Ron Hart: Introducing the fall lineup of GM/Chrysler cars

Nick Gillespie | June 11, 2009

Columnist Ron Hart:

With the Democrats now running the car companies, look for quite a fall lineup of cars. My guess is that you will like the GM two-cylinder Geithner Midget. It veers hard to the left for no good reason, pays no taxes, blocks Rush Limbaugh on the radio and shows no remorse for past bad driving.

Whole thing here.

Comments

EscapedWestOfTheBigMuddy|6.11.09 @ 4:04PM|#

One of my high school acquaintances drove a Gremlin. It truly was not a car.

|6.11.09 @ 4:10PM|#

I followed the link on the advertisement and ended up on Ebay motors with a prime 74 Gremlin with a V8 and an air scoop for 4K.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/amc-gremlin-x-1974-amc-gremlin-x_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ190313750079QQsspagenameZRSSQ3aBQ3aSRCHQ3aUSQ3a101

I love Big Bro|6.11.09 @ 4:11PM|#

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1357/AMC/post/1558423/1970-GREMLIN.html

Used $6,900.00
New $1,959.00

Will the new Obamamobile keep value like the Gremlin?

I don't think Toyota can even do that.

|6.11.09 @ 4:20PM|#

And from Crysler:

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z15805/Chrysler-Peapod.aspx

phalkor|6.11.09 @ 4:23PM|#

0-60 in 15.4 seconds

wouldn't that be kinda dangerous these days? we have itty bitty shorty on ramps full of potholes here in PA.

|6.11.09 @ 4:24PM|#

"wouldn't that be kinda dangerous these days? we have itty bitty shorty on ramps full of potholes here in PA."

Do they still have stop signs at the end of the ramps in PA?

|6.11.09 @ 4:27PM|#

And it runs on "environmentally friendly biofuel!"

EJM|6.11.09 @ 4:34PM|#

And it runs on "environmentally friendly biofuel!"

Supposedly, Koenigsegg is now buying Saab.

|6.11.09 @ 4:39PM|#

Supposedly, Koenigsegg is now buying Saab.

Huh. I wonder if they plan on revamping anything...

|6.11.09 @ 4:43PM|#

I have always liked Saabs. Glad to see them getting away from Obama Motors. Hopefully they can turn themselves around. The thing with Ford, Saturn and every company not owned by the government is that Obama is going to make it impossible to do business. The plan is to make it impossilbe to sell anything but a smallest shitiest most expensive Green mobile imaginable.

You have to remember Obama and his ilk hate freedom. Cars have done more to make people free than anything else over the last 100 years. They therefore hate cars most of all. The whole point of the auto bailout, beyond paying off the UAW, is to be able to control what cars are produced in this country for the purpose of making sure that cars are as expensive and undesireable as possible.

|6.11.09 @ 4:53PM|#

"Cars have done more to make people free than anything else over the last 100 years"

I'm gonna go with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

|6.11.09 @ 5:00PM|#

I'm gonna go with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.


I am going to take cars. Cars enabled us to live where we want. It got us out of the cities and gave us the ability to live the lifestyle we chose to live. People like Obama hate that. They hate the idea of people doing things that they don't approve of.

|6.11.09 @ 5:04PM|#

I'm gonna go with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

I have to agree with John. That act mainly "freed" minority groups, but the car applies to all Americans.
It gives one the freedom to travel wherever, whenever, on whatever route you'd like to take.

|6.11.09 @ 5:05PM|#

Didn't the Brits try government restructuring of car companies once? And didn't a certain television host ask this about the result: "Did British Leyland ever make a good car?"

Scarcity|6.11.09 @ 5:08PM|#

But this is different - Obama doesn't want to run the car companies.

|6.11.09 @ 5:12PM|#

Not to say the civil rights act wasn't important. It was. But, cars totally changed our lifestyles for the better in so many ways. Imagine being stuck in a tenement close to your work. Imagine streets filled with horse crap. Imagine being on a farm a day or more walk or ride to the nearest railhead or town. Cars changed everything.

|6.11.09 @ 5:13PM|#

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/1357/AMC/post/1558423/1970-GREMLIN.html

Used $6,900.00
New $1,959.00

Will the new Obamamobile keep value like the Gremlin?

I don't think Toyota can even do that.

In 1970: $1,959 = 47 ounces of gold, or 1,200 ounces of silver
In 2009: $6,900 = 7.25 ounces of gold, or 460 ounces of silver

Decline in value of the "car": 6.5:1 in terms of gold, or 2.6:1 in terms of silver

|6.11.09 @ 5:15PM|#

But this is different - Obama doesn't want to run the car companies.

Not really. The government didn't run British Leyland, just "encouraged" them to merge with BMC in an effort to keep BMC from failing.

Top Gear did an entire episode on communist cars and cars made by union owned companies. If history can be trusted, the end results for Chrysler will not be pretty.

|6.11.09 @ 5:20PM|#

"Top Gear did an entire episode on communist cars and cars made by union owned companies. If history can be trusted, the end results for Chrysler will not be pretty."


No it won't. But this is much worse than Labor Britian. Put all of the things Obama is doing together. He is raising the CAFE standards to absurd levels making it impossible to make anything but expensive, small undesireable cars. He is taking over two of the biggest auto companies and making sure that they only make small undesireable cars. He is going to buy old cars and destroy them making used cars more expensive. The end result is going to force everyone to cars that are expensive and undesireable or in other words make cars less desireable and harder to own so people buy fewer of them.

|6.11.09 @ 5:30PM|#

Heh. We should all pull our catalytic converters off to spite the asshole.

Brian E|6.11.09 @ 5:40PM|#

It veers hard to the left for no good reason, pays no taxes, blocks Rush Limbaugh on the radio and shows no remorse for past bad driving.

What? No, Rush has been in GM's back pocket for years. He eventually had to disclose the payola he was getting. They still love him, even if he's making half-hearted noise about a boycott. In six months, all will be forgiven, and GM's latest half-hearted attempt at a segment-beater will be the best thing since sliced bread for him.

|6.11.09 @ 5:55PM|#

I seriously doubt it, Brian. Rush doesn't need whatever payola he's getting from GM, and for him to shill for Obama Motors would alienate the hell out of his audience.

It'll be interesting to see.

|6.11.09 @ 6:27PM|#

i was considering the cash for clunkers since i would net a cool 1k over price i bought my truck for 1.5 years ago, but, the comments here brought up a good point. Couple more years and i don't need to do emissions (it's an 89!) one more reason for me to keep my 4x4 blazer with a 350!

..|6.11.09 @ 6:38PM|#

"look for quite a fall lineup of cars"

Look for what? This does not compute.

|6.11.09 @ 7:13PM|#

Yes, it takes years to get new designs on the road. Nothing new will appear for a while, though older models (and brands) may disappear quickly.

zoltan|6.11.09 @ 7:33PM|#

I'm too young to get this joke, all you old farts!

|6.11.09 @ 10:49PM|#

Serious assessment time ...

How long before GM winds up back in bankruptcy court, and/or gets another bailout?

One year, five years, six months?

Can the new scaled down GM actually turn a profit, for a while? Or will their remaining union obligations, failing market share, and tighter emissions standards continue to weigh more heavily than anticipated?

Educated guesses, please.

Gilbert Martin|6.12.09 @ 12:15AM|#

"What? No, Rush has been in GM's back pocket for years. He eventually had to disclose the payola he was getting"

If by being in GM's back pocket you mean they have an advertising deal with him to get mention on his show just like that matress company and the tankless water heater company, etc, etc. - then yeah he's in their back pocket. Its' hardly a secret and there's nothing to "disclose" about it.

Gilbert Martin|6.12.09 @ 12:17AM|#

"It veers hard to the left for no good reason, pays no taxes, blocks Rush Limbaugh on the radio and shows no remorse for past bad driving."

And all the tires are old retreads.

|6.12.09 @ 1:08AM|#

Hazel Meade | June 11, 2009, 10:49pm | #

Serious assessment time ...

How long before GM winds up back in bankruptcy court, and/or gets another bailout?

One year, five years, six months?

Educated guesses, please.

My best guess on the next "cash infusion" (don't call it a bailout): September 2009

The next bankruptcy filing: Not before November 7, 2012.

JB|6.12.09 @ 2:09AM|#

Anyone who buys a car from Government Motors is a fucking retarded clump of cells.

Yolanda|6.12.09 @ 8:13AM|#

I really enjoy Hart's writing. He reminds me of P.J. O'Rourke.

PattieD|6.12.09 @ 8:18AM|#

WOnderful column and funny. I Googled this guy and here are his other columns:

www.ronaldhart.com

Good stuff!

|6.12.09 @ 10:03AM|#

"Cars have done more to make people free than anything else over the last 100 years"

I am going to go with full auto weapons and advanced aircraft. We are talking Free here.

monkey on juice|6.12.09 @ 10:14AM|#

"Anyone who buys a car from Government Motors is a fucking retarded clump of cells."


...or a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience.

LarryA|6.12.09 @ 12:38PM|#

Imagine being stuck in a tenement close to your work. Imagine streets filled with horse crap. Imagine being on a farm a day or more walk or ride to the nearest railhead or town.

Imagine picking up a date and walking down to the streetcar stop.

Yes, it takes years to get new designs on the road. Nothing new will appear for a while, though older models (and brands) may disappear quickly.

It takes years to develop cars if you have to worry about people buying them. Crap is much quicker.

BTW, Chrysler just sent me a letter saying how strong they're going to be now that they have bankruptcy behind them, and offering a $1,000 loyalty bonus if I buy a new Jeep. My wife got almost the same message from GM.