It was during this time that MB contracted with Porsche to build the 500E.
Darrell W. Sigmon
500E
400E
LarryT wrote:
In the early 90s Porsche was in deep do-do - sold less than 1000 Porsches in
the US vs 10s of 1000s normally. Not a happy time. Until then, Porsches
were heavily hand built - that had to change - they could *not* continue to
produce a product designed in the late 50s while continuing to charge higher
and higher prices.
They asked the Japanese for help and then they listened.
I fear the US automakers have for years depended on patriotism to sell their
cars. Undoubtedly this worked alot. But as the unions demands more and more
sales produced less and less income. It's a simple equation - money comes
in, use it to pay expenses and if any is left spread it among the
stockholders. The stockholders will only allow a short period to pass
without any payments before they take their money and go play somewhere
else - basicaly leaving the company with fewer funds to pay bills - a
viscious cycle.
Somewhere along in the 70s and 80s the US public began to demand more
efficient, higher quality cars - like they could buy from Japan and to an
extent Germany. The US automakers have been dragged kicking and screaming
into the present. They want us to *think* they are cutting edge but I fear
they are just doing enough to get by.
However, they deserve credit - their cars today? Basically, the worst car
today is 100% better than the best car of 15 years ago - perhaps 10 years
ago.
Sorry about the ramble -
Larry T (67 MGB, 74 911, 78 240D, 91 300D)
www.youroil.net for Oil Analysis and Weber Parts
Test Results http://members.rennlist.com/oil
PORSCHE POSTERS! youroil.net
Weber Carb Info http://members.rennlist.com/webercarbs
Porsche Road Test http://members.rennlist.com/roadtest/
.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Frederick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 1:37 PM
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Mercedes Quality
The difference between US and Japanese manufacturing is that the
Japanese USE statistical process control, the vast majority of US
manufactures do lots of statistics and call it SPC -- there is a
difference!
Don't know about the Germans, but I believe they tend more toward
producing good parts than the US tendency to fish the good parts out
from the junk.
Peter
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