of your work, that’s it. And this jobs bank, well I just find that offensive.
-Dump some brands! 50 years ago brand loyalty was a given. You could expect a consumer to start in a Chevy, graduate into a Pontiac, marry into a Buick, retire into an Olds and die in a Cadillac. But this just isn’t reality anymore. 1 Premium brand, 1 regular brand, and maybe 1 truck brand…this is really all they need. Think about the cost to maintain all the separate dealer networks, design unique fascia’s for multiple brands, tool up and maintain a supply base for all the different parts. Forget it…dump some brands. If GM were to benchmark it’s successful peers, they would notice that NONE maintain so many brands. If it were me, I would keep Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC (only for commercial trucks). People don’t care that Pontiac is for excitement, call it a Chevy…the car is or isn’t exciting based on it’s merits, not the badge on it’s fender.
-Cut the white collar ranks. If for nothing more than as a good faith showing that the Union workers aren’t the only ones losing out, GM needs to cut it’s MGT force and salaries. This would be much easier if they were to cut brands as suggested above.
So there you have it, my 4 pronged strategy. So Kirk….When do I get my signing bonus and company jet?
I bit the bullet and started a more political blog. I’m turning into such a dork.
http://thenewconstilibertarionist.blogspot.com
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