text: Ford To End Production Of Crown Vic/Police Interceptor - Page 2
  Ford To End Production Of Crown Vic/Police Interceptor
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  Posts294	Have we spoken to soon about bagging the Holden
  Posts613	Originally Posted by pumper8032
  Have we spoken to soon about bagging the Holden
  Wait, so let me get this straight, because I'm a little confused: They're planning on importing these cars, which are essentially a GM product built down under, and rebadging them as Chevy Caprices, instead of just building them HERE in US factories?!? Gee, what a huge shocker our auto industry and economy is in the toilet. Last edited by Chauffer6; 10-05-2009 at 11:05 PM.
  Reply With Quote 10-05-2009, 09:39 PM
  Posts8,165	Government at it's finest.I'm going to patent a new cranial-rectal inversion reversal tool.Should be a top seller. T.C.
  Reply With Quote 10-05-2009, 10:16 PM
  Posts97	The Holden CAPRICE and Chevy IMPALA are 2 different cars. The Holden is rear wheel drive and the Chevy is front wheel drive. It is interesting though how the same company can build decent, fuel efficient vehicles on other continents but not here.
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 02:22 AM
  Posts294	I can't see why they don't build these in the GM factories in the US, all they need is to tool the factories to suit this car, and build it over in the US, but I guess you make a valid point, what is the auto industry doing in the US when they have to import police cars. I find it more amusing that we have a clause in our fleet purchasing over here that the government cars have to be Australian made..... Share
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 02:39 AM
  Posts613	I have no problem whatsoever with you guys down under...Australia or New Zealand. You're some of the nicest people I've ever known, and if we're going to import stuff and send our $$$ overseas, I'd much rather it go to you guys than communist China. The point is that it's just absurd that the Holden is more or less a GM/US product, and now the talk is of importing what is basically our own products? Great for you guys, but bad for the auto workers stateside. I just think given the bad economic climate here, especially the downfall of the US auto industry, GM in particular...that it's a slap in the face to import these cars instead of building them here.
  BTW, I'm not sure that article is very accurate to begin with. "20,000 cars" for LA??? That seems a bit...much...unless they're talking about a very long term contract to build/ship X amount per year for X amount of years.
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 02:46 AM
  Posts613	Another article about them. Still doesn't make it clear if they'll be built stateside or down under. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/...ice/index.html
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 05:46 AM
  Posts294	As far as I can work out, they are still working out where to build them. The hassle is, that its an Australian designed and built car, nothing to do with the Americans, and our government has invested a lot of money into getting these cars built. If they were to be built over in the US they would have to re-tool the US lines. The contract is for 10 years as I understand, some creative writing has made it sound like they want them all now.
  Posts3,106	Originally Posted by pumper8032
  I can't see why they don't build these in the GM factories in the US, all they need is to tool the factories to suit this car, and build it over in the US, but I guess you make a valid point, what is the auto industry doing in the US when they have to import police cars. I find it more amusing that we have a clause in our fleet purchasing over here that the government cars have to be Australian made..... Because auto industry union contracts make US labor not competitive or affordable. Biggest problem is the huge health insurance costs of retirees.
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 11:23 AM
  Posts869	Police Car
  A very interesting article Chauffer6. I think the operative word in the article is "large". The article says similar to the Pontiac G8 but larger. I consider the Pontiac G8 to be a mid-size car. Not in the same class as a full size Crown Vic. Don't know how much larger is "large". But having a chevy V-8 and rear wheel drive goes a long way to make it a "real" police crusier.
  The Aussies are probably better equipped to develop lower volume specialty cars than US based Government Motors. Heck, thay can't even make Saturn work and they have some very nice vehicles.
  And GM in the US will never be competative until they unload the huge retirement and health care burdan. What happened after Chapter 11?? They will unload all of that burdan on the US tax payers if Obama Care passes!
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 07:20 PM
  Posts13,586	Originally Posted by neiowa
  Because auto industry union contracts make US labor not competitive or affordable. Biggest problem is the huge health insurance costs of retirees.
  Those retirees made a boatload of money for GM before the "bean counters" took over and ruined the company.
  My father in law is a GM retiree who worked on the assembly line at GM Framingham. When GM went chapter 11, his benefits went south... deep south.
  Last edited by CaptainGonzo; 10-12-2009 at 10:51 AM.
  Reply With Quote 10-06-2009, 11:33 PM
  Posts294	Having driven the Holden Caprice and Statesman I can vouch for the fact they are MUCH bigger than the Commodore/G8. I don't think you will have an issue with those models. I mean its good for Australia that we get to build them, but it just goes to show how crazy things are right now.
  Reply With Quote 10-07-2009, 09:08 AM
  Posts8,165	holy schit Darren,they LET you drive Go Fast cars?hehe T.C.
  Posts294	Yeah they do, and they let me drive them on the correct side of the road to.....
  Reply With Quote 10-09-2009, 09:18 AM
  Posts869	Wrong Side
  Isn't that what sparked the American Revolution in 1776 against the English? The pesky Brits wanted us to drive our horse and buggys on the wrong side of the road! ! !
  Reply With Quote 10-09-2009, 01:05 PM
  DeathValleyCap
  Location Valley of Death, CA
  Posts151	me thinks that little revolution was caused by unfair taxation, but as I'm growing older I could be wrong.