Dodge Viper or Mercedes - "All American" car ???

[zoomie]

Dodge Viper or Mercedes - \"All American\" car ???

The U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. is
having a National Conference this weekend through
next Wednesday, July 6 - July 9 at the Marriott
Wardman Park Hotel. I got a message on my answering
machine this afternoon at 4:36pm, while I was out
with a customer. It seems their conference planner
was requested to find a nice "All American" car for display
during the conference. When I returned the call at 5:06pm,
I was informed that they already had found a car, thank you.
I asked what they had found, and was told they wanted an
"All American" car, but they had found a local Mercedes
dealer to provide one.

Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Houss, someone from Dodge, anyone.. ???
How is a Mercedes an "All American" car vs
a Detroit made icon of one of the Big Three US
car makers ? If they had said Corvette, etc. it would
have made sense, but MERCEDES ? I would hope that the
attendees ask just how this reperesents UAW/URW/Dodge/GM/Ford
US Steel, ARMCO, ALCOA, etc., and all the other U.S. suppliers of
the U.S. automobile industry in ANY fashion.
I would have provided my Viper at lightspeed, but was
not even asked if I could at such short notice. That would
have been very cool for Dodge and VCA, and the U.S. of A !!


Mark Chatterton
Viper Rent LLC
www.ViperRent.com
ViperRent@ USA .com
Owings Mills, Maryland

 

[ViperJoe]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

MB, BMW, Honda, Subaru, Toyota, etc, etc are all built in the US now some with as much as 90% USA made parts. This was the subject recently on an AOL news story.
But still the BIG 3 are what I still refer to as "AMERICAN"
God Bless America! Happy Independance Day!!!

 

[GR8_ASP]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Only specific vehicles from those listed. Some only 1 model. But how many of the 90% (not true but I'll use it anyway) parts are from transplant part suppliers? For the japanese it is a lot more than you may think. And the engineering location, etc.

Would you call a McDonalds in Berlin a German business? Better yet would a German think a McDonalds in Berlin is German? Of course not, they picketed them in an anti-American statement. Doesn't matter where they buy their meat and buns

 

[monnieh]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

McDonalds in Berlin? That's a weird mental image. I wonder if the happy meals come with a special edition, Ronald "fry's for the fatherland" McDonald, that goosesteps when you wind him up.

 

[V10 MOJO]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

mercedes is not american. fine machines but not american, plain and simple. america should be represented by american cars and we all know what those are, all technicalities aside.

 

[zoomie]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Exactly. I didn't even think Mercedes had a plant
in the US, but I looked it up. One small plant in
Alabama. I know about the content in manufacturing,
worked in General Motors plant management for a number of years,
in scheduling and material control. y'know.. steel, rubber,
aluminum, fluids, plastics...
How much Dept of Labor involvement with Mercedes ? vs
with Dodge.. UAW.. URW.. GM.. Ford.. et al..
Just find it hared to believe they would turn down a Viper
for a National Conference display. sheesh.
Anybody here have Dept of Labor contacts?
They could at least have called a Dodge DEALER, etc !

 

[McGuireV10]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

It isn't about where the plants are, it's about where the money goes. When the cash leaves these shores, do you think it's coming back?

"Klaus, I'm havink a krraving for der Wal-Mart shoppink spree..."

NOT.

 

[DEVILDOG]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Typical government MORONS! The brainless have to work somewhere. What else could we do with our tax $$$s? Biggest welfare program ever!

 

[Bonkers]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes - \"All American\" car ???

I asked what they had found, and was told they wanted an
"All American" car, but they had found a local Mercedes
dealer to provide one.

Hey Zoomie, are they actually going to use a Benz or did the Dealership provide a Viper?

 

[Joseph Houss]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

I'd be glad to help.... but is it too late?

I betcha the car is from the Alabama plant, and I would guess that is the reason they picked it, rather than something else that is 100% American, as they probably wanted to focus on the quality that an American (Mercedes) labor force can provide.

Of course WE all know that the Conner Avenue Team deserves 1000% more attention!

 

[zoomie]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Yahoo ! Persistence pays off. I called the guy back, got
a chance to talk to him a bit. If they wanted an "All American"
car, I could not think of more than a couple that were as near
to 100 % - if any - than the Detroit-made Viper. He told me they
had also tried to get a 50th Anniversary Corvette, but the Corvette
had not come through. ( yes!) He asked to take a
look at it - he had seen the web photo - so I met him. When I drove up,
he could not believe the 'display' factor. He called his partners and
told them they had to make room for this.
I drove it down to DC Sunday morning and into the conference area of
the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. It caused a stir throughout the
conference area.. see the photo in the media area here.
Thanks for the comments. It looks great on display in the center
of the Automotive Education area. I'll be there Tuesday and Wednesday.
http://www.workforceinnovations.org/

 

[Bonkers]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Ah... so thats why you no answer my phone calls.... punk....

When you do get in drop me a line...

 

[zoomie]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

well, they asked for an "All American" car...

 

[Viperfreak2]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Ugh, the other "American" car is an SLK? Other than the smaller half of Daimler/Chrysler being in America, what part of Germany do they consider that thing being built on? Only the U.S. embassy grounds and an little Air Force base call Rammstein(sp?) is what I could call American.

 

[jcaspar1]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Have you seen the latest JD Powers vehicle dependability survey? Mercedes cars on average had more problems than every American car brand with the exception of Jeep! They did beat Kia, Suzuki and Daewoo . Chrysler and Dodge scored significantly better. Mercedes is actually dragging down the overall quality of the Damiler/Chrysler "merger".

Not a good brand to represent an American car for many reasons...

 

[Rich Detert]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Okay, so if they wanted a Mercedes platform, why didn't they why didn't they use a Chrysler Crossfire, basicly a SLK with a new skin and an American brand name (but still built in Germany).

 

[GR8_ASP]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

Now Rich what kind of comment is that from an employee?

I just had to say that after being accused in another thread of "speaking the corporate line." Ha. If you have ever been in a bar after work with fellow DC employees you would find that speaking the corporate line is pretty far from the truth.

BTW I share your opinion and then some. Not just a reskinned SLK but the old and soon to be retired SLK. They couldn't allow a Chrysler badged car to have similar present day technology as the new SLK.

 

[Rich Detert]

Re: Dodge Viper or Mercedes -

BTW I share your opinion and then some. Not just a reskinned SLK but the old and soon to be retired SLK. They couldn't allow a Chrysler badged car to have similar present day technology as the new SLK.

It seems kinda funny to me that an old outdate Merdedes SLK platform is acceptable to be used for what is being sold as an all new Chrysler Crossfire.

One of the articles I've read about the Crossfire described the SLK platform as not acceptable to the standards of Mercedes owners due to poor ride quality.
It seems it's good enough for the Chrysler owners though.