[Amc-list] Sins

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

I spent $20 million last Friday and $8 million of it was your [taxpayer] money, but since the politicians only brought a display check and I only waved an invisible credit card at that press conference, I didn't expect punishment.  Those Weather Gods and this AMC List thought otherwise: the weekend in Philly started "snow good" and the week to schmooze The New Kids in the Halls of Congress ended "Gore blocked" --- only way more media could've clogged the place yesterday would've been for Anna Nicole to have materialized.  For my sins, politics pays.  You pay for what you get.  And got.  Phase II hasn't yet begun construction (Summer 2008) and I'm passing the Phase III tin cup.  Shame.  But since II may be the last before I drive into retirement's garage, as "Renew!" (said one attending university president), "Strengthen!" (said one too many attending pols), "Cornerstone", "Preeminent", "Leadership", and "Legacy" bounced off the 1922 walls, I mused, "If we could build a future
  for AMC past with half this much commotion/devotion, we'd be half done."  Or half baked.  Urk!  

As I read the AMC List's "discussion eruption" today, I paid for my sins once more: "If I had half again the time to join in, I'd be having fun."  Half baked or deep fried.  Yup!
    
Of course, I had to scope the cars that brought the ladies and gentlemen who brought the money that brought the cameras and microphones and while the "R-Boys" (two brothers one each side of age 70 who compete with each other to drive the latest greatest set of German wheels [which they park outside their [self-named] downtown office tower; older less showy bro's Audi A8L Q to one side; younger more extroverted brother's Mercedes S550 4Matic front and center [power mirrors folded but steering wheel at full lock, making the most of Mercedes' signature camber that suggests wheels are about to fall off] walked the block-and-a-half, I had other new cars to see in Friday's line-up. 

Among them were two I'll mention: a pearl white Lincoln Nav that made me think of jokes and a red Saab 9-3 that made me think of my final new AMC
acquisition --- the red/black Eagle wagon that began its final months of existence exactly 20 years ago now.  (It was taken for a joyride [by two barely-teenagers] and dunked into a Finger Lake come the final fatal AMC fall; no new Eagle wagons available and I probably would not have bought another one anyhow; old story, been told.)  That SUV was brand new, with temporary registration in the windshield and was not wearing an optional chrome "brow" above its grille, but it still looked so silly, I laughed.  "Look what a 2007 American luxury station wagon has become.  Overpriced, oversized, overweight, or overdone?"  That SportCombi was almost as new, with a hunkered-down style and a matte trim my old Sport had had, but it still looked so much like an Eagle that I sighed.  "Look what a 2007 car can be when it's not American.  Shapely, stylish, refined, powerful, and economical."

And it's built by GM.  Not in America.  How come that can happen?  Huh?

You can look and reminisce if you care to, also.  As always, your call. 

http://www.saabusa.com/

(click on "Model Overview" and paint one "Laser Red") 

http://www.arcticboy.com/Pages/arcticboyseagle2.html

(second and fourth photos look like my long-gone car)
    
The Saab and Eagle have, to take an old term from a curmudgeon on 1970s TV, "spunk" --- the super luxury SUV has, to take a new term into auto currency, "splinc"  --- Stupid Pathetic Lincoln trying to save America.

Perfectly nice, tasteful, attractive, seemingly well-assembled vehicle.

Made me grin.

Perfectly nice, tasteful, attractive, seemingly well-assembled vehicle.

Made me groan.

Makes for discussion.  Or not.

Honda needs to take an average of 1.5% off MSRP to sell Fit in America; Chrysler needs to take over 25% off MSRP to sell 300s.  Honda can lease its "dated" Accord for $199 a month and still realize profits; Chrysler cannot give "free" HEMIs to sell its highest-margin cars and trucks and hope to realize profits (and keep assembly lines running) for more than a few months.  Unless HEMI-powered Dodges and Chryslers are the RM cars of tomorrow.  I saw current Chrysler 300s with chrome wheels on streets in recent days.  Painted yellow.  Taxicabs.  Will the style setters and the urban hip and the smart set or whatever they're now called consider Chrysler cool or say, "We dub thee Matador!"?  After they learn "What's a Matador?", of course...)

Chrysler's liabilities now cancel out its assets.  In effect, it has no real -monetary- value.  It has names and places and possibilities to be of monetary value.  In effect, Chrysler is now where AMC-Jeep once was.  Renault did not want to become AMC-Jeep's Packard and Daimler-Benz does not want to become Mopar's Mercedes.  The DCX merger is OK save the "C" part.  Core company is profitable, so worm in the apple must be cut out.  Chrysler will be bought for selected assets only.  Just as AMC once was.

As Chrysler had in 1957, as Chevrolet had in 1955, as Studebaker had in 1953, and even as Nash had in 1949, every auto make has a year [or era] of some leadership.  The 15 minutes of fame, the position of popularity, the looks every other manufacturer tries to copy.  GM was the Pied Piper for years and years, Chrysler and Ford had occasional bursts into glory, and Little Rambler made Big Detroit hear Larks sing on Downsize Road to economy.  They say that every car "dog" has its day.  They can say that every car "star" is counted in dog years also.  Hot today might be cold tomorrow.  And future classics might not pay next month's grocery bills.  That's what makes current cars or "forgotten" automotive history worthy of serious study and passionate discussion.  That's what makes life fun.

A few comments (won't bother cutting and pasting quotes):


"Mopar" can be used for anything that doesn't make -money- for someone.

Someone not named DaimlerChrysler AG, that is...

A ROC restaurant named "Oscar's" for many years had to change its name.

Someone named Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tasted dough. 

On the flip side (contrary and ha-ha), "AMC etcetera" may be all yours.

Someone named Self-Inflicted Pain and Suffering can cook up an AMC car.


Mustang = new retro look

Challenger = old retro look

Camaro = new old retro look

Javelin = waiting for retro


I posted some online photo albums a few years back that contained words and pictures of my summer with cars.  I gave out passwords to determine how many different marque folks viewed 'em.  Mostly old-car people did: Packard, Stude, A-C-D, etc. --- such dead-independent types looked.

AMC, Rambler, Nash, etc. --- almost no hits.  If they had, they'd have had fun at Trans Am, Laguna Seca, etc. --- en route to "big" concours.  I deleted those albums last winter, so unfortunately Javelin pits are closed.  You get what you pay for.  Or work for.  Or whatever.  Sad. 

I drove Watkins Glen once, in a Chevrolet Impala SS.  No pics.  Bad.

Have not been to Lime Rock since college days: AMC still alive then.

Must stop there when I take up Nick Gordon's* Music Mountain invite.

Standing since ~1930.  Promising since ~1990.  He's now ~80.  When?

(*Ex-NBC VP, involved with creation of "Today" and "Tonight" shows; hired Skitch Henderson.  His father founded first -American- string quartet.  Before the 1920s, Europe produced what America could not.  And today?  AMC Saab or Super SUV?  You decide.)            


Lexus V-8. Nissan V-6, Honda I-4, etc. (Hyundai Genesis V-8 will be shown in NY...): what GM, Ford, Mopar, AMC, S-P, and many more "older" independents --- not to mention many independent engine makers that powered many "assembled" American cars so many have forgotten now --- what American engineering and manufacturing once did better than all.

Smooth and reliable power moving stylish and collectible automobiles.

What happened?

We got dumb?

We got lazy?

We gave up?

NUMMI, NAFTA, and NASA are not to blame: our schools, our teachers, our kids, -ourselves- are.  Life got too easy, we got too confident; we got too comfortable being the Americans that everyone else wanted to be too.  Everyone else worked toward where we were, and then kept right on going.  That's why GM and Ford and Chrysler and American Motors can't get ahead.  Or why one of them --- two of them? --- three of them? --- now are dead.


Speaking of assembled cars, try this:  Did Studebaker or AMC build any?

Think hard.

Have fun.
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