It wasn't a matter of transitioning to new technology, it was a lethargic, dimwitted corporate mindset that they would never face real competition. Not only did

It wasn't a matter of transitioning to new technology, it was a lethargic, dimwitted corporate mindset that they would never face real competition. Not only did Japanese cars offer smaller, more fuel efficient cars, but their quality was just worlds ahead of the US automakers. Deming had tried to get them to view quality as an integral part of manufacturing, but they dismissed his ideas. The Japanese automakers were smart enough to see the wisdom in his ideas. Same thing happened when Toyota started their Lexus division. Mercedes etc thought they had it made, but Japan quickly began to steal marketshare from the luxury segment. Later on, Korean automakers decided to follow the Japanese playbook, and again, were met with derision buy US automakers. When Rodney King was arrested and assaulted after driving his Hyundai at high speed, everyone made fun of the LAPD lying about how fast he was going because a HYUNDAI could never go that fast. Today, Hyundai and Kia are very reputable automakers, and Detroit is still struggling to make cars with consistent quality.