We work with auto repair shops, SMOG check technicians and participants in the Bureau of Automotive Repair‘s STAR program, not just because we recognize the opportunity to help people stand up for their rights in legal proceedings against a government regulatory agency but also because – quite frankly – we love cars. America has had a long love affair with the automobile, and it’s really only since the SMOG crises hit Los Angeles mid-way in the last century that there were any true regulations of automobiles, even here in California.
Car Manufacturers: Some Historical Facts (to Take You Away from your BAR Blues)
Automobiles have so many interesting angles and facts. Here are some, about the American Auto Industry. Take a break from that nasty citation you’ve received, or your failing grade on the STAR scores, or that last customer for a SMOG check who drove you a little crazy, and reflect upon the great American automobile industry.
- Ford Motor Company. Well, first of all, Ford is the only one of the major car companies that did NOT file for bankruptcy during the Great Recession. (That will certainly go down in the history books). Henry Ford and inventor Thomas Edison were such close friends that Ford “captured” Edison’s last breath in a test tube. Charlie Brown and the gang became “animated” due to an eraly (1960) Ford Commercial, which you can watch here.
- General Motors (Ford’s arch rival). GM was the first recipient of an auto worker’s strike in 1936, and that
strike was critical to the birth of Unions in the auto industry. GM was the first car company to install turn signals into its vehicles. GM was the first car company to gross one billion dollars, and has paid back its government loans from the Great Recession in full. For those who love space exploration, GM was the company that “built” the lunar rover – so its vehicles have truly gone to the moon! - Chrysler. Now owned by the Italian giant, Fiat, Chrysler remains one of the biggest car manufacturers on the planet thanks to this alliance. Current Chrysler brands include Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT, Mopar and SRT. Walter P. Chrysler established Chrysler Corp. in 1925, and he also laid the cornerstone for New York City’s landmark Chrysler building. Chrysler popularized the Minivan in the 1980s.
There’s some history for you of the major US car makers. Now, get back to your real business. And if you have had the unlucky encounter with a citation, action, legal notice, letter or some other unpleasantry from the Bureau of Automotive Repair, give us a call.