The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 4 of 9)

As an otherwise patriotic, conservative-leaning individual, I think we should perhaps celebrate that the creative destruction caused by capitalism is bearing down on the remnants of the old auto industry. Yes, it's sad seeing families out of work. Yet at the same time, many of these people are the same ones who reliably turn out Michigan for Democrats and provide loyal foot soldiers, in-your-face activists, and petty thugs for unions.

p>Good riddance to bad automobiles. br> -- Michael B. br> Los Angeles, California /p>

In the 1980s I bought a Chrysler. It was purchased from a sense of loyalty to American car makers. Lee Iacocca said, "If you can buy a better car, buy it." Well, I should have.

I sold that car within 6 months, several of which were spent with the car in the Chrysler dealer's shop because the engine was no good. The dealer I bought the car from said it had no trade value and offered me $1,000 as a price reduction on a new Chrysler, but said I'd have to keep the lemon. A BMW dealer took pity on me and said he could sell the "junker" in South America for $5,000 or $6,000 and offered me 3,750 on a new 5 series.

That Chrysler was the last American car I ever owned. I have driven Beemers, Lexi, Hondas and Toyotas ever since, though in reverse order. I used to drive my Hondas for 200,000 miles and still get $3,500 dollars on a trade. I now drive a Lexus and love the car. It gets 31 miles to the gallon on the road and requires no repairs. It is my second and for my money it puts any comparable car on the road in a distant second place.

American cars? Yes, I've put a lot of miles on three Ford company cars, almost 300,000 miles, and they ran well. But they got poor gas mileage, and every single item is an extra and to get the items you want as extras you have to buy two or three things you don't want.

p>Sorry, Detroit guys. In my opinion, you still don't get it. I do have an American car now but just for weekends -- a great gas guzzling muscle car from the '70s. I run it only on the weekends because that gives me the week to work on it so it will run next Saturday. br> -- Jason Brutus Kane br> Jupiter Farms, Florida /p>

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