Frances Bell Onlines

When I was growing up, my family had a number of traditions that we’d uphold on every road trip. For instance, my brother and I would occupy our time in the backseat by counting as many unique state license plates as we could. Sometimes we’d even play road kill bingo. Mom sat quietly in the shotgun seat, completing her crossword puzzles and anticipating mischief while watching us through the rear-view mirror.

For his part, Dad was obsessed with finding the quickest way possible to reach our destination. Whether it was a roadside inn, a tourist trap or a distant relative’s house, Dad had a knack for taking us in precisely the wrong direction. If in dash GPS units had existed back then, he still would have been too stubborn to use them. Inevitably, we would run low on fuel and run inside a gas station to get navigational instructions.

With all the news recently about the bailout of the American automakers, a lot of consumers are worried that even should the bailout go through, the automakers will continue to produce undesirable cars.  With the past few years as reference, such a worry is more than warranted.  American automakers have been too focused on fancy gadgets like in-dash GPS units, rear cameras, sound systems, and DVD players, ignoring the fact that none of these items will sell a car alone. Americans want a car that is dependable, has excellent gasoline efficiency, low emissions, and with low environmental impact. Hulking gas guzzlers, hybrid trucks, SUVs, and vans are unappealing to most consumers.

In some respects a capitalist economy should be ’survival of the fittest’, and if American automakers have all failed, perhaps it’s time for them to pass on. But one has to wonder if they have the potential to pull their act together.