Try comparing build up cost per hp, gas consumption per hp, reliablilty, avaliability of parts, and everyday drivability. Always keep in mind that there are many sides to every argument. This is one that devoted muslce car fans will argue to the grave so be ready... good luck and please, post your final writen paper.

Thanks

Ty

 

One thing to consider is that up to the first fuel crisis (1974), Domestic car makers had a monopoly on the market for regular cars. There were imports around, but the only import that sold in big numbers was the VW Beetle (the original air cooled Beetle). Apart from that people mostly wanted large rear drive V8 cars, and domestic car makers were very good at that sort of car. Plus quality wasn't much of an issue in those days, which car had the most and newest gadgets, most power really interested buyers.
When the price of gas went up so much in the 70s it allowed the Japanese to take up alot of normal car sales. The cars were well built and economical, and this was now important to buyers. The domestic industry didn't know that much about making a small, well made economical car because the American public never asked, until the price of gas suddenly went up.
Overseas car makers have had to deal with high gas prices for many years, that gave them entry to the US market. This has allowed them to grab a big market share for normal cars because they don't make just one kind of car (you have your V12 German cars and at the other end the Toyota Corolla). Whereas domestic makers don't really sell their cars overseas, so as was said above they have retreated to making trucks and big SUVs. Well, that's something to think about anyway. Good luck with your research project.

 

The Japanese seem to maintain quality even when they set up factories overseas. So Japanese cars built in the US have higher quality than cars made by the big 3. With domestic car makers there is still a divide between management and workers, but the Japanese car makers seem to bring over work practices where they involve employees.
There also seems to have been a cultural shift. Why are the sorts of cars that used to be popular and on every street no longer popular? It's often said this group is the type that now buys trucks and such.
Maybe the underlying question isn't why are imports better, more like what factors have caused them to take over the market?

6.6 liter Gremlin

http://www.gremlinx.com/images/wpe6.gif

60s GM F body

http://www.er3.com/firebird/

 

I think the qualitiy of domestic cars has a lot to do with the American consumer and the fact that the Big 3 gave up on the market sometime in 1981. If you look at Big 3 products in Europe, they sell well, are efficient and high quality- because the European market has always demanded that. Domestic products were so bad for so long because Americans were willing the buy them, and only after the quality was so poor and the cost of gas was so high, did the consumers turn to imports. I think the general quality of American cars is getting better, and has been doing so since the mid 90's. But it will take a while before the american consumer will trust the Big 3 the way they used to.

~dnm

 

True, my comments on the big 3 were confined to business at home. It's interesting how Ford and GM's overseas subsidiaries turn out cars of a different nature, like Opel and Ford of Germany.