Nickname: Tom Bell

Review: I like the article, but I want to point out that the Datsun Z car was produced first as a 1969 model, not a "late 1970's car."

Date reviewed: Sep 8, 2005 10:34 PM

Nickname: DW

Review: I'm a native Detroiter and I have watched my city die as Ford and GM get their lunch eaten by Japan. But your article misses the point. The foreigners make boring cars too, but they're great companies. What's going on? The Detroit 3 lost its lunch when it failed through poor management to embrace more economical design and manufacturing practices like the Japanese did (and still haven't caught up). Even in the battle for boring cars, Detroit lost. Making "eye candy" isn't necessarily the answer. Whatever it makes, it must do it affordably and it has to sell. That's a tall order for suits with their head in the ground.

Date reviewed: Sep 5, 2005 3:11 AM

Nickname: FredMT

Review: Rekindling the passion for cars is meangingful but 180 degrees off. Cars are now tools to shuttle kids, work, and errand running. People still love their cars but they now view them as disposable items because they cannot work on them anymore. In their drive to make the car more effecient, manufacturers have removed the one person that matters the most from the equation. Walk into any showroom to see my point! Salesmen can dazzle you with the full technical wizardry of the tin. By the next day something goes wrong: Service. To understand this phenomenon, simply look at the state of the personal computer. As great as it is, it has been relegated to the status of "throw-away" because the manufacturers have made it untinkerable, primarily Microsoft, Dell, HP, and all software manufacturers share the blame. Cars are past the point of PCs, so people treat them as disposable items and because of that, they buy when there is a bargain. Detroit has finally understood that.

Date reviewed: Sep 5, 2005 2:15 AM

Nickname: Dori

Review: Loved the article. With great empathy to US car industry, I have a different opinion. Detroit has become a leader by innovating--be it production methods, AC, automatic transmission, and more. The days of "more of the same" are long gone. There must be responsible leadership across the industry and commitment to new technologies. GM-Ford, please follow through on your interesting electric, hybrid, common floor ventures, and save us (customers) the need to convince ourselves that US cars are competitive. Please show us the creative minds of America. I am a car designer, myself, and am very much concerned that soon the only incentive to by American will be incentives. Yours sincerely, Dori Regev

Date reviewed: Sep 4, 2005 6:51 AM

Nickname: beachdreamer

Review: Detroit needs to admit it has lost the automotive race. No bit of gimickry will solve Detroit's problem. Detroit needs to go back to basics--and that is, desiging appealing cars. My question is this: Who is siging off on these dull, ugly designs? Furthermore, who is designing these cars?

Date reviewed: Sep 4, 2005 3:17 AM