Man Driven to Foreign Cars

Ocean County Observer

January 25, 1982

I bought foreign cars for the last 25 years, not because they were prettier than the domestic product or less expensive, but in my judgement they worked better. The European cars were engineered to hold the road, to steer true, to stop shorter distances and to use less gas than their American counterparts. Perhaps the narrow two lane roads dictated the design of foreign cars, whereas Americans could ignore the details of precise driving because of our broad prairies, the flatlands of Texas, and the turnpikes which were forgiving of errors.

Certainly no American car would negotiate the Alpine roads or those in the Dolomites with the same agility as European cars.

I once rented a car to go to Kennedy Airport. There is no need to mention the type of car other than that it was American made and a prototype of most American cars – soft springing, loose steering, drum brakes and cushy ride. Every time I looked at a road sign the auto wandered across several turnpike lanes, putting me and my driving neighbors at risk. I managed to get to Kennedy safely – just lucky.

When I arrived in Europe I rented a car, lo and behold the same make as the one that took me to Kennedy. But it had been manufactured in Europe. It was small, had rack and pinion steering, and disk brakes. It had tough springs which enabled the car to hold the road on tight turns. It could turn on a dime, and measured the gasoline in liters. It saved my life on two occasions because of agility. The American counterpart had reflexes faster than my own. The European car had reflexes slower than mine so there was time for the car to respond to my directions, rather than having it run away with me.

For years foreign car owners in this country were derided, called cheapskates by Detroit. For years Detroit failed to understand why, starting with the Beetle, it was steadily losing sales to imports. They couldn’t believe that these foreigners were able to make a better vehicle, years ahead of us in design. While we paid attention to color, plush seating, comfort, automaticity, gadgetry, electric windows and air conditioning, the Europeans were paying attention to the driving characteristics of their cars and slowly won a large following in the United States. I wrote to Detroit and received no answer. I wrote to the newspapers and received some hate mail: like if I didn’t care for the Detroit product why not leave the country – and so forth.

I remained here to note that the greater number of Americans are now buying foreign cars – not because they are cheaper but because the product is good – and because Europeans and Japanese who have been paying two dollars or more per gallon of gas for many years, have the economic incentive to increase the gas mileage of their product.

In 1941 I drove a Plymouth that gave 21 miles to the gallon. What remarkable engineering qualities were built into American cars that dropped the mileage to 10 miles per gallon? Why did Detroit regress while Europe and Japan marched forward?

But now we are in real trouble. Now Detroit has a chance, nay, an obligation to compete with the foreigners or else they will go ut of business. At last the auto moguls in Detroit will have to come off their haughty perches and ask some meaningful questions about what qualities in a car characterize good, safe transportation. Detroit will have to win back its market.

The United States has been very generous to friend and foe alike since World War II. We have given them money, economic breathing space, know how and a beautiful market place. But one thing we gave them that we didn’t mean to was the auto market. And that we did out of stupidity, not generosity.

I thought Detroit had been chastened until I saw the remarks of Philip Caldwell Chairman of the Board at Ford Motor Company. He blames the Japanese for our troubles and urges the government to intervene on our behalf. Our auto troubles are nothing that a good product wouldn’t fix.

I don’t like to see Americans out of work. I don’t like to see thousands laid off because of incompetence in high places and because a competing country is coming in with a better product. I’m enough of an American to buy American now. But the United States auto makers better get wise. Never again must they fall 10 years behind on rack and pinion steering, disk brakes and qualities of good drive-ability. Because Detroit won’t get too many chances to win back the market it once owned lock stock and car-burator.

But if we don’t help ourselves no one will help us. So for the foreseeable future I am going to spend my money here and put Americans back to work.