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Originally Posted by d18mike
Newbie here -- my first post so I will strenuously avoid discussing politics. But a couple of comments from here in Michigan.
1) I find it remarkable that a plan that had hopes of helping to perk up the American automotive industry has yielded the following results:
Top 10 cash for clunkers purchases
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More than half the cars in the top ten are from companies headquartered outside the USA. I know many are built here ... but that leads into the more important point.
The central issue for the American car industry is reigniting the country's passion for the automobile. It does not lie in rebates or tax incentives or even in quality (table stakes). It's about producing something that doesn't look and drive like a jellybean on 4 wheels and understanding that the difference breaking even and making a profit lies in the passionate consumer.
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Interesting POV. This program (CARS) has done nothing to specifically target America's automakers.
India on the other hand just passed legislation reducing the tax owed by their automakers on foreign revenue earned by 30%. That's a real incentive and also allows them to price their cars more competitively overseas. We'll soon be seeing offerings from India here, in fact we already do... it's called Jaguar.
