The Mustang was introduced to the world in 1965, ushering in the Muscle Car Era. From then until about 1972, American cars ruled the road. In 1973, the first OPEC oil embargo hit, and everyone driving their gas-guzzling land-yachts got hung out to dry. By the end of the 70's, thanks to a second oil embargo and a recession, the vast majority of Americans wanted fuel-efficient, economical cars, which they could easily buy from Japanese manufacturers. American auto companies couldn't pivot fast enough, and ended up producing things like the Pinto and the Chevette as competition. It was also around this time that AMC tried to become a fourth major auto manufacturer and ended up eating major shit.
There was also the problem of union labor pricing themselves out of the market. I grew up in a dying steel town in the 70's. The American steel industry got killed by German steel, which was better quality and cheaper to buy even when imported. The auto companies, desperately trying to cut costs, started buying German steel. The unions, including the auto workers', refused to assist management with cutting costs by scaling back their demands, and their jobs were shipped overseas or replaced with robots. My home town was in the running for the new Saturn auto plant when it was going to be built, but the state that won it was the one without a heavy union presence. The unions in my town prevented new jobs from being created, as they almost certainly did in Detroit.
None of the above has anything to do with a black mayor.
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WedgeSerif ago
First black mayor in 1962.
The Mustang was introduced to the world in 1965, ushering in the Muscle Car Era. From then until about 1972, American cars ruled the road. In 1973, the first OPEC oil embargo hit, and everyone driving their gas-guzzling land-yachts got hung out to dry. By the end of the 70's, thanks to a second oil embargo and a recession, the vast majority of Americans wanted fuel-efficient, economical cars, which they could easily buy from Japanese manufacturers. American auto companies couldn't pivot fast enough, and ended up producing things like the Pinto and the Chevette as competition. It was also around this time that AMC tried to become a fourth major auto manufacturer and ended up eating major shit.
There was also the problem of union labor pricing themselves out of the market. I grew up in a dying steel town in the 70's. The American steel industry got killed by German steel, which was better quality and cheaper to buy even when imported. The auto companies, desperately trying to cut costs, started buying German steel. The unions, including the auto workers', refused to assist management with cutting costs by scaling back their demands, and their jobs were shipped overseas or replaced with robots. My home town was in the running for the new Saturn auto plant when it was going to be built, but the state that won it was the one without a heavy union presence. The unions in my town prevented new jobs from being created, as they almost certainly did in Detroit.
None of the above has anything to do with a black mayor.
auto_turret ago
Not a whole lot to do with just a black mayor, but the huge influx of niggers certainly made a dent. They utterly destroyed Detroit.