Skydrol
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2013
- Messages
- 1,043
- Reaction score
- 10,916
- Points
- 113
- Location
- USA
- Members Ride
- Pontiac G8 GT
You need to understand the US mentality. Bigger is Better. Does not matter what it is. People want "value", bigger bang for the buck. Car manufacturers found a loophole in the EPA rule book. The rules are more laxed on Trucks. Those vehicles, by definition of the law, they are working vehicles. Therefore, is ok, for the sake of the economy, not to be as restrictive. Manufacturing a small car or huge truck cost about the same. Follows the same logistic chains, manufacturing steps are practicaly the same, workers get paid the same. The only saving comes from the cost of raw materials. In the eyes of the manufactuter, a small car might be $15,000 mfg cost, the bigger truck, around $20,000 When it comes to sales, the truck is marked up to about $50,000 and people are willing to pay that much because is a lot for less? The small car has hardly no profit, even the company might be at a loss selling them. Overseas cheap labor comes to offset the cost, cheaper materials are used. Now, why in the US we bother even selling/making them? Some called CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy), more politics. Those standars does not apply to trucks because of what I said before, they are work vehicles.
Google on Dodge Lil' Red Express (1st Muscle Truck) and you will see why was made.
Google on Dodge Lil' Red Express (1st Muscle Truck) and you will see why was made.
