Though their cars have improved, at least according to Consumer Reports, they have left bad tastes in consumers' mouths from past years of sub par performance.
And even if what you're saying is true, they shouldn't be going to the government for free handouts. Their current state (including higher costs from deals _they_ negotiated) is no one's fault but their own. And then to call the American public investors is embarassing.
I wasn't for the bailout. But I still disagree with everything Cuban said. Their sub par performance was due only to their higher cost basis. Americans don't suffer from a lack of quality engineering. Look at Lockheed, Boeing, etc.
Lowering the cost to build a car is the only way they can compete, and that means lowering wages.
Also, calling Americans investors might make them feel some ownership, which might push them toward a Chrysler next time they go to buy a car. People who own stock in companies have been shown to patronize them over competitors by a wide margin. Of course we don't literally own stock in Chrysler, but if they can make us feel that connection, it might factor into a buying decision. It's possibly good marketing. (It's possibly not too though, I'm not sure).
I have to disagree. Americans do suffer from quailty engineering. Look at Lockheed, Boeing, etc. The Joint Strike Fighter costs something like $140 million a plane. Its foreign competition costs somewhere in the range of 40 to 60 million. Oh, and it already has most of the kinks out.
Or take the Apache helicopter, which are still hand built. At current capacity, only about 60 can be built a year. And we're on a war footing. 51% of your tax dollars get shuffled to the DoD. We're fighting and losing two wars.
Chrysler is a private company that couldn't get a loan from the firm that owns an 80% stake in the company. They know better than anyone that its not "labor cost" that's holding back Chrysler, but fundamental inability to run their business in a profitable fashion.
So people will be coaxed in to buying empirically inferior and more expensive cars? Buying American for the sake of buying American is retarded. The engineering debate can't really be proven one way or the other, but the ratings from places like Car & Driver, Consumer Reports, etc can (even if American cars have improved in recent years).
And even if what you're saying is true, they shouldn't be going to the government for free handouts. Their current state (including higher costs from deals _they_ negotiated) is no one's fault but their own. And then to call the American public investors is embarassing.