Old abandoned trucks

I love my car but I'm ready to start riding a horse instead

Chief executives from General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co, and Chrysler LLC pleaded on Wednesday for $25 billion in federal assistance to help pay their suppliers, workers and other expenses at a time when car sales have plunged along with a souring economy.

But skeptical lawmakers blasted them for flying private jets to Washington and failing to make personal sacrifices in exchange for federal assistance.

"It's almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in a high hat and tuxedo," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Democrat from New York.

"Couldn't you have downgraded to first class or something, or jet-pooled or something to get here?" Ackerman asked the executives at a hearing held by the U.S. House Financial Services Committee.

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Read the entire story in Trading Markets.

Jay Leno tells Detroit to make better cars

"It ain't that hard folks -- make better cars." That's the word aimed at Detroit from Jay Leno, the late-night television host and avid hands-on car nut. According to Leno, nobody builds trucks as well as Americans, as he cites the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado as examples. Same goes with performance cars. "The Corvette Z06 has 505 horsepower, comes with a big warranty, and can hit 200 miles per hour. It weighs almost exactly the same as a half-million-dollar Porsche Carrera GT and gets higher mileage - 26 miles per gallon," states Leno.
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Leno suggests that Detroit follow the example of Harley-Davidson, which turned around its quality-control problems and re-established itself as a market leader. Leno adds, "I believe that, all things being equal, Americans will buy American. It just has to be as good as the competition; it doesn't have to be better."

Read the entire article in the AutoBlog


Jay Leno with a Corvette