The Trickle Effect

IT is no secret that the United States automobile industry has begun to suffer from declining sales. But since there is still a tremendous supply of money and credit in the country, it may not be out of order to suggest that the source of the auto makers’ trouble is in the product rather than the purchasers. Certainly it is true that sensitive observers have long maintained something has gone seriously wrong with basic automobile design as it is practiced at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

To be specific, there is much that is repulsive in the looks of the fat, waddling Caddies, the whale-shaped Buicks, the huge-finned Chryslers, and Ford’s pretentious Edsels with the five-foot “flight decks” at the rear. Perhaps it was putting such a silly name to this protuberance that finally touched off a general buyers’ rebellion. At any rate the Edsel, product of the same industrial complex that afflicted the nation with the Fund for the Republic, gives signs of being an all-time floperoo. But nobody in Detroit is very happy these days, and we have no reason to smile at the car manufacturers’ difficulties. Instead of foolishly gloating, let us see if we can help.

FF

About the Author

Finis Farr

Featured Tags

IT is no secret that the United States automobile industry has begun to suffer from declining sales. But since there is still a tremendous supply of money and credit in the country, it may not be out of order to suggest that the source of the auto makers’ trouble is in the product rather than the purchasers. Certainly it is true that sensitive observers have long maintained something has gone seriously wrong with basic automobile design as it is practiced at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

To be specific, there is much that is repulsive in the looks of the fat, waddling Caddies, the whale-shaped Buicks, the huge-finned Chryslers, and Ford’s pretentious Edsels with the five-foot “flight decks” at the rear. Perhaps it was putting such a silly name to this protuberance that finally touched off a general buyers’ rebellion. At any rate the Edsel, product of the same industrial complex that afflicted the nation with the Fund for the Republic, gives signs of being an all-time floperoo. But nobody in Detroit is very happy these days, and we have no reason to smile at the car manufacturers’ difficulties. Instead of foolishly gloating, let us see if we can help.