Meet the 1977 Ford Grenada.
It’s not sexy, edgy, or by any stretch of the imagination, something you want to admit that you are affiliated with let alone own (or let anybody else know that you own for that matter). This is a car that few ourside of Ford are willing to admit that they liked. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t even seen on in person until a year ago when some mexicans were selling a serious beater. I spend a couple hours looking up this car because I couldn’t find a whole lot on it or anybody in person willing to talk about it. I was literally beside myself when I saw one in mint condition in the movie No Country for Old Men.
However talks about the fabled Ford Grenada made the front page of the business section of the Detroit News last week, which I noticed as I was cleaning the papers up. Of all the important things to cover in the world of business, this is not it. For whatever reason beyond my understanding, staff writer Manny Lopez wrote a column titled Obama’s rip on auto infamy is a clunker. For even more reasons beyond my understanding, editors approved and printed it.
Now it’s not uncommon that as Americans we read things that we find rediculous. Same for stuff on TV, the radio, internet, etc. However this article is something that’s beyond pointless and absurd.
The article blasts Barack Obama’s claim that the Ford Grenada was “the worst car Detroit ever buit”. The article flow looks like this
- Claim that no matter how bad the Grenada was, Detroit has made a lot worse cars.
- France and Yugoslavia have made worse cars.
- Quote Obama again re: how much the car sucked and he thought it would fall apart.
- Say that all cars suck compared to what Obama drives.
- Mention that few cars from the 70s were good enough to survive.
- Talk about how almost ALL cars from the 70s sucked and were a pain.
- Talk about how Ford is a different company now.
- Claim that this is a failed campaign tactic by Obama.
That’s if you don’t feel like reading the article, and I don’t blame you. I’m not a fan of Obama’s, however I don’t see the point at all in writing this article. The grenada WAS a bad car. So how is anybody, be it the next guy on the street begging for change or the guy running for the presidency begging for change at fault for making this statement?
Not only that, but the article is all over the place and doesn’t really even make sense as there isn’t real sense to it. The right defense to “your car sucks” is not “we’ve done worse and I can prove it”. There’s even a quip in there attacking Obama’s environmental views because at once point in his life, he drove over 80mph by his own admission.
The article is pointless drivel that goes all over the place and doesn’t accomplish anything. I know that the Detroit News tends to be a little more right leaning than left, however if you want to make a point about a presidential candidate, actually make a point.
Make it a good point.
And don’t make it a point about the Ford Grenada.
And if you do, at least write a decent article about it.
