Still failing to do anything original: Ford, GM

Much has been made of the challenges faced by US automakers as compared to more successful non-US brands like Toyota and Honda. Difficulty negotiating with union labor is often cited, for example. I’m not even close to being an expert on the subject, but I can’t help suspecting that what lies at the heart of the problem could be more accurately described as a complete and utter lack of originality. An NPR story the other day about Ford and GM’s plan to copy Hyundai’s recession incentive supported this view.

Three months after Hyundai made a splash by allowing customers to return cars if they lost their jobs, Ford and GM—two companies that really need to be dreaming up creative solutions to their woes—are finally jumping on the bandwagon. In the wake of President Obama’s latest ultimatum, I have to wonder what else the Big Three didn’t think of. What else didn’t they even consider? From where I sit, their repeated failure is symptomatic of a reluctance to accept reality, make what seem like drastic changes, follow through on tough decisions, or some combination of all three (symptoms of poor recession-time leadership at many companies, in many industries). Another example is GM’s unwillingness to axe brands like Buick and Pontiac.

Before I get too carried away jumping to this conclusion based on one incentive campaign, let’s look at Ford, GM, and Chrysler’s products. I’ve heard a lot of “experts” defending them lately, echoing a mantra along the lines of “They make great cars. Their cars are as good or better than Toyota’s and Honda’s.” And my favorite, “Buick tied for first place as the most reliable car in the world.” Buick? What’s a Buick? The last time I noticed a Buick…well, I have no idea when I last noticed a Buick.

Again, I’m not a car expert. I’m in no way qualified to assess how “good” a car is when it comes to manufacturing, engineering, performance, or reliability. But the average car buyer probably isn’t either. I challenge you to make a list of all the new car designs offered by the Big Three in the past few years that stick in your mind for any reason that’s not negative. For me, pretty much all that comes to mind are either remakes of old brands (Dodge Challenger), or attempts to copy successful Asian car models (Ford Flex, which to my eye is a Honda Element or Scion xB). Everything else just looks like…everything else.

Do the same thing for Toyota, and you’ll probably come up with the Prius, FJ Cruiser, and Yaris, not to mention the Scion xB and xD, and a few Lexus models. It makes it hard to feel sorry for the Big Three. And despite their spokespeople’s repeated claims, they clearly don’t make cars that people want to buy, even with a promise to pick up the payments.