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Am I The Only One Upset By This?

glundblad

By glundblad
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glundblad Comanche Addict

glundblad

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I ordered a ford raptor a few months ago (but it still hasnt arrived). I have seen obnoxious license plate frames that say something like "Ford, Built without your taxpayer dollars". I am really considering getting one. The only problem is we have a big GM plant in the area. I could see someone keying me pretty easily.

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ncmountainMJ Comanche Fan

ncmountainMJ

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When we bought my wifes Liberty last year I struggled w buying a Jeep (all my vehicles are Jeeps) b/c of this BS.... but she wanted it. I myself have a problem buying any new vehicle. Id rather let someone else take that initial depreciation...

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Zenobian_84 Jeeper

Zenobian_84

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Thanks Fiat; this will pretty much kill what little faith anyone has left in the USA as far as automakers go. Jeep was the only brand I still had some sort of faith in as far as holding true to what the original values were.

 

Made in the 40s throughout today, it HAS always stood for freedom, AMERICAN PRIDE, and the "No Limits" mentality. Guess not anymore. :soap box:

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Automan2164 Obsessive Comanche Disorder

Automan2164

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Don't believe all the hype... Watch your sources. If you only hear what you want, you don't get the whole story.

 

http://news.yahoo.co...-205828426.html

 

 

"There's no bigger challenge to writing about complex topics than making sure words mean what one wants them to. Today's exhibit comes from a story quoting a Jeep executive on the company's plans for getting back into China which, through the power of a clumsly misreading, has morphed into a charge that Jeep "is considering giving up on the United States and shifting production to China." It's not -- but many people suffering from election fever will want to believe it anyway.

 

The story began with

this Bloomberg piece, where Jeep chief Mike Manley talks about the prospects for the Jeep Wranger and Grand Cherokee in China. Chrysler had built the older-generation Jeep Cherokee in China decades ago, but lost the plant en route to bankruptcy, and has been seeking ways back into the world's largest market for new cars since. "We're reviewing the opportunities within existing capacity" Manley told Bloomberg, as well as "should we be localizing the entire Jeep portfolio or some of the Jeep portfolio."

 

That quote led

Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner to assume Jeep was ready to pack up its Toledo plant and sail west. "It appears that the taxpayer bailed-out Chrysler is looking back and now considering cutting costs by shifting production of all Jeeps to China, which has a strong desire for Jeeps," Bedard wrote today. That story quickly gained traction in political circles, fueled by the continuing political sparring over the bailouts of Chrysler and General Motors that's become a staple of the presidential election.

 

The problem: Bedard's flat wrong. "Localizing" as Manley said means building versions of Jeep models in China, just as all major automakers tweak their products for Chinese production, safety rules and local tastes. China has yet to become an exporter of vehicles to the United States, and only one automaker imports vehicles from China to the United States today -- the start-up electric car builder Coda, which finishes its cars in California and has sold only a handful to date.

 

In fact, Chrysler has sunk its roots deeper in Toledo, committing last year to spend $500 million on the factory complex and add 1,100 workers, based on plans to eventually build a variety of models at one of the two plants there. The Toledo Jeep Wrangler plant has been running at full-tilt this year, as has the Detroit plant that builds the Grand Cherokee. Moving either anywhere would cost Chrysler billions of dollars in costs and lost sales -- and both make huge profits for the automaker.

To be fair, this misreading was fueled by President Barack Obama's comment in the last debate that absent his administration's rescue of GM and Chrysler, "we'd be buying cars from China instead of selling cars to China." In truth, Chinese automakers had a chance to buy Jeep and any other part of Chrysler from its private equity owners in February 2008 before its bankruptcy, but passed. Even if a Chinese buyer had carved out Jeep, the finances of shifting output over the Pacific would have been even worse.

 

People inside the auto industry knew what Manley meant, but stripped of all context, and with no background the phrase could be used to create a political ghost story. Election day can't get here soon enough."

 

Rob

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ftpiercecracker1 Comanche Fanatic

ftpiercecracker1

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I am not exactly sure what you guys are getting at? The fact that Jeep might consider moving its production over seas is disappointing, but at the same time you have to consider why they would do it. I believe American made products are some of the best money can buy, however in a world economy with multi national companies quantity, beats quality. The chinese are willing to work 80hrs a week for near pennies a freaking day. I am not saying we should as well, just that it only makes buisness sense, it sucks i know it, but money talks, Loud.

On a separate note, if i have understood what has been said, it seems you guys arent raving fans of the Obama administration? If that is the case what do you think Romney will be able to do if he is elected? God forbid. I am ONLY talking about foreign policy, China, and American companies flocking to cheap labor overseas.

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Incommando Comanche Fanatic

Incommando

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The truth is apparently that production would not be moved to China, additional production would begin in China. China already produces almost exact-copy replicas if several jeeps that are pure piracy. China is going to be too large of a market to ignore and the Chinese people are tired of accepting the trash quality of the home-grown's and the replicas now that some have the cash to afford better.

 

IMHO Chrysler, as it was when owned by Diamler Chrysler, is no longer an American brand now that over 50% ownership has transferred to the Italian government backed FIAT. Just as Honda or Toyota are not American companies and therefore their products are not American no matter the assembly point. You don't hear BMW's or M-B's called "American" although some of each are assembled here and it is only the jap-o-philes that I hear making the ridiculous claim that the jap companies products are American.

 

So, Chevy was pimped out as a pay-off for organized labor's election support and Chrysler is owned by a foreign government.... Yeah bail-out! A resounding success!

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dasbulliwagen MJ Maniac

dasbulliwagen

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I don't beleive Fiat is Italian Govt backed. If I remember right, they are one of the only car companies in Italy that isnt. Because of that, Marchionne has been threatening Italy that it would move its headquarters to the US if the Ital Govt doesnt cooperate with them or if the Ital labor unions, who are much more hostile than ours, don't give in a little for the companies well being. Combine that with Europes economy, which is worse than ours right now, and moving headquarters sounds like a good idea.

 

Theres no way FIAT would move ALL Jeep production out of the US. Jeep being American born and made is part of its heritage, and one of its selling points. If ALL production is moved out of the country, all of that heritage would be lost, and sales, at least in the US would go to almost nothing, as Jeep wouldnt mean anything anymore.

 

Adding production in China is something every automaker is trying do with its growing economy. It only makes business sense to do so. Fiat is doing the same thing with Russia right now as well. These are huge markets, and it would be stupid to try not to get into them.

 

Whoever wrote that article is an idiot with an agenda, and I'm sure there will be few if any repurcussions to the writer for spewing such ignorance.

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Zenobian_84 Jeeper

Zenobian_84

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On a separate note, if i have understood what has been said, it seems you guys arent raving fans of the Obama administration? If that is the case what do you think Romney will be able to do if he is elected? God forbid. I am ONLY talking about foreign policy, China, and American companies flocking to cheap labor overseas.

Not really a fan of either; and I honestly can't say either of them are going to do anything worthwhile should they:

 

A. Continue another 4 years in office

Or B. Begin 4 years in office.

 

I'm not going to be holding my breath about the country turning around for at least another 20 years. By that time, we should have some form of new politician idiots to deal with. It's basically become a race nowadays to see which candidate can promise the better deals for the American Gov't; irregardless of whether or not they even hold true to those promises once they're elected. I honestly wonder sometimes how my parents left my generation in this @#$%ing mess of a situation; then again, I can't say I'm really surprised it's gotten this far out of control.

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Automan2164 Obsessive Comanche Disorder

Automan2164

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I'm still on board. While I am not the biggest fan of him, Romney scares the $#!& out of me. If he wouldn't change his stories so much I might be on the red boat, but Obama has my vote for this one. Who knows what Jeep may have been without the government backed bailout. They've paid it back now, and are making some good cars again. Locally by me, they build the Dart/Compass/Caliber/Patriot. Before, the lot was pretty empty, now, the place is a metropolis of action. Good to see them get back on their feet once again.

 

Rob

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