Why North American Car Companies Are Suffering

So there are probably numerous reasons behind the historic loses by the big three, Ford, GM and Chrysler, but here is one that really struck me as a fundamental flaw that keeps them from recovering.

http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/105735/The-65-mpg-Ford-the-U.S.-Can't-Have

This isn't the first time I've heard this argument of 'we don't think anyone would like it/buy it so we won't even attempt to change it.' Seems to me if your company is struggling as much as Ford and the others are, and you have a product that gets better mileage than others in a mpg concerned market, wouldn't it be prudent to give it a go? At least test market the car? This is why the European and Japanese companies are constantly kicking the hell out of the North Americans. They are taking chances and paving the way. The Big Three are constantly playing catch up.

The no one will want it, so we'll keep pushing the low mpg product to the NA market. You know, the same things that people aren't buying now, but people still want them. How does that make any sense?

The big three seem to be so anchored in a bygone era, they can't see any alternative but 'stay the course'. That worked wonders for the American Government over the last few years didn't it?

Sure they have all announced their latest and greatest hybrids, but for the most part they are still a couple of years away, will it be too late?

Time will tell. But why in thew world contribute to you own demise by not even attempting to distribute a product that 'could' help you help yourself? Sounds like some of the same type of 'thinking' that killed the electric car in California a few years ago. If by 'thinking' I mean 'we will decide what the consumer wants, regardless of all evidence to the contrary.'

Amazing. Never thought I'd see a variation on Colbert's Truthiness used as a business plan.