Nick expressed the thought last night that the next generation of kids could grow up thinking that Japanese cars are crappy. This, of course, based on Toyota’s seeming insistence on self-destruction through irresponsibility and deception.
In case that last part gives you pause, I’m referring to the fact that Toyota has known forever about their cars’ sticking throttles and failing breaks and chose to apply fixes like floor mats to save a few bucks :-/ This was documented in a memo that was released to the US lawmakers who are investigating Toyota, no doubt for terminal stupidity.
And I quote:
A 2009 internal document turned over to lawmakers and made available on Sunday shows Toyota’s Washington D.C. staff trumpeting savings of more than US$100-million by convincing regulators to end a 2007 investigation of sudden acceleration complaints with a relatively cheap floormat recall.
Back to my story … that comment from Nick reminded me that kids growing up in the 60s and early 70s had a fairly low opinion of Japanese cars like the Corona and various Datsun models. They seemed kind of junky next to the great chunks of steel we were used to from Plymouth and Chevy.
As we all know, the Japanese manufacturers ended up eating our carmakers’ collective lunches, almost ending them as a force in the industry.
And yet, Toyota’s idiocy could be the dawn of a new era … the Japanese may actually have grown a little too complacent and be heading down that hill themselves.
But then … I’m a Honda fan, and they just got named best car manufacturer for the fourth year in a row with Subaru right behind … so I think we can safely say it’s just Toyota who’s gone loony …
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