Monday, January 30, 2012

Ford: The Choice of Consumers

During the early 1920s—a time when Europe was struggling to recover from the destruction of World War I, and Japan was still discovering indoor plumbing—a man in Dearborn, Michigan named Henry Ford was attempting to do what no man had done before. He was going to put an automobile in every family’s garage. His method? The assembly line. His philosophy? Three standards: affordability, reliability, and reparability. By continuing with such ingenuity and remaining at the forefront of technology, Ford is the best choice of automobile for all Americans.
Beginning with affordability, Ford has always given Americans the best “bang for the buck” with all their products. In an effort to not only increase the standard of living nation wide, but also to stimulate sales, Ford lowered the price of the Model T to $290 ($3,289 today) and made it possible for every family to be mobile. Continuing this legacy throughout history, the company has introduced an affordable option for every endeavor. From the “Everyman’s Boss” Mustang campaign of the 1960s, we saw a genuine sports car that rivaled the exotics of Europe. Priced at $3,588 when introduced in 1969, the Boss 302 gave young motorsports enthusiasts an opportunity to have a sports car from the same company that beat Ferrari two years prior at Le Mans. It seemed ridiculous to spend $19500 on a Ferrari Daytona when the same engine in your Boss won at Mans. This legacy continues even today when the Taurus SHO rivals far more expensive sport sedans. With its twin turbos, direct injection, and variable valve timing giving it superior power and efficiency, the $38,000 for a Tauurus seems a hefty price until compared to its competitors: the $84,000 BMW 750i, the $75480 Lexus LS, and the $47,280 Cadillac STS. It seems Ford time and time again gives you the best value dollar for dollar.


A classic man with an iconic car.
The next point in the Ford tradition is reliability. Having not only some of the best warranties in the industry, Ford manufactures vehicles that need lesser maintenance to begin with. Having proving grounds in the deserts of Arizona, the swamps of Florida, and the extreme cold of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ford designs its automobiles to endure and excel in a huge spectrum of conditions. Ford’s vehicles are also subjected to neglect and abuse during comparison testing so that they outperform other cars in most all cases. Seeing the infamous “Pad” (a quarter mile square asphalt lot where handling tests take place) at the Dearborn Development Center, I can attest without a doubt that even the most boring of vehicles produced by this manufacturer will stun the average consumer in durability and handling.

 
The luxury sedan of tomorrow.
Lastly, a common problem with automobiles throughout history has been reparability. When glancing through a Chilton’s service manual for most other manufacturers’ vehicles, phrases commonly pop up that are rarely seen in a manual for a Ford. Phrases such as “special tool part number” or “dealer service only” often appear. This is an important thing to note because it means high maintenance bills. As an ASE certified mechanic, I can honestly say that the easiest cars to work on have been Fords, Lincolns, and Mercurys (all produced by the Ford Motor Company). Where routine maintenance items, such as injector replacement, can involve disassembly of the whole top part of the engine on GMs and some Hondas, on a Ford it is a simple task of removing a few bolts and snapping the new part in.
Now it seems that there are many critics in the world who have yet to see the light and stand by Ford. There are ramblings of “German Engineering” and “Japanese Reliability” that domestic manufacturers can simply not compete with. I assert to you that this is not so. The claim of how German cars have more engineering put into them is not really an advantage. When a part is over complex, it is more likely to fail and be difficult to replace. For example, when replacing the timing belt on a Porsche 944, half of the engine must be disassembled and a special spanner tool is needed. If this belt is ignored or not replaced every 30,000 miles as the manual suggests, a failure would ruin the valves when they crash into the pistons. As to the Japanese supporters, the idea that any one car is inherently more reliable than another is a naïve dream. Though it is true a good design creates a far more reliable product, proper care and maintenance do far more good than a little emblem on the hood that looks like a bull.
It seems that only a lesser man would choose a non-Ford type vehicle. Even after the 108 years of competition, trial, and turmoil, the Ford Motor Company has endured; it still remains at the forefront of the industry and the only sensible choice for us, the American consumers. So next time you decide it’s time for a new car and start shopping around, don’t be deceived by the Japanese paradigm of reliability or the German logic of over-engineering. Instead think for yourself, compare numbers and quality, and lastly, stop by the Ford dealership again and see for yourself that the Blue Oval is what you need. Ford: Drive one.



http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GOinvOM2QbsJ:www.supercars.net/cars/1904.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Friday, January 27, 2012

Having insufficient funds to purchase a car, I bought a longboard as my primary means of transportation. Over the past month however, I have run into a problem: I have been stopped on two separate occasions for riding my longboard. First, I was stopped by a Provo Police officer (yeah that's right, a ProPo...) because I was riding after dark with no headlight and no taillight. After being reprimanded, I thanked the officer and walked away briskly before he could ask for ID or think of something else to do. Realizing my apparent illegal activity, I decided it was safer to ride on private property--BYU that is.  This was going well until I was stopped by a BYU officer who informed me that "you longboarders have damaged church property--and we'll have no more of that" (or something to that effect). Frankly, I was offended. I like to think of myself as a good upstanding LDS youth. If the city's biggest problem is longboarding home from school after dark, then this seems a great college campus. Also, I can say with confidence that whatever longboarder "damaged" Church or Temple property was likely not an LDS youth. As much as I would like to have a car, I cannot afford it. And now apparently I am a delinquent for trying to get from place to place.....

Monday, January 23, 2012

Claim, Reason and Assumption

Claim:  The most superior and best choice of automobile is one manufactured by the Ford Motor Company.

Reason:  There are three simple areas where Ford excels and others fall short: affordability, reliability and reparability.

Assumptions:  Consumers want the best "bang for their buck", a car that they can depend on every day and lastly a car that is easy to maintain.

Logos, Ethos and Pathos


In my opinion editorial, I address the obvious superiority of the Ford Motor Company to all its competitors.  In arguing this, I attempt to appeal to the three components of rhetoric: logos, pathos and ethos.  To appeal to the reader’s pathos, I try to stir a feeling of American ingenuity and pride.  I try to show Henry Ford as a man just like any other, but with a dream.  Later, I also try to give the reader a sense of adventure when bringing up the idea of a real sports car that anyone can own.
To use ethos, I state that I myself am a certified mechanic and give the reader an idea that though I am similar to them, I decided to pursue the hobby of motoring and have become an expert.  I also state I have worked at the Ford Proving Grounds and have seen testing take place.  It is very important to realize this distinction because it makes the reader feel as if he too could be as much of an expert as me, but chose not to and therefore builds trust between the reader and I.  Also, the correct use of automotive jargon is important in my editorial; using acronyms such as ASE, names such as Chilton’s and places such as skid pads and the DDC (Dearborn Development Center) establish a familiarity with the automotive world.
Lastly, I use logos to my advantage by using specific numbers, years and facts.  Though I may not state specific ad campaigns, I cite the “Every Man’s Boss” campaign of the late 60s and then go on to describe the extensive testing that takes place before the finished product reaches the consumer.