Hi Texashchman:

___Yes, you are correct … Along with that, the profits are so minimal on these 3 sub-compact/compacts compared to what the Big 2.5 or whatever they are called today make on the larger gas pigs that the point is moot. GM, Ford, and DCC could sell 5 E6 of these little wonders a year and they would still go bankrupt. That is if oil prices continue to rise like they have in the last 2 years and continue upward as time moves on due to PO or whatever. They (Ford, GM, and DCC) are in deep trouble because they have nothing available here in the States. In Europe, Ford and Peugeot have some very efficient and Euro IV complaint diesels but here? Nothing, Nadda, Zip … DCC has some very advanced Diesel tech as well but I have no idea about GM overseas? I do not see the EPA caving in on Tier II/Bin5 either which is probably a good thing until it starts costing millions in the unemployment lines if it comes to that

___My father worked for Outboard Marine (Johnson/Evinrude outboards). I saw a similar scenario work its way through that company slowly bleeding it over the years until one day, it was boarded up and that was it. Just pieces still survive under I believe a Canadian companies ownership. Back then, it was the Super Dollar with the Japanese employing engineers for 1/3 the wage of those in the US. Honda/Yamaha in particular IIRC? Today, it might be the low FE of the domestic offerings that could lead to a similar slow death scenario. Quality, safety, and FE perceptions as well as past snafu’s (Exploder, Diesel from a Gasser, VCM without the advanced electronics, paint peeling …) all the while Toyota is hitting record profits as is Honda. Ford, GM, and DCC are slowly sinking in the mire and I do not see a stop to it. How could the CEO’s of these huge corporations not know about PO years ago? If they had, at least they would have had some time to prepare. Right now, the clock is ticking and I am afraid for the hundreds of thousands of workers building all those Expeditions, Yukon’s, Durango’s, F150’s, Silverado’s, and Ram’s, as well as the millions of others from inside and outside the industry supporting and building a lineup that is not making a single dollar for the respective corporations …

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net