I’d guess that most of the people taking advantage of the program would have upgraded their cars within a year anyway. They may have moved their purchase date up a few months to take advantage of a good deal (for them), but they were going to buy these cars anyway. The small fraction who weren’t going to buy anyway probably should have saved their money instead. (Anyone remember the mortgage problems we just went through?)

What I expect to see when the next few quarterly reports come out from the auto makers is:
1. a huge spike in sales while the clunker program was in effect.
2. a sharp spike DOWN in sales for the next quarter.
3. After a few quarters, a return to normal sales volumes.

This program may look successful now, but it’s overall effect is sales neutral at best. And that doesn’t take into account some of the side effects:
1. Increase in taxpayer debt.
2. Severe drop in donations to Cars for Kids and similar charities.
3. Removal of a large set of reasonably nice cars from the used market, making used cars more expensive for those of us that can’t afford to buy new.

Socialism doesn’t work. It looks nice on paper, but it’s been tried and it’s failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.

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These people messed up giving away free money.

See, if the Obama Administration had any imagination, they would have at least destroyed the “clunkers” by sponsoring demolition derbies all over the country. After all, it is the time of year for state and county fairs. “Obama’s Demolition Derbymania!” would have been a popular program, and distracted people from the Administration’s health care debacle.

Know what I noticed about all those videos? Let’s take them in chronological order:

1.) American truck. (Chrysler)
2.) American car. (GM)
3.) American car. (GM)
4.) American car (GM)
5.) American truck (Ford)
6.) American car (Volvo owned by Ford)
7.) American SUV (GM)

One wonders where the Honda/Toyota clunkers are

http://fatfinch.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/the-great-sparrow-wars/

Commies…sheesh.

The solution to a lack of car sales was to crush usable vehicles.

They could apply the same logic to the glut of foreclosed houses. Take taxpayer money, buy them up and burn them to the ground.

It makes about as much sense as the clunker program…

Maybe sixty years ago Hazlitt wrote “Economics in One Lesson”.
He pointed out the fallacy of expecting real economic growth from reconstruction of damaged cities. If such growth were tangible we should commence smashing widows, replacing them, and enjoying the economic benefits.
Nothing is learned on the Left, truly their stupidity is a phenomenon worthy of massive and prolonged study.

JoeG above should be careful, some liberal dope in a position of influence may think his post is a good idea and suggest lighting the torches.

.

Has reinstituted plowing under crops and burying piglets for the modern age. It worked so well the first time.

I can understand immobilizing the engine of a clunker, especially a really old, very bad condition.
But what of potential for auto salvagers to hire more people to capture the perfectly good parts, and sell them off to reconditioning companies who would hire more people to process them so that the “working poor” could afford repairs with high quality remanufactured parts.
An increase in supply might lead some to be shade tree mechanis or pay a local mechanic for repairs.
With a drop in the supply of cores for parts, prices of aftermarket parts are likely to rise.
Some of the vehicles in those videos had a heap of potential in the parts market.
Power steering pumps, fuel pumps, radiatorsperfectly good panels could have helped make ugly, running cars look better.
My neighbor would be a perfect example. He is in the market for a new front quarter panel and door. He can’t afford the body whole shop work, but he has the ability to do the work himself. The near by body shop would then get the paint work. Now, no parts,no panels, no nothing, but an ugly, high fuel mileage car.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can still read it in English, You’re Welcome
Deskpilot, AM(H)1 (AW), USN (Ret)

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Killed a freaking Corvette. I hope whoever’s brilliant idea this was rots in Hell. I wish I had seen the guy driving that onto the lot, I would have given $5K on the spot, and I don’t need another car.

As a proud owner of a 170000 mile plus Saturn (and an engineer), it pains me to see good vehicles go to waste.

How nice for the liberal elitists. They can pat themselves on the back for getting those older less environmental friendly old vehicles gone forever.
If you are an independentaly employed person that might have gotten a job requiring a “work truck” and found none available, you might not be so cheery.
Doesn’t have to be a work truck. Those cars with 100k and more on them are what is needed for basic transportation to earn a living. Think of the new sales person who can make a buck if they had cheap transport.
Another example of favoring the special interests over the interests of those that are Self Based Supply. The very people that will get out there and hustle for their dollars,, the sort that will get the economy rolling. The group that is expanding everyday through choice or circumstance. The group that is taking it the hard way in order to subsidize the diminishing number of union members. Those serving the economy and earning a living independantly.