We laugh; we cry

["Mahoney, John" <jmahoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>
A: I have often wondered how tires filled with Helium might react? Tough to
keep it in there probably and the cold would make it worse.
<<

Unless the effect of using it resembles this scene --- in reverse!

http://altura.speedera.net/ccimg.catalogcity.com/200000/203600/203649/Produc
ts/11308675.jpg

>>
The new AMC Forum is at-
<http://www.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=653879&NoCaches=Yes>
<<
 
>>
  There also is another one starting and this is at <http://amcforums.com>.
<<

Oh, goody, just what every Greased Gremlin, Spudster and "Chasis [sic]
electrical" fan needs.  In the tone of your late Friend Chandler Bing, "Can
American Motors -BE- more fragmented than it already was?" 

http://www.amcforums.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=chasis

>>
I actually saw something recently that said GM is investing heavily in fuel
cell technology (actually, it was more along the lines of they think it's
going to save them). The current platform they've been showing a lot of is
interesting (to say the least). It's basically a universal chassis that you
can swap bodies on. One of the possibilities they're exploring with it is
making bodies available separately from the chassis so the owner can change
them out as needed.
<<

While GM is doing fuel cell R&D in Rochester (Honeoye Falls) NY and its
"skateboard" is being touted as the next big thing, what many such cars
still await --- in addition to fueling infrastructure  --- could be quantum
[?] leaps in onboard computers that can "differentiate" one vehicle from
another.   Without such artificial reality, a Chevy might ride and drive
like a Cadillac, making Alfred P. Sloan (who, BTW, the Board elected GM
President exactly 82 years [minus five days] from today...) scream (his
product strategy ["A car for every purse and purpose"] debuted [in his
"Message to Shareholders"] in the 1924 Annual Report...) while turning in
his grave.

http://www.gm.com/company/careers/career_paths/rnd/nws_072902.html

The hope that bodies could be interchanged or replaced (their platforms
could be replaced, repaired or upgraded as well...) however, is a "back to
the future" idea: something practiced worldwide into the 1920s.  And some
firms were known for their "interchange-ability."  Lanchester, for one.  

http://www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk/default.asp?Document=3.B.1.1.1,2

http://www.jaguarcars.com/uk/sdc/

http://www.lanchester.com/Behring1.html

Budd, Ledwinka and the Dodge brothers (at Ford) had the same hopes when wood
gave way to steel.  By 1926, they were proven right; by 1966, they were
proven right again (by AMC Project IV Cavalier interchangeability); by 1976,
Hornet was proving them right still.  AMC might have been known for its
costly tooling failures; it might also be known for its [modern] American
success at doing what F. W. did in the teens.  

>>
If G.Besse of Renault had not been murdered by socialist persons, it is
believed that this sale, instigated by his successor, probably would not
have happened. ( I hope I have these names and spelling right ), Due to the
problems REGGIE...RENAULT was having with their socialist unions due to the
state of the French auto industry, the general economy, and infiltration of
high quality Japanese products being sold against low quality French
products, they were in trouble and the political thing to do was to not put
any more money into AMC, while thier own economy and companies were
suffereing and dieing- and this resulted in the midnight sale of AMC,! by
Besses successor, even as we were profitable.
<<

If Reggie [Mantle] was with Veronica [Lodge] for years (read your "Archie"),
Regie Renault (click on "The Renault Odyssey" to read -his- history...)  

http://www.renault.com/gb/decouverte/index_decouverte.htm#

likely would have been billeted with AMC awhile longer, had Besse 

http://www.fondationbesse.com/gb.htm

not been bulleted before AMC/Renault had enough chance to succeed. 

I'm not sure it ever could have done that (the perception of
Nash/Rambler/AMC plus the perception of Renault might have remained too much
[bad] perception for even the best or most beautiful of automotive products
to out-achieve),
but Premier, Allure, Espace, Grand Cherokee (and perhaps AMX/4 Alpine)
seemed better ideas for America than LeCar, 18i and Alliance/Encore.  And
had LH cars then been built as returning American cars from a "new" American
Motors, another chance for AMC/Jeep survival could have appeared.  Sedan
volumes and SUV profits: five or ten more years.      

On the other hand, when times change, selling cars must change too.  Jim
Wangers' view of Pontiac (or AMC) muscle was right for the 1960s; Gordon
Wangers' view of Scion (Buff Monster, Stay High 149, dreds, piercings and
tattoos)
may be equally right for the 2000s.  (And even when his own -personal-
[collectible] car view is quite different.)

http://www.fp1.com/sept98/features/lvclassics/fullshow/29.html

(BTW, among the hundreds who signed John Delorean's memorial book, the only
"1960s Detroit-insider" names I noted were those of Jim Wangers [he
misspelled a word, though...] and Joyce [widow of Larry...] Shinoda: another
example of how, especially when automobiles are involved, perception can be
more powerful than reality.)

That said, on the third hand, while styling sins of Nash continued to cloud
the perception of AMC (a problem which "new" [1954 version] American Motors
brought upon itself when it threw the [far more talented] Hudson design
staff out with the merger bath), the ability to change perception is nowhere
more obvious when automobiles are involved. 

Hyundai is one of the best examples.  Just imagine what their coming V-8 RWD
luxury line will be! 

The world won't wait while Americans fail/leave/ignore school

http://www.motorshow.or.kr/photo/photo_01.html

(although you will have to wait for these photos to download...)

and every day we Americans don't become educated and skilled

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200504/kt2005042819002811870.htm

trucks, busses

http://www.tata.com/0_products_services/companies_industries/automotive/comm
ercial_vehicles.htm

and racecars roll around that world.

http://www.tata.com/0_about_us/brand_ambassadors/index_narain.htm

New "Nissans" come  

http://www.renaultsamsungm.com/NewJsp/aboutRSM/eng_ceo.jsp

old "Mercedes" go.

http://www.ssangyong.com.my/content_chairman.htm

Let's hope that American motors survive.

>>
but i heard that one small suv i[and probably all of them] is being
imported as a 'car', then registered with the epa as a 'truck'.  how
can they get away with having it both ways?
<<

Same way Chrysler's Neon car became a PT Cruiser truck and Subaru's Outback
stayed a sedan but turned a trick: lobby, bribe or buy our politicians.
Work that good old American system.  The US is -us- so we're all guilty.

If we're the problem, we're also the solution.

Let's go.