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Khal

No, unfortunately, it's not a joke. This American Life has an interesting story on the U.S. auto industry -GM, actually -and details, at least in large part, why they went bankrupt and why people generally think you guys build shite cars.

It's audio, MP3 format. Click here to get it (available 'til Sunday, April 4th, I think) or go to their website and download from there.

Not having a go, it's a genuinely interesting story from insiders. No Mike Moore-style hype.
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'80 924 Turbo

9XX Girl!

Nobbi · Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 1398 Location: Germany

I was downloading the thing but after 5 min i quit....what was it?
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NA 924 - april/1977- 4-speed-audi gearbox.
500.000 km with fun.....and new toy:Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet.Other car Daimler c-class cabby,brandnew..Plus : DEUTZ 4005 tractor Built 1967

Khal · Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 5:15 am Post subject:

JayZzzz4 · Joined: 23 Sep 2008 Posts: 544 Location: Milwaukee, WI USA

I listened to it while working on a few engineering homework problems. Very interesting to hear more about the back ground. I always blamed the bad quality on the union workers. More work breaks in the day and off days on the plant drives up the price, which means less time going into building/engineering/designing, which means less quality build. Toyota, has no union workers, which means they can spend more time(quality & money) on the car. In other words, to get the most out of your money, less union is better. I haven't owned a american car, and I'm not planing on getting one anytime soon unless their quality changes greatly, which we won't find out for about 10yrs and see how the 2010 cars were and how many are still on the road. 80% of toyotas cars that at 20yr and older are still on the road today (tv ad i saw) and that says a lot.

This is my own Opinion, hope I'm not step on any ones toes
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White 1987 Porsche 924S manual

ic932 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 1104 Location: UK

Yeah, listning to it now. Spoof-like in its presentation lol.

I worked for Toyota for a few years. To be more presise I worked for a senior Toyota executive who had his own gig. The basic thrust was this - exchange Toyota 4x4 vehicals to African states in exchange for seeds. Sounds weird huh? Well it was lol. We would use these seeds to produce a bright orange coloured dye to be used in the food industry. Yes, food colouring. We had our own lab an Phd scientists, each employee (including myself) had to sign a secrecey agreement.

Now thats the Japs for you..thats how serious Japanese corparate strategy is. There is no toleration for Western style work ethic..or the lack of it!

Good Khal, I enjoyed that...

Khal · Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 6:40 am Post subject:

ic932 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 1104 Location: UK

YEAH! I worked for cocacola too, we got paid an average of £32k. Money for old rope, literally we got paid just to turn up. Overtime was a right. If ever there was any real work to be done...just call in an agency and get a few poles or Africans lol. We went on strike too, no rhyme or reason. Just more money. I took a lot of parallels from that factory. I never worked in an enviorment like that before, internet access, cell phones...

ic932 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 1104 Location: UK

I think the moral of this story is cultural and not corparate. I've also worked for Suzuki GB and mused with the head honcho whilst enjoying a smoke in "bus shelter", at a time when agency workers were being favoured over proper full time staff. His response was thus...Andy (the pompous ex. Army bloke) must manage according to uk common practice..."it is of little importance in the long term" When I reminded him of containers full of parts sitting at the dock because we couldn't cope he smilled and said..."we expected that"

J1NX3D · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Posts: 1333 Location: New Zealand

working in supply chain management to keep aircraft flying i find this really interesting! what a contrast between the 2 companies. is there a video version of this? or is it just a sound file?

i ctually want to share this at work.
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'86 944

Khal · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:31 am Post subject:

the_mad_electrician · Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1073 Location: Central Georgia

The 924 is the first non-American car I've ever had. The only one I ever had trouble out of was an 86 F-150 and that was because the PO took terrible care of it. My Ranger just turned over 200K and has the original clutch. Then again, I've never owned a GM.
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81 924 N/A

2004 Ranger "Edge"

2005 Mazda 6

Rocco R16V · Joined: 03 May 2009 Posts: 497 Location: PNW

924RACR · Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:50 pm Post subject:

Spending lots of time at Milford Proving Grounds, as I do... GM's interesting, to say the least. I see massive improvements over the last 5 years.

The sad part is to consider that things have changed so much, and yet it seems like there's equal room left for further (needed) improvement.

OTOH, I've worked closely with the Japanese too (Honda) - not all they're cracked up to be. Let's just put it at that.

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Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
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ic932 · Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Posts: 1104 Location: UK