Don't get Wyman'ed

The more I drive Toyota's Camry, the more impressed I become. That is one well-built machine. Fudge, I fear for Ford and GM.

I don't want Ford to go bankrupt, but if they do, I must say I won't grieve much. In the 1970's, Representative "Little Louie" Wyman apparently took his marching orders from "Henry Ford The Second" when Wyman managed to forbid the National Highway and Safety Administration (NHSA) from requiring that cars could only start if the driver's safety belt were buckled.

Henry Ford II and New Hampshire Representative Louis Wyman are responsible for **Millions** of American casualties and fatalities over the past 33 years. (Not a positive legacy for New Hampshire.)

If Ford disappears, it would be poetic justice. GM, on the other hand, anticipated the NHSA's safety belt-ignition switch regulation, and produced the safer cars for an entire year before Ford managed to torpedo the NHSA, an agency that spent time researching the matter, scientifically and thoroughly.

GM does not have blood on its hands like Ford. If one U.S. auto manufacturer is to survive, let it be GM. Ford has a lurid history of disregard for the public's safety. Pinto, anyone?

Reply to
Built_Well
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GM was playing ball with the NHSA. Ford, unforgiveablly, chose not to.

I believe approximately 40 percent of Ford's stock is owned by Ford family members--kind of astonishing. I'm pleased to see their investment is down to a mere 8 dollars a share, which is an 80 percent loss in value from the high seven years ago.

Also, the dividend was cut in half a few months ago.

And CEO Bill Ford stepped down a few weeks ago. I don't believe in guilt by association, and am not superstitious, but you gotta wonder if "karma" has something to do with all this.

Oh yes, and the company's Chief of Staff, who happens to be CEO Bill Ford's brother-in-law, also stepped down.

Reply to
Built_Well

Don't you mean the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)?

Reply to
Ray O

Right, Ray O. Thank you for the correction. An agency as important to the country as the NHTSA should not be misspelled by me. It's a shame it's not better known. Everybody knows NASA, but how many of us know about the NHTSA. Maybe more of us would, if it weren't for Wyman and Ford II.

Reply to
Built_Well

"Built_Well" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@c28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Their problems are a result of their own shortsightedness and arrogance.

Let's also not forget the Airbag initiative that they torpedoed during this era.

Unfortunately GM does have blood on its hands and is just as evil and underhanded as Ford when it comes to public safety. One outstanding example is that death trap, the Corvair, they pawned off on the public as an alternative to the Voltswagen Beetle. For anyone who doesn't believe this I suggest they Google "Ralph Nader" and his book "Unsafe at any Speed" in which he exposes the Corvairs' rear axle tendency to "tuck under" during certain driving conditions. GM, in an effort to silence Nader, went on a campaign of intimidation and harassment; Hiring PI's to investigate his past, tap his phone, and burglarize is office. When this uncovered nothing GM even went so far as using prositiutes to try and lure Nader into a morally compromising situation.

Nader eventually found out about GM's subterfuge, sued them in court and won, and forced GM's CEO to publicly appolige for their shenanigans before a U.S.Senate committee. If this isn't an example of "a lurid history of disregard for the public's safety" I don't know what is.

Insomuch as the Pinto (the barbecue that seats four) and disregard for public safety, you are right on the mark, considering it would have only cost Ford (at the time of design) an $11.00 modification to fix the fuel tank problem.

Reply to
Blondie

What year Camry are u talking about any? I want to buy the 2007.

Reply to
Denis_333

The '06.

Reply to
Built_Well

OK. Did you know that in 1974 that Ford also built cars with those ridiculous seat belt interlocks? I drove one in driver's ed. It was a lot to go from a 62 Corvair to a 1974 LTD Land Yacht. We only had a Corvair at the time at home. I'm afraid that a lot of these 'madatory' safety things is to make the nut behind the wheel think he's safer.

Charles of Schaumburg

Reply to
n5hsr

Yes, but... :-)

The Beetle actually had the same flaw and nobody ever made a fuss about them.

GM certainly did have dirty hands in this case, and Nader was right to raise a public stink, but I always wondered why he didn't make a fuss about VW too.

Reply to
Stuart Krivis

I could swear that our '72 Mercury had the same interlock.

Reply to
Stuart Krivis

Hey, don't forget Porsche - they STILL build cars in the 911 family that way (rear engine, rear wheel drive, swing-arm or modified link suspension) and the handling is described as "Spirited" not "Dangerous".

Corvairs are not dangerous if driven sensibly by informed drivers.

Where it got Dangerous was fools pumping all four tires up to 32 PSI, not following the Owners Manual to the letter (14 Front 28 Rear or thereabouts). When you pump the front tires up that hard with a minimal load on the front end (empty trunk, 1/4 gas, no passengers) you reduce the contact patch to the size of a dime and essentially have no traction.

Push understeer that eventually turns to snap oversteer.

And if you can't drive through it and get control, you are going for a wild ride. Been there, Done that - caught my Corvair going sideways on me more times than I'd like to remember. But none of them were real shockers, I knew I was pushing the envelope every time.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

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