About Time People Saw The Light

As Gas Costs Soar, Buyers Are Flocking to Small Cars

Unfortunately, this vindicates the strategy of the price-raisers rather than the CAFE standard-raisers.

The former, regressive strategy hurts the poorest working people most.

The latter, progressive strategy puts the strain directly on the car makers to produce more gas-efficient luxury and large cars, the development costs for which would be picked up by the relatively wealthy consumers who buy such things.

We need more of the latter and less of the former.

Needless to say, the idiot American managers of Detroit have for long been betting their retirements on SUVs and pickups.

There are some people so stupid even protectionism wouldn’t save them.

Says the article,

Dave Strom of South Boston, Va., recently bought a tiny Smart ForTwo Passion Coupe, made by Daimler, the German automaker.

Mr. Strom also owns a pickup truck, which he uses mainly to haul his boat. When he runs errands, he drives his Smart, which he says is getting 45 miles a gallon.

“I had to smile the other day when I filled my tank for $18 and the guy next to me had a Ford Explorer and the pump was clicking past $80,” said Mr. Strom, a 66-year-old retired manager of a Chevrolet dealership.

Yikes!