Another Knowledgeable TACH Reader Remarks on "Let Them Eat Cake"

SEE ALSO: Let Them Eat Cake - Where Are The Electric-Diesel Hybrids? Reflections from a Car Guy

Dear Mr. Gordon,

I read with interest, your article, "Let them eat cake" and share your concern about the conscience and awareness of the buying public, to the impending energy crisis that awaits us all. The installation rate of diesel engines in North American cars is limited to a few suppliers- VW, Mercedes and BMW.

Later this year a "flotilla" of Japanese diesel powered vehicles will land on our shores. In response to this further assault on domestic market share, Ford has said that there is no market for diesel engined vehicles here; GM is courting an Italian based producer of small displacement diesel engines for possible installation in North American product and Chrysler, with a Mercedes diesel in a limited number of SUVs, seems to be very confused. Each of these companies has experience with diesel engined cars and trucks in foreign markets, yet seem to ignore the growing wave of public sentiment towards environmental conservation.

We don't have to reinvent the wheel (pardon the pun) but rather, look toward foreign shores, to countries that are more than ten times older (and apparently much wiser) than the USA, to see how they have addressed the issue of high fuel costs and enviromental restraint. Learn from the "old folks" who have recognised the benefit of diesel power, now in conjunction with supplemental electric energy, to carry us along perhaps for another fifty years or, until the next generation of energy is developed (hydrogen, solar, etc).

No-one need surrender his lust for speed and performance to a diesel engine; the BMW 5 Series diesel is faster than the gasoline counterpart; Volkswagen will this year introduce a North American racing series which will feature 170 hp Jetta TDIs, which will astound the public with performance. It isn't horsepower that wins races, its the amount ot torque that can be transferred to the wheels that counts!

We will soon see what the Europeans and Japanese have done for the rest of the world and for us, since we haven't or cannot do it for ourselves! It troubles me that we have seen domestic market share tumble from approximately 85% to less than 50% in the past 25 years. Now, unless the domestic producers sever their association with large refineries, we will see a further erosion of market share and the inevitable loss of one, possiby two auto makers, within the next ten years. When we lose the auto industry, as the economic driver of North American economy, we all can meet at McDonalds, to cry about the mistakes that were made. But; come to think of it, if the economy collapses, we won't be able to afford MacDonalds!

This is my read on what is happening; however, I have faith that we also have the ability to recognise what should be done and can react with competitive product, to save our market and our industry. "Damned the torpedos, full speed ahead!!!"

Roy Z.