>>1757968>to avoid admitting that people like carsWho said that? Virtually every country in the world 'likes' cars. All of them, if they had rail, pruned it back and all of them built out or plan to build out extensive expressway networks. Outside the US, few of them were/are fundamentalist about it, viewing automobiles as one component of an integrated transportation/space usage strategy. Few of them still adhere to that postwar 'Futurama' idealism.
> the low paid workers in those places can't afford the cars.The personnel at Volkswagen/Toyota's leading factories absolutely can. The autobahn and the National Expressway System aren't just for show; both of those countries have high modal shares for private vehicles, especially outside of the major cities.
>Henry Ford's mindset The US automotive industry consolidated earlier and harder than any other major car producer's did, producing a very small number of viable firms (the Big Three). The Big Three subsequently became bankrupt, bankrupt and bought by Europeans, and almost bankrupt, respectively; indignities never suffered by Germany, Japan, or South Korea's leading automakers. Despite its love affair with the car, the US automotive industry has been a cautionary tale rather than a world leader since the 1960s. Its self-confidence and superiority complex embellish mediocrity; they didn't actually lead to superior performance.
