Re: An interesting discussion on the Hemmings blog...

Posted by Tim Cole On 2013/7/12 10:30:05

Elsewhere around here is an analysis of the Ford and GM "floor plans" initiated in the 1950's. No dealer could compete against the floor plans. The increase in sales from the floor plans is inversely proportional to the decline is sales of the independents. Those are your numbers. It's analogous to an appliance dealer who relies on orders trying to compete against a department store that stocks a huge ready to deliver inventory.

When I refer to historians I'm referring to Hamlin, Heinmeuller, Terry Martin, Yost etal. History is always opinionated by virtue of omission. In the case of "The Car and the Company" history has been modified by giving total credit to the editor at the expense of the writers. It's a typical journalistic form of politics. One time I was talking to an editor who took full credit for something they didn't write and knew nothing about.

It's a curious thing that the old car hobby is so loaded with politics. These are, after all, just a bunch of junked cars. I even knew somebody who really didn't care about the cars but was in these clubs because he loved the politics.

Currently I'm reading a book about Lyndon Johnson written by somebody who claimed to be a cowboy. I don't believe he even wrote it. It is an interesting study in crackpot because of the page by page progression into madness. To be sure there are some valid points being made, but when the author calls General Eisenhower a left wing usurper of states rights I realize that this guy is nuts.