On Wed, May 31, 2006 1:42 pm, jon@dakota-truck.net wrote:
>
> and the slide rule. Now, we've got computerized factories, JIT
> inventory, and more capability than ever before, yet the options are
> more limited than ever. Seems to me like somewhere, we headed in the
> wrong direction, and we should be using our newfound capabilities to
> once again create truly personalized vehicles, rather than vapid
> cookie cutters.
I think options are grouped in a manner designed to be the least expensive in
terms of additional wiring and plastic fasteners.
There's a concept in manufacturing that's been lost on the [domestic]
automotive industry for some time - "Better, Faster, Cheaper." Most
manufacturers applied the concept as intended and managed to make better
products faster and cheaper. The automakers on the other hand didn't give
the "Better" part of the triad more than a slight nod. The fact that they've
gotten away with it for so long is mind-boggling. Usually when a business
chooses to focus on "faster and cheaper" their customers complain. We don't
complain to the automakers though, we just sit back and accept "that's just
how it is" as a valid excuse.
However, this isn't all the automaker's fault; most people look at an
automobile as nothing more than basic transportation. The "enthusiast" group
has always been the minority, and for the most part we're the only people who
care about stuff optioning our cars with no power goodies and the biggest
engine available. The average "Joe" doesn't care about being able to slow
the earth's rotation because he's got a million foot-pounds of torque on tap.
Then, to top it all off, you're forgetting that the "fun" version is also the
most expensive. Fortunately we can afford those models, but most of the fun
vehicles are snapped up by men going through their mid-life crisis. The
Cobra model of the Mustang is a decent example. They were ~$38k new and
mostly older people ended up driving them, they didn't really start to get
"driven" until they'd gotten some miles on the clock - by the "kid" who
bought it used and modded it to race it.
Look at the Toyota Camry, it's the best selling vehicle on the planet yet
it's horribly bland and unexciting. It is however, one of the singular most
reliable vehicles on the market. This suggests that most people really only
care about their car "working" when they want it to. They're not taking it
offroad, burning up the track, or out wreaking havoc on unsuspecting
stoplights. Instead, they're driving the kids to school, commuting to work,
or maybe going shopping. The availability of a gazillion combinations of
options is irrelevant to them and therefore the automakers as well.
-- - Josh www.omg-stfu.comThis message has been brought to you by the American Kneejerk Coalition for Equality, Compassion, and the Restoration of Karmic Unity of Self And Other Silly Hippy Happy-Swell Gayness Bullshit, or AKCECRKUSAOSHHSGB for short.
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