Interesting take on SlingShot future

The majority of money spent in the US stays here and benefits everyone here in some way or another...

You’re comparing German engineering with Chinese....no comparison...

Foreign auto makers had to step up their game to compete with us....

I have no doubt about us digging in and standing tall if something like a war would happen....but without the factories to begin with....we would be in a huge hole trying to build all the necessary steel mills and founderies which were dismantled, sold and are now in other countries... many foreign countries have state of the art mills now.....but for some reason they can’t get the type of quality we could.....nobody could match our quality. Don’t forget the ONLY reason we won WWII was because we could make more tanks, ships, planes and bombs faster than Hitler...and also the “mill hunky” work ethic. Pittsburgh was a giant war target because of the mills.... another thing we took the war to them to keep it out of here.....if it was here it would have been another story. Which is why we will always need the means and equipment to take the fight to our enemy. A depleted military and the lack of capability to restock isn’t worth anything.....might makes right....

I will never bitch about how much tax Money we spend on military hardware. Better for us have it than them. I would love to see what’s in our secret bag of tricks....

When Polaris stopped the Indian motorcycle the rumor was they were going to convert that assembly Line over to make slingshots....

I would hope the uniqueness of the SS would keep it popular..into the foreseeable future....but bean counters worried strictly about the bottom line and squeezing out every nickel of profit could quickly kill that....

It will not be steel, or aluminum, or manufacturing in general, that will "win" our current, or any future, war, if there are any "winners" at all!

And I am trying to recall any Chinese designed vehicles being sold in the US today, maybe you can help me for I am coming up empty?

Bill

.

Volvo ... cough ... Buick .. cough cough .....

.....

.

Quote from Orangeman

.

Volvo ... cough ... Buick .. cough cough .....

.....

.

Display More

Yep, vehicles manufactured in China, but to Buick and Volvo design and standards................................

Bill

Quote from wokka

Where do you see the build number, or is that based on the VIN? Did they start with #1? My 2019 VIN ends in K8130438

I somehow doubt they sold 8 mil of these

For now, it's the last 5 digits in the VIN. I'm rather surprised that they didn't use at least 6, but for now it's just 5 (not sure what they will do if they hit the 100,000 mark). Yours is the 30,438th one off the line. Or to look at it another way, in just over four years they surpassed the projections for a 10 year build by over 50%. (based on their numbers for 2,000 a year for 10 years)

Quote from Goats_Hogs

For now, it's the last 5 digits in the VIN. I'm rather surprised that they didn't use at least 6, but for now it's just 5 (not sure what they will do if they hit the 100,000 mark). Yours is the 30,438th one off the line. Or to look at it another way, in just over four years they surpassed the projections for a 10 year build by over 50%. (based on their numbers for 2,000 a year for 10 years)

Thanks for the explanation!

Quote from wjfyfe

Yep, vehicles manufactured in China, but to Buick and Volvo design and standards................................

Bill

Pardon me however I think the true meaning is technology and intellectual property Stolen and used. But it’s those companies fault for building there, they were willing to sell out there trade secrets for cheap labor. China for the large part must steal it’s technology as they in a communist society have no incentive to do it themselves. That is why they pushed so hard to be in the WTO. George Bush allowing that to happen facilitated the largest intellectual property theft ever.

Niche vehicles don't need to "grow" to sell a bazillion units a year... The Morgan Auto Company has been making their niche vehicles since 1909 (including 3-wheelers)... They're still around.

Every person that's come up to me while refueling at a gas station has asked "where do you get these?"... That says a lot about the brand recognition (or the lack of it) and dealerships. They need to locate a few Polaris dealerships in auto malls where people can compare Apples to Oranges -- and "discover" the bargain priced Slingshots.

Quote from SoCal

Pardon me however I think the true meaning is technology and intellectual property Stolen and used. But it’s those companies fault for building there, they were willing to sell out there trade secrets for cheap labor. China for the large part must steal it’s technology as they in a communist society have no incentive to do it themselves. That is why they pushed so hard to be in the WTO. George Bush allowing that to happen facilitated the largest intellectual property theft ever.

For the last 60 years every company that had anything made in China to save a buck....had to freely provide the blue prints to each item......hmmmm free blueprints. What could go wrong?

They willingly gave them access to their products without China having to invest any testing time or research and development money. And Of coarse China would never thing about making a knock off of these Millions of said items...

So who is really to blame (corporate greed) for China stealing our intellectual property when they GAVE them the blue prints and totall access to everything.....

Here most trusted fox, is the keys to our most expensive secret hens worth trillions of collective dollars....keep them safe......OK, we will.....the checks in the mail....

Exactly my point about no Chinese vehicles sold here....who wants them.....

Sears guaranteed for lifetime tools are now all Chinese. Why would I spend my hard earned money on crappy tools......the CEO that made that money saving decision is responsible for KILLING sears.....it’s happening with all these stores that go Chinese and think that will save the day....I feel sorry for all the employeees that will ultimately lose their jobs from stupid management “money saving” decisions....

Sure I want to bet my entire future on cheap Chinese goods....what could go wrong...

Stupid stock holders give these smart CEO millions in salary and they make sure they leave with millions even if they kill the company in the process...

Cheap Chinese and other foreign made items are not the answer...to save America....

Isn't the SlingShot manufactured here in the USA with American labor?

Bill

Quote from gearhead

They need to locate a few Polaris dealerships in auto malls where people can compare Apples to Oranges -- and "discover" the bargain priced Slingshots.

wow! What a great idea! I believe there may be a market for people who never considered a motorcycle or would ever go to a motorcycle dealership but would take a look at a sling.

Quote from gearhead

Niche vehicles don't need to "grow" to sell a bazillion units a year... The Morgan Auto Company has been making their niche vehicles since 1909 (including 3-wheelers)... They're still around.

Every person that's come up to me while refueling at a gas station has asked "where do you get these?"... That says a lot about the brand recognition (or the lack of it) and dealerships. They need to locate a few Polaris dealerships in auto malls where people can compare Apples to Oranges -- and "discover" the bargain priced Slingshots.

Most probably 90% of the people that ask me what is that, And when i say its a Slingshot....The next question is who makes it..Then When i tell them Polaris...After a puzzled look....They will say ''Never heard of them''....??

My biggest memory of the name Polaris is connected to snow mobiles....50 years ago...it was on tv constantly...

If you look closely at the SS it could be a side by side snow mobile. Replace the front wheels with skies, and put a wide drive belt in the rear...snowmobile on steroids.

I am fine with the SS falling back and not being mainstream. I would even prefer if they made less of them each year. To me my SLR was expensive, but worth every penny. I am glad not everyone can afford one. It makes for the experience when the market isn’t too saturated with SS.

As for The auto industry, there are so many shared components in engines these days that most any brand of factory built car is comprised of parts from all over the world. All that you are really discussing where the automobile is “assembled” vs where it is “made”. I would prefer to keep jobs here in the States, but as a consumer it doesn’t really matter. These days Americans get paid more money for less work which doesn’t translate to incredible savings for us. Under current administration, I believe we will have more factories operating here than overseas, but chances are they will be filled with immigrant workers anyway, so...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is a shortage of skilled laborers...welders, pipefitters, carpenters, electricians, iron workers....

They are building a large gas cracker plant here in PIttsburgh. Currently they need a total of 3,000 skilled workers to build it for 2 years. They just announced they are going to double the size of the plant and they need ANOTHER 3,000 skilled workers for 4 years total.

Harley is still trying to figure out wHey nobody’s buying Harley’s.

Let’s blame millennials...for not wanting to spend $30,000

https://finance.yahoo.com/news…on-younger-170620695.html

They think electric motorcycles are the answer...meilenialsvwill want to save the plant by going green....

Until the vehicle manufacturers figure out how to fully charge a vehicle in the time it takes to pump a tank full of gas.....I’ll never even consider an electric vehicle. If I can afford one.

I don’t even like wasting the time it takes stopping for gasoline let alone waiting around for a charge. What do you do if you’re nowhere near a charging station if it decides to crap out? rechargeable batteries drop power like a rock. Full to nothing....like this ^

A Good Samaritan can bring you a gallon of gas....they can’t bring a can of charge.

Everything we have today at one time was said to be impossible and would never happen....................

Bill

For us "older" folks, do you not remember when looking towards the future was so exciting, how are you feeling about the future today? I used to think how wonderful it would be to someday live forever, today I am not even sure I want to be part of this world only a decade or two from now. Worse, I am dreading what the world is going to be like for our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids..............................

Bill