6G Celicas Forums

A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River . Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.

They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents, and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the ”Rowing Team Quality First Program” with meetings, dinners, and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India .

Sadly, The End.

Here's something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years trying to move all of its factories out of the US , claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US. The last quarter's results for 2007:

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Senior managers at Ford are still scratching their heads.

IF THIS WEREN'T SO TRUE, IT MIGHT BE FUNNY.

This post has been edited by tomazws: Nov 13, 2008 - 12:51 PM

I'm sad.

Detroit is a sinking ship.

Because its true, it is funny.

Like with this in mind, have you ever met those guys that are hard on for domestics?

My friend fails to acknowledge Toyota and Honda as a "domestic" even though they are made in Ontario (Corolla in Cambridge and Civic in Alliston), whereas the cars he drives, "domestics" were all made outside of Canada AND America.

Of course I'm Canadian and this idea of Domestic and Import is an American idea that seemed to seep over the border. Canada doesn't make Canadian cars.

But just because a car is built in a certain country doesn't make it a car of that nationality. A car's nationality comes from the brand's source nationality...I.E. Audi was started in Germany by Germans, Lotus in England by English, etc. etc.

Just because the Jetta is manufactured mostly in Mexico doesn't make it Mexican.

Semantics. By this logic a car designed, built and assembled in the US isn't American, because perhaps it's a Toyota.

What if imported a Toyota Cavalier. What is that?

This post has been edited by Supersprynt: Nov 13, 2008 - 4:25 PM

true this. Now an El Camino on the other hand

I like this story. tomazws, got any more?

Hahaha I don't think thats the case either.

The 'new' GTO, G8 and G8 Sport truck are Austraillian (sourced from Holden)... are they American because they display the Pontiac emblem, or Australian because they were manufactured and designed by Holden(Vauxhall has stakes on the 'GTO' aswell)

Same with the Saturn Astra (Opel/Vauxhaul) and the Speedster (GM engine, Lotus Engineering)

What would be said about the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe? Is it Japanese or American? Because its built in California along with the Pontiac Vibe, is the Toyota Matrix an American car? The Vibe has a Toyota engine in it, does that make it a Japanese car?

What I mean to say is that with badge engineering and manufacturing being outsourced, and the fact that we're dealing with multi-national corporations that most cars can't be decided by country, especially not the big 3. Ford is sourcing a fair amount of engineering from their agreement with Volvo and Mazda, Chrysler had that great agreement with Daimler-Mercedes that actually got them back on their feet for a little while, and GM is a major multi-national that has so many agreements with different manufactures and so many subsidiaries that it would be impossible to classify it.

They may have been started by Americans in America but the big 3 have branched into huge multi-national corporations, ending the age of Detroit and begining the age of the "world car"

oh i didn't write that.. i found it on another forum

Taskbot, they're redabged for another brand...so technically, they're Australian, but being badged under an American name makes THAT version American.

Same with the Saturn/Opel Astra.

Then found us some more

Really I wouldn't see it as such and neither would all of the people I have this debate with. Like Domestic and Import are really loosely defined terms and its all about one's knowledge and perception. With badge engineering its like every car is having an identity crisis. Some car's don't know if they're Japanese, English, German, American, Australlian, South Korean or Sweedish. Some days when the Focus WRC is kicking ass its like "Yay American cars" and other days where its doing piss poor its like "Stupid Europeans, sourcing their platform from Mazda and Volvo." Saying you drive a domestic only really serves to alienate most other people, and the people that say that only do it when it serves the purpose of proving their superiority.

Thats my experience anyways.

For the record, I do have this debate a lot and its strage, especially since I am in Canada. Sometimes I need to remind people that they are driving an import too. (You have no clue how satisfying it is to see the look on someone's face when I say that)

An abomination that would surely be a catalyst to the failure of Toyota

Heck yeah! I live in a town that is split between the new hot rods of today (imports) vs old school all American boys (domestics obviously).

My lil brother is contemplating getting a 91 MR2 Turbo. Now he goes to school with a specific social and racial group of people in this town that make the stereotype, and they dog imports. They asked him about what cars he is in, he said Tuners and they were like "Nah! Ford Trucks all the way!" LOL. My auto shop teacher grew up with Domestics, and he dogs Ford because of their reliability. He sees me sport Toyota all day (Down to even a Toyota Backpack! Yes, I am not lying. If they made Toyota undies, I would by them too!) and always speaks highly of them.


Hey, I know this is off topic (but we are in the off topic thread LOL) what is up with the "JDM" (LOL, yes, I realize Toyota sold a few overseas, but that doesn't change jack $#!T) Caveliers and those Cobalts with JDM Driver badges on them? I seen one today and I was like "WTF?! Foo, stick with your own stuff. GO put a Gitter done sticker on that SOB! Or an American flag!".

What is really the deal with these wanna be JDM American cars?! ARGH! That annoys me. That and people trying to race me or pretend they want to when cars are in front of both of us. Because they don't know my car is slow, and on an open road, unless they know they are in the 400's (HP), they slow down when I drive by and leave me alone when I get ahead (I am against street racing anyways, but we are talking going the speed limit here).

WTF is a Toyota Cavalier?

x2 with griff... abomination.... catalyst of.... failure... just like chevy

Toyota breifly tried to sell the Chevy Cavalier in Japan ["Tried" being the operative term] - this is why some kids who get their handmedown cavaliers attempt to get in on the JDM craze by badging their Cavaliers with TRD etc. TRD did make a rather nice bodykit for it tho - improves the style of the car 200%.
We have a guy like that here in Houston, D-Man. Goes by JDMCAV on Houston Imports - tried to join our crew once too [That's where I draw the line ].

This post has been edited by DEATH: Nov 14, 2008 - 4:58 PM

Really? Wow. I knew a guy with a cav back in the day. The damn thing was a rolling disaster waiting to happen. And all of a sudden... it did

But that's good to know. Now i wont look so 'tardish the next time the subject bounces up.

This post has been edited by D-Man: Nov 14, 2008 - 5:06 PM

that is the mistake.

From that to this:

http://members.shaw.ca/toyota_cavalier/pag...es/page3_11.jpg
I love TRD

This post has been edited by DEATH: Nov 14, 2008 - 5:18 PM

Still a Cavalier, who cares...then again, I was thinking about getting one.

<---- :fail:

It looks like a physically handicapped 4th Gen Supra...

This post has been edited by D-Man: Nov 14, 2008 - 5:25 PM