Verner Column: Saying goodbye . . . and hello to Ford and General Motors

In the next-to-last episode of the mini-series Band of Brothers, Easy Company is being transported to Austria in the late days of the World War II. They are riding in Jeeps, trucks and DKW’s, and as they
move down the autobahn they pass a seemingly endless column of German soldiers marching the other way down the median, headed back to Germany. Only the officers are riding, in horse-drawn
wagons. One of the soldiers stands in the back of the truck he is riding in and shouts to the German officers, “Hey, you! Say hello to Ford and General Motors . . . look at you! You still have horses! What
were you thinking?”

The weary solider is articulating one of the reasons for the Allied victory. The primary reason was the courage, dedication and sacrifice of millions of men and women overseas and at home. Another of the
reasons was the incredible industrial production of weapons, vehicles and material used in the war effort. One German tank corps officers wrote about facing an American tank attack.  He said one tank
would come over the hill and they would blow it up. Then another would come over the hill and they would blow that up. The thing was, the tanks kept coming. There wasn’t an endless supply of tanks, but
there was enough to do the job.

This part of the history of American industry came to mind when I heard about the bankruptcy of General Motors.  I understand why it is necessary, and it was perhaps inevitable, but it saddens me. My
family has been a General Motors family going way back, and to see the line fall on such hard times is painful.

I will leave it to others to analyze the causes of the breakdown since I am not skilled enough in economics to do so. I just have my memories of General Motors products, some good, some mediocre and
some poor.  For my generation, growing up was growing up with General Motors.

The first car we had that I can remember was a black 1953 Chevrolet. We then graduated to a black 1956 Chevrolet, the car I learned to drive on. We then had some Fords and a Plymouth — even a
Volkswagen. My brother had a 1966 GTO that had so much power it was frightening.

The first car I bought new when I had my first job was a Pontiac, which was a sorry vehicle. I soon got rid it for an even sorrier Ford. My wife’s family were Pontiac people. Then we hit the General motors
jackpot. A few months after our daughter Amy was born we bought a Chevy Impala four-door sedan. Amy learned to drive on that car and we kept it for 18 years until we gave it to someone else. It might
still be rolling some place. Then we had a Corsica for our younger daughter, a Lumina that I drove, a Buick, and a Pontiac Sunfire for Alyssa that I took over when she got a Mazda. I’m still driving the 11-
year-old Sunfire. I also use a 2002 Chevy S-10, mostly to transport musical instruments. My dad got a 2007 Chevy Impala that is a very nice car. We also have a 1999 Toyota Avalon.

So, we have quite a history with General Motors. We don’t see cars as necessary for an image or making a point.  We regard them as transportation and as long as they are dependable, we keep them,
in large measure thanks to Logan Hysmith, our ace mechanic. And General Motors products have been some of the most reliable and long lasting. I know other people have had other experiences; we
have not.

As for the future, I’m not sure. I would like to continue to buy General Motors products, but we’ll have to see how this reorganization shakes out. An all-electric car would be intriguing (someone said you
just need a very long extension cord). I think there will be substantial changes in what and how we drive.  There have to be . . . this time for sure.

Still, I think of how GM has been identified with America for so long — with the open road and the road trip, with the Corvette and the Camaro and the Cadillac — that the idea of a smaller corporation
seems a loss. So is the closing of a dealership with the loss of jobs, the loss of tax revenue and the loss of community presence that so many dealers have. So long, old General Motors. We’ll see you in
another form. As another iconic group wrote, “Goodbye, hello, goodbye, hello . . .”

Dan Verner is a Manassas resident. He contributes his thoughts and stories to the Perspective page on Sundays.