Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: Detroit's dying dinosaurs. Message-ID: <869@opus.UUCP> Date: Wed, 3-Oct-84 14:45:15 EDT Article-I.D.: opus.869 Posted: Wed Oct 3 14:45:15 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Oct-84 20:20:40 EDT References: <209@gargoyle.UUCP> <352@edison.UUCP> Organization: NBI,Inc, Boulder CO Lines: 33 > one reason that US autos get bad milage is the way that they > are constructed, (to save your life, when you wreck) domestic cars > have to answer to all kinds of regulations and consumer groups. > (foreign cars do not have this problem). Fella, the UAW loves you. But you've missed the truth by a pretty wide margin... "Consumer groups" don't set regulations. All autos sold in the US have to meet the same regulations for their type (passenger car, light truck, etc.) In fact, you'll find that even if you buy a car overseas, it will have to meet US regs before you can bring it in. Foreign manufacturers have the same problems as US manufacturers; however, fuel has been more expensive for them for longer, so they've had more time to work on fuel efficient cars. They also saw the small car market and tried to sell into it instead of trying to bolster the sagging large-car market artificially with high-powered marketing (hand in hand with mediocre technology). Collision protection is a red herring. In a collision, the larger car wins. So what? If your car weighs 3000 lb., I can protect myself by getting one that weighs 4000. You retaliate by getting one that weighs 5000, and so on. It's a no-win game--particularly if you meet up with a loaded semi. Speaking of collision protection, US manufacturers were the ones who pushed the hardest to get rid of 5-mph safe bumpers, and they jumped the fastest once that regulation was out. -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...Relax...don't worry...have a homebrew.