I was using the Internet Archive’s Way-Back Machine to take a look at some of my early blog posts back when I was on a site called Modblog (you Modbloggers are all sighing wistfully right now, admit it.) I had a post about three years ago on January 6th, 2006 that went like this:
GM Proves That It Will NEVER Learn – 1/6/2006
At a time when gas prices are through the roof, we’re fighting a war in an oil-rich, oil-supplying country and when the tide is being turned in the wrong direction on environmental protection advancements, GM has announced yet another ridiculous offering from its line of SUVs.
This new Trailblazer SS has a Corvette engine in it and gets a completely ludicrous gas mileage of 14 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway. Since it’s well-known that these published mileage ratings are always inflated, I’m sure we’re more likely talking about maybe 12 mpg city and 15 mpg highway. And that jerk that tailgates me before blowing by me at 85 mph? He’s probably getting 13 on the highway.
I remember when I was a kid and the Japanese automakers were eating the US carmakers’ lunch for them because they were the only ones who were making fuel efficient cars during the 70s energy crisis. US car buyers flocked to Honda and Toyota and Datsun in droves to buy their cute little, fuel-efficient cars. The macho American derisively referred to them as “rice burners” but they sure put a hurtin’ on the Big Three.
Eventually Chrysler, GM and Ford got the message and started putting out higher quality cars with better gas mileage. But not before their market share had been significantly eroded by the Japanese imports.
Well, history is repeating itself today. GM is going down the tubes by all accounts. Ford and Chrysler are also struggling. And their response? Put out yet another grotesquely over-priced muscle man macho machine that swills gas like it’s free.
I tell you this: if I worked for GM right now I’d be doing whatever I could to get myself out of that company’s grip. They show absolutely no evidence that they are living in reality. If their answer to lagging sales is to bring out another monster SUV, they most certainly don’t have a clue. Let’s just hope they don’t bring the U.S. economy down with them when they fall.
I guess I called that one, didn’t I? Not like it was all that difficult…
I’m just sayin’…
