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Obama's car industry task force shuns domestic cars for personal use

 
5 2,228 views Feb 23, 2009
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The vast majority of the auto team voted import with their dollars

The vast majority of the auto team voted import with their dollars

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The resurgence in domestic car quality (it's real) hasn't quite caught up with the members President Obama's newly-formed Task Force on the Auto Industry, or at least so it would seem from their personal car choices: 18 of 20 members and senior aides drive imports.

It's not a surprise the majority of the group drives imports - the majority of new cars sold in the U.S. are imports. But the 90% import share is considerably higher than the national average, raising questions as to why or how that might be - and what impact it might have on their handling of the domestic car industry.

You might think the huge incomes of some of the members might lead them to the upper end of the market, where American cars are decidedly lacking. But there is a dearth of German or Italian hardware on the list of known Task Force vehicles as well.

In fact, many of the imports are affordable Japanese cars like the Toyota Highlander and Prius, Subaru Legacy Outback, Honda Odyssey or Mazda Protege. A few Lexus vehicles are also on the list, as are a Volvo C30 and a Saab 9-5.

So it's not wealth that's driving the non-American purchases. What is it then? Perhaps some insight can be gleaned from the American cars owned by the two oddballs in the group: a 2003 Lincoln LS and 1998 Chevy Cavalier. In short, this group of highly motivated people - even those that drive American - doesn't love cars. They see them as appliances to get them from point A to point B, and that is all. Only Dan Utech's Mini Cooper S is a sporty vehicle, though his position as senior adviser to the Energy Secretary hints that the decision may be as much about economy as enthusiasm.

Perhaps it's a good thing that such a practical group of people are at the helm of the Task Force on the Auto Industry. Already we've seen the reassignment of General Motors' high-performance vehicles arm and the shift in focus to more utilitarian, efficiency-oriented vehicles since the government began getting involved in the industry.

Whether that shift is enough to sway the market to buy American when even the committee hasn't is another question, however.



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Comments (5)

  1. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 2/24/2009 1:22am PST

    yeah after reading this article i think it must be said that the title is a little misleading..

    the point here is that they all drive boring cars. The LS is a midsized RWD V8 car, the C30's got an amazing punch, and that cooper S is hot too..

    but the fact remains.. these are not people who are excited about cars..... maybe thats a good thing... but im leaning more towards not. i know what its like to show up to work enthused about what you do. these people...... probably wont be enthused.
     
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  2. ma_Jason avatar Jason Posted: 2/24/2009 6:53am PST

    Chris, I think you have things a little off-base. These people are what most typical Americans are like right now. Not because many of them are our respective State Representatives, but because enthusiast car culture is a small subset of the American auto community. You are effectively judging the larger mass based on your own standing, which isn't a majority view. It's hard to see things from the outside, but perhaps you should try.

    Almost all of my coworkers drive imports like these. They don't care about performance or how fast or quick a car is, they just want reliability and quality. Boring to you, but sufficient for them (and me). In the end, people like me aren't defined by the cars we drive, but by what we do. Saying that these people probably aren't enthused about their work [because of what they drive] is really a *long* stretch.
     
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  3. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 2/24/2009 7:05am PST

    #1: saying this panel represents the american driver is wrong. the stats are that about 40 to 50% of americans are driving american 3 cars. this panel is way off from that. so you're putting the fate of the american auto industry in the hands of people who clearly dont have ties to it (for the most part).

    #2: im not saying they have to drive fun cars, but SOMETHING that draws some sort of passion about cars. theres a lack of sporty or fun cars, or even convertibles.. etc.

    #3: im not suggesting that people will do a good job or wont do a good job because of the car they drive. im suggesting that people who's work surrounds the american auto industry and they drive imports or otherwise boring vehicles simply will not care about it as much as if those same people were the types to drive american cars.

    im not saying american car drivers would be the best suited for the job.. what im saying is,.. passion for work translates into better work... and if you disagree with that.. well.. we'll simply have to disagree.
     
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  4. ma_NoNameDenton avatar NoNameDenton Posted: 2/24/2009 12:33pm PST

    Wow, that news is so shocking (Not really)
     
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  5. ma_Rice1 avatar Rice1 Posted: 2/24/2009 3:48pm PST

    It's all speculative. I think what's stuck in their minds, and many other U.S. citizens' as well, is the old reputation of American vehicles and reliability.

    To be fair, American vehicles today have improved vastly, according to consumer reports but the reputation still lingers.

    The big 3 have done good a job on SUVs and reborn muscle cars. Now if they can only produce some nicer looking commuter cars. I mean, I seriously cannot think of an American four banger that I'd be willing to purchase. What are our options? Cavalier, Focus, Aveo, Cobalt, PT Cruiser? Come on, give me something I can drive and still keep my pride in.
     
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