Mr. B

iTrader: (1)

U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday evening in a speech to a Joint Session of Congress that America must not abandon its automobile industry. “I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it,” said Obama.

The auto was invented by Benz.. Daimler.. Maybach (no Americans)

Gottlieb Daimler and his assistant William Maybach had perfected a four-cycle internal-combustion engine by 1885 and had built four experimental vehicles by 1889. Karl Benz built his first car in 1886 and by 1891 had developed the automobile to the stage of commercial feasibility. In France, Emile Constant Levassor created the basic mechanical arrangement of the modern motorcar in 1891 by placing the engine in front of the chassis, making it possible to accommodate larger, more powerful engines. Charles E. Duryea and J. Frank Duryea of Springfield, Mass., were bicycle mechanics who built their first car in 1893 after reading a description of the Benz car in Scientific American four years earlier, in 1889.

CAMJAG

iTrader: (34)

The assembly line yes, the automobile no

SmurfLSX

iTrader: (9)

maybe he was referring to henry ford ??

99bowtieZ

That is true, but the layout of that wasn't anything like you see in automobiles today. The Cadillac Type 53 was the first car to use the same control layout as modern automobiles- with the gear lever and hand brake in the middle of the front two seats, a key started ignition, and three pedals for the clutch, throttle, and brake in the modern order. This Cadillac was driven by a 77 horse power V8 engine. The Type 53 remained in production for one year only, in 1916.

You can see many of the first 'automobiles' in this clip-

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/1...ern_187343.htm

1 Bad Ass Formula

iTrader: (7)

Ford at least invented the Automobile in America, the Jap's didn't start coming until the early 70's. Also I don't think the heritage with any foreign car maker is the same as with the Big 3. When's the last time you saw a 34 Toyota? 34 Honda? No, how about a 57 Honda? Or a 65 Toyota Supra muscle car? The Jap's have never done what the American car makes continue to do today by building performance vehicles or vehicles with style for that matter.

02 Camaro SS

iTrader: (4)

Who didn't invent the automobile.

slayer_taunu

iTrader: (3)

oh great, so henry fort set us up for union labor :ROFL:

Mr. B

iTrader: (1)

Actually- Henry Ford always had the highest wages w/o unions:

"Make the best quality of goods possible at the lowest cost possible, paying the highest wages possible."

Henry Ford

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

Bob that's a phrase that most employers today would consider worse then swearing.

WS6TransAm01

iTrader: (13)

You're kidding me right? ANY foreign car maker? Are you forgeting car makers like Ferrari, Bugatti, Rolls Royce? No heritage in those makers at all right?

Does the Bugatti Type 41 Royale ring a bell? Most expencive car ever sold.

You are right, the Ford Windstar will have more of a heritage then the 1957 Ferrari 250 TR.

I could assume you are talking about Asian car companies, but the word "any" does make you sound silly with that statement.

NHRATA01

iTrader: (10)

He was a smart man - he paid double the going rate so his employees would become his customers too.

Many corporations should consider that logic before having mass layoffs, especially when they are financially healthy.

DevilDougWS6

iTrader: (8)

well if it wasnt for GM, and Ford Japan wouldn't even exist today. I think he is referring to the fact that the auto industry is basically what shaped this country to make us bigger and what we are today......well before the economy took a ****.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

LOL. I agree that most of today's companies should take a lesson from Henry Ford, but instead, they do like my place did today. Furlough everyone every other friday. So, instead of a raise this year, that was their way of giving us all a 10% pay cut.

Granted it's better then getting laid off completely, but the shitty part is that because they're only doing it one day every other week we can't collect anythiing.