A little history. In the 1980's Donald Peterson was the head of FMoC. He had always, as had most of the Ford executives, been chauffeured around and had not actually driven a car in years. For some reason, (I forget) he wound up at the Bob Bondurant driving school. (I think because Bob was buying a fleet of mustangs for the school. Anyway, They got to talking and Don was informed that his cars needed to be modified to have proper pedal set up (heel and toe) and the springs and shocks altered. The difference was demonstrated to him and it was an epiphany. He wound up sending ALL the top executives of the company to Bob's high performance school so that they would KNOW what a car was supposed to feel like and how it should respond. That marked the end of Ford's making boulevardiers! He also made the decision that they would make the best car they could and sell it at a fair price, instead of trying to make cars to a price point, and "decontenting" them to achieve that point. It marked a turnaround for Ford and the results can be seen to this day..... .. ...
Meanwhile... 1982 .. GM announces a new car division... SATURN
1983...Honda announces a new car division, Acura
1984 Toyota announces a new car division. Lexus
1985 Nissan announces .................... INfinity
1986.. first Acuras sold
1989 First Lexus's sold
1990 First Infinity's sold
1991 Saturn (finally) introduced.
Also in the 1980s GM introduced the GM MARK OF EXCELLENCE campaign..... GM has always found it cheaper to ADVERTISE their quality than to actually build it into their cars....
I WANT to buy domestic, but GM's quality is spotty and Chrysler is even worse. That has only left me FORD and now that will be taken away. Growing up, I was always a Chevy guy, not a Ford man, .. until I owned a FORD. They only problems I've ever had has been the fuel pumps.
My 2¢
Meanwhile... 1982 .. GM announces a new car division... SATURN
1983...Honda announces a new car division, Acura
1984 Toyota announces a new car division. Lexus
1985 Nissan announces .................... INfinity
1986.. first Acuras sold
1989 First Lexus's sold
1990 First Infinity's sold
1991 Saturn (finally) introduced.
Also in the 1980s GM introduced the GM MARK OF EXCELLENCE campaign..... GM has always found it cheaper to ADVERTISE their quality than to actually build it into their cars....
I WANT to buy domestic, but GM's quality is spotty and Chrysler is even worse. That has only left me FORD and now that will be taken away. Growing up, I was always a Chevy guy, not a Ford man, .. until I owned a FORD. They only problems I've ever had has been the fuel pumps.
My 2¢