"-Amateur" (amateur)
10/10/2013 at 03:12 • Filed to: None
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"-Amateur" (amateur)
10/10/2013 at 03:12 • Filed to: None | 0
| 0 |
Hindsight is 20/20. Here's a snapshot of success stories that no one saw coming when these car events occurred.
Audi is extremely successful today. To think that it almost disappeared from American shores forever. Back in the 1982, Audi recalled their 5000 S vehicles to fix an issue with unintended acceleration. Thanks to the media, it brought Audi to its knees. CBS's 60 Minutes ran a story showing the Audis going wildly out of control in 1986 (4 years after the first recalls mind you). Audi sales plummeted from damn near 75,000 cars a year to a mere 12,000. Left for dead, their comeback wouldn't begin until the release of the 1996 A4.
Nobody really understood how successful the Taurus would become when it was first released. With its advanced aerodynamic design, it instantly made all other sedans look dated by comparison. In 1992, the Taurus would dominate the car market, becoming the top selling car in the United States. It beat out the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.
The first generation Toyota Prius that America laid eyes on. A neat fact was that it was designed by California designers. To think this car would revolutionize the automotive landscape and become an icon within American culture when the more familiar 2nd gen was released for the 2004 model year.
The AE86 is extremely popular today thanks largely to the Japanese manga called Initial D. Initial D. catapulted this average econobox into stardom, creating a whole sub-culture following. Before, people didn't even look twice at this Toyota and yet today, it maintains an inflated resale value on the market. Plus, without this car, we wouldn't have the born again GT86/FRS.
Chrysler wasn't exactly doing so hot in the early 2000s. Their were alot of nay-sayers when Chrysler said they were making a RWD sedan after a 15 year hiatus. Nobody believed that this venture could prove profitable for Chrysler. Yet when the 300C was released, it was a runaway success for Chrysler. This car single-handily boosted Chrysler sales by 32%. The 300C also brought the Hemi back to the world after a 50 year hiatus.
Food for thought:
Japanese manufacturers are about equally American as their American counterparts.
Taken into account where all the components come from, The Toyota Tundra and F-150 are equally at 75% American by composition.
The Dodge Grand Caravan, Ford Expedition, and Toyota Avalon are at 80%.
Cadillac CTS and the Toyota Venza is 65% American made. The Camaro is 71%, while the Honda Crosstour is 75% American by composition.
So when people say, buy American...get over yourselves. It's a global economy we live in and these Japanese manufacturers employ Americans at their plants. The profits go to them in Japan, but guess where that money goes? Back into re-investing for growth...so the money does make its way back to American soil.