American Truck Takes Pride for a Ride

I desperately wanted to buy an American car this time.

It was more than patriotism or balance of trade or the domestic economy. I wanted to show my support for American labor, the men and women on U. S. production lines.

These were the workers that at least one captain of Japanese industry had maligned as lazy and overpaid. I know otherwise. What better way to show my faith in the American worker than by investing in an American automobile?

I had been fully briefed by a friend. He had been a car salesman for 22 years until retirement and was happy to educate me. He had worked this professional minefield of “liners” (showroom personnel who will quote any figure to get you inside the door), “closers” (usually sales managers versed in paperwork) and fleet salesmen (the best bet for obtaining a firm price when you know exactly what you want to buy). Fortunately, I knew what I wanted--a Ford Ranger Custom pickup with a standard, 4-cylinder engine and automatic transmission.

The only options would be power steering, air conditioning and a radio, not an exotic combination by any means. And those basic requirements, said my mentor, would keep me clear of the dealer maze of option lists, packages and model designations.

My friend had one more piece of advice: Be prepared to be confused, even intimidated by final purchase negotiations in a dealer’s showroom. The cubicle would be close. I would have a small chair. The salesperson would have more room and a larger chair.

The telephone shopping began. I called several fleet salesmen, but none had the truck I wanted. They had sports trucks, custom trucks, trucks with optional packages and trucks with flashy stripes. But no trucks without metallic paint and none with basic features.

One salesman did launch an extensive computer search. Still no luck. And we were looking, mind you, for a standard truck in January, the middle of the car season. Domestic dealers are struggling. Yet here they were trying to sell trucks dressed up like the Fourth of July.

Salespersons will tell you this is what the public wants. But it was not what this member of the public wanted. Nor does the theory that this is what customers want explain why these very same dolled-up models are all that are left on the lot at the end of the year.

And at the same time, Nissan, Toyota, et al., seem to sell trucks that are modestly painted and available with just the popular options.

Henry Ford had a saying in the early days of the Model T: “You can have any color you want, as long as it’s black.” Today, Ford’s motto seems to be: “You can have any color you want, as long as you put stripes on it.”

Beginning to buckle, I called a Nissan dealer. I knew that some of their vehicles are assembled in Tennessee and they even use some components made in the U. S. A.

I recited my order to a salesman. Standard truck. Basic 4-cylinder engine. Automatic and air. Without hesitation he quoted me the same price as the best quote I had received on the nonexistent Ford Ranger.

He had the truck without stripes. Without metallic paint. Without chrome. He had three on the lot.

So I bought a Nissan truck.

I’m not overjoyed by being forced to drive something other than the American product I wanted. And I’d even been willing to pay more for the Ford I wanted.

Perhaps domestic dealers should be providing more of the basic models that most buyers need.

I’m not sure there is a major moral to the story. I’m happy with my new truck. But buying the American truck I wanted would have made me more than happy.

I would have been proud.