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Huh? Seems like a unfounded assertion that there was some prevelant left-wing mockery of American sedans at all, especially one that American auto executives wo

Huh? Seems like a unfounded assertion that there was some prevelant left-wing mockery of American sedans at all, especially one that American auto executives would have responded. These companies care about one thing, what sells and makes them money. What's more likely is these were cars were boats built on ancient body-on-frame platforms into 1990's, which were killed in sales by Japanese sedans perceived as more efficient reliable (Honda Civic, Accord or Toyota Camry/Corolla). Not to mention the body-on-frame sedans were not up to increasingly stringent crash tests, which required crumple zones. The B-Body platform Impala you refer to is a variant of a platform that was introduced in the 1920s! Look at how much US market share GM bled in the 80s going into the 90s. The products were not competitive. The big three American manufacturers were viewed as unable to compete in the sedan space which is why they pivoted to the truck and SUV market, which continues through today (not coincidentally trucks and SUV benefit from CAFE standard loopholes along with the protectionist chicken tax, a 25% import tax on light trucks [0]) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

linksnapzz 3y ago
>These companies care about one thing, what sells and makes them money. These companies are also run by humans, and are so in many ways prisoners to fashion as we all are to an extent, and are vulnerable to public obloquy, even from a public that's... dumb. >What's more likely is these were cars were boats built on ancient body-on-frame >platforms into 1990's, The ancient platforms you are talking about, were designed in the late 1970s. >which were killed in sales by Japanese sedans perceived as more efficient >reliable (Honda Civic, Accord or Toyota Camry/Corolla). Discussions of reliability aside, nobody in their wildest fever-dreams were cross-shopping a Buick Roadmaster and a Civic. >Not to mention the body-on-frame sedans were not up to increasingly stringent >crash tests, which required crumple zones. There is no real obstacle in making a body on frame sedan with crumple zones. Modern body-on-frame trucks have them. >The B-Body platform Impala you refer to is a variant of a platform that was >introduced in the 1920s! You're reading something, probably Wikipedia, and drawing incorrect conclusions.

linksnapzz 3y ago

>These companies care about one thing, what sells and makes them money. These companies are also run by humans, and are so in many ways prisoners to fashion as we all are to an extent, and are vulnerable to public obloquy, even from a public that's... dumb. >What's more likely is these were cars were boats built on ancient body-on-frame >platforms into 1990's, The ancient platforms you are talking about, were designed in the late 1970s. >which were killed in sales by Japanese sedans perceived as more efficient >reliable (Honda Civic, Accord or Toyota Camry/Corolla). Discussions of reliability aside, nobody in their wildest fever-dreams were cross-shopping a Buick Roadmaster and a Civic. >Not to mention the body-on-frame sedans were not up to increasingly stringent >crash tests, which required crumple zones. There is no real obstacle in making a body on frame sedan with crumple zones. Modern body-on-frame trucks have them. >The B-Body platform Impala you refer to is a variant of a platform that was >introduced in the 1920s! You're reading something, probably Wikipedia, and drawing incorrect conclusions.