Miata Mailing List: January 1995, Message #67
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   From: sgt@sparc1 (Steve Telehowski)
Subject: re: old ashtrays and teardown rooms
   Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 16:42:25 -0500


As a supplier for the automotive manufacturers,
I've been to Ford's Teardown Room several times.
I work for Tower Automotive, a supplier to Ford
Chrysler, Mazda, Honda and Nissan.  We design and
manufacture sheet metal components and sub-assemblies
such as hood hinges and A-pillars.

I have not had the opportunity to tour Chrysler's
Competitive Vehicle Analysis Lab yet, but Ford's lab
is similar to that described by Doug Klein earlier.
The Teardown room is quite interesting especially for
car-loving automotive Engineers like myself.  Unfortunately
Ford only displays the remains of about 10 to 15 cars and
trucks of fairly boring models (read: no Ferraris, Porsches,
Miatas, etc.)

You have to remember that the auto industry loves to copy,
carry-over, and commonize.  It saves time, money and effort.
Ford has used the Fox platform in several minor variations 
for the past, what, 20 years on many different models.
Some of today's V-8s use basically the same block that was
first used 40 years ago.  The Japanese are probably the 
best at copying (always with improvements though).  They
basically built all their industries by copying U.S. ideas
and designs and then improving the hell out of them.

Now I'm going to go enjoy my modern-Japanese, old-British   
roadster and drive to lunch.

Steve T.   sgt@edgewood.com