Man, I didn’t even want to touch this one …
But hey. As for trying to gang-rape Dave, and throw a one-two combo of weak statistics that slightly back up your opinion and split hairs …
Let’s step back, and look at what we know to be facts.
And as far as I know, time doesn’t change facts. If we didn’t learn anything from the lessons of the 70s, more shame on us, 40 years later, more on our knees in front of the corporate automotive market.
FACT 1 - Car manufacturers, dealers, support networks, etc. could do much more to prevent car theft. The hardest car I’ve ever found to get into was a mid 90s GMC Jimmy. None of the usual Slim Jim or add ons worked.
The industry is rife with “could haves” from the factory. The 70s is too far back for a history lesson? Look at Ford now then. Ask any number of Sheriffs burned to death or near enough due to faulty gas tank placements. Cause that was the problem with Pintos. And I believe the example Dave was trying to bring up. The gas tank was integral with the rear bumper supports. In even a mild rear end collision, the gas tank would rupture, and send all the fuel spilling into the car, usually already on fire, or shortly going to catch. Oh yeah, and the Pinto also compacted like a tin can, rendering the doors unopenable.
And this is not conspiracy theory “I know a guy that knows a guy”. It gets better. Someone leaked an internal memo from Ford. They knew about the problem. Inside the memo is an actual graph, trying to forecast the cost of a total recall vs possible compensation payouts. They’d lose less money paying off burn victims and their families, so guess which route they took.
Could never happen today right? Wrong. Guess what the problem with the cruisers is? Now, for all of you hopping up and down to defend these “ethical” car manufacturers, stop. Stop and think about knowing full well that a product you are selling will trap and burn its occupants to death. Think about being able to calculate the economics of settlement vs a recall without compassion.
FACT 2 - Car manufacturers, in todays day and age, could make much much more maintenance-free vehicles. In fact, they could likely make cars last nearly forever. But they won’t. Why? They make way more money fixing their cars than they do selling them.
Put statistics which can be used to prove anything you want them to aside for a second, fire up the grey matter, and think. It’s not that hard. There’s no link to it, no google “independent thought” button. It’s called applying what is conceivable, to what has happened before. Is it really so hard to imagine that a car company would be willing to sell cars that are easy to steal?
Chrysler minivans can be started with a flat head screwdriver.
The suggestion is not that BMW or anyone else takes a car for the North American market, and makes it easier to steal. That was never mentioned, iterated or hinted at.
Put down your “I’ve read something somewhere” stick.
Dave is a relatively intelligent person. Let’s dissect how he came to his conclusion in simple, kindergarten terms so you can all catch up.
Cars were the same - easy to steal, all over the world.
People in the UK cried about it. Manufacturers, dealers, whoever, they’re all the same company one way or another, did something about it - factory or dealer installed anti-theft systems, a much more involved police and international police effort, etc.
Whether it was for that reason, planetary alignment, Tony Blair’s shoe size, car theft in the UK dropped almost 20%.
In North America, manufacturers, dealers, etc don’t offer these options free of charge, and most people don’t bother. The rate of theft in North America has remained essentially constant.
It is not by any sense a stretch to see that the UK, which did something about it, saw results.
And by the same token, NA did nothing, and the rates have stayed the same.
Could car manufacturers make cars harder to steal? Your damn right they could. The reason they don’t is not to make it easier to steal, but rather it becomes a no loss situation. They save money on having to develop and implement new technology, and as well, they’d lose the money they get from selling replacements.
Wait until you have a car stolen, and see how long it takes anyone to do anything about it. What happens instead? Your insurance company cuts you a check before the car has been recovered.
As for new exotics being stolen, check for it on eBay.ru
Anyone know anyone that’s been to Russia recently? I’ve seen lots and lots of pictures of high-end cars still wearing the dealership name plates. Most of them are from American and Toronto-based dealerships.
Last I checked Budds doesn’t have a satellite dealership in Moscow.
instead of figuring out why car theft isn’t being addressed here.
No one including me said the same cars were manufactured differently intentially. I am saying NOT MUCH HAS BEEN DONE to combat theft at all with NA cars…no change for over a decade hmmm.