Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
#1
05-04-2008, 01:53 PM
Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
by Tim Stevens,
Two summers ago, a cargo freighter, the Cougar Ace, was en-route to Vancouver, British Columbia. Its cargo was a fleet of cars from Japan, mostly from Mazda, which had 4,703 autos on-board destined for Canadian and American dealerships. While exchanging ballast water in the open ocean, the cargo ship tilted badly to the side and had to be abandoned. It was later up-righted and the cars saved (most weren't even wet), but despite this save, Mazda has decided to scrap every last one of the shiny, new autos.
Mazda decided it couldn't determine what could have gone wrong with the autos after being held at an angle for so long, and with the potential future lawsuits it foresaw should any of these cars ever fail, the auto manufacturer went the conservative (though extremely wasteful) route of sending them to the dump.
The tale of the Cougar Ace was told in 'Wired' magazine, including the heroic rescue of the ship by a crew of modern-day (legal) pirates who boarded and righted the ship. The pirates lost one of their team in the process, Marty Johnson, who slipped down the heavily inclined ship and suffered a fatal head injury. The story is a fascinating read and, apparently, is set to become a movie in the not too distant future. [Source: The Wall Street Journal,
Let me know how the video below was, my old slow puter
won't load `it [X(]
Click below to see vid
[:-]
http://www.switched.com/2008/04/30/mazda-sends-4-703-new-cars-to-the-scrap-heap/?icid=1615984954x1201419622x1200303389
[hr]
I don't think I would've Scrap them.
I would have given them to Countries that could use transportation
for medical/enforcement and other public service needs.
What would you have done `if you had to make that decision. ?
by Tim Stevens,
Two summers ago, a cargo freighter, the Cougar Ace, was en-route to Vancouver, British Columbia. Its cargo was a fleet of cars from Japan, mostly from Mazda, which had 4,703 autos on-board destined for Canadian and American dealerships. While exchanging ballast water in the open ocean, the cargo ship tilted badly to the side and had to be abandoned. It was later up-righted and the cars saved (most weren't even wet), but despite this save, Mazda has decided to scrap every last one of the shiny, new autos.
Mazda decided it couldn't determine what could have gone wrong with the autos after being held at an angle for so long, and with the potential future lawsuits it foresaw should any of these cars ever fail, the auto manufacturer went the conservative (though extremely wasteful) route of sending them to the dump.
The tale of the Cougar Ace was told in 'Wired' magazine, including the heroic rescue of the ship by a crew of modern-day (legal) pirates who boarded and righted the ship. The pirates lost one of their team in the process, Marty Johnson, who slipped down the heavily inclined ship and suffered a fatal head injury. The story is a fascinating read and, apparently, is set to become a movie in the not too distant future. [Source: The Wall Street Journal,
Let me know how the video below was, my old slow puter
won't load `it [X(]
Click below to see vid
[:-]
http://www.switched.com/2008/04/30/mazda-sends-4-703-new-cars-to-the-scrap-heap/?icid=1615984954x1201419622x1200303389
[hr]
I don't think I would've Scrap them.
I would have given them to Countries that could use transportation
for medical/enforcement and other public service needs.
What would you have done `if you had to make that decision. ?
#2
05-04-2008, 06:29 PM
RE: Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
I think they should have somehow been designated as training vehicles only and not legal for sale. Then donated to automotive schools.
Chrysler did this a couple years ago with a bunch of Crossfires. There was a large number of Crossfires sitting in a shipping yard on the east coast when hurricane force winds came through and did some damage to the cars. Mostly broken windows. But because of the ocean water getting into the cars, Chrysler declared them write-offs and donated them to schools. One school near here got one of them for their automotive class.
I understand Mazda's point of view, but I don't agree with it at all. In their effort to avoid expensive lawsuits and such, they made themselves look very wasteful in my opinion.
Like the reporter said, there was interest from so many good people. Like schools, fire departments, and police departments using them as training cars. And even Hollywood wanting them to use as stunt cars.
All Mazda had to do was somehow deem them not legal for sale.
What a waste!
Chrysler did this a couple years ago with a bunch of Crossfires. There was a large number of Crossfires sitting in a shipping yard on the east coast when hurricane force winds came through and did some damage to the cars. Mostly broken windows. But because of the ocean water getting into the cars, Chrysler declared them write-offs and donated them to schools. One school near here got one of them for their automotive class.
I understand Mazda's point of view, but I don't agree with it at all. In their effort to avoid expensive lawsuits and such, they made themselves look very wasteful in my opinion.
Like the reporter said, there was interest from so many good people. Like schools, fire departments, and police departments using them as training cars. And even Hollywood wanting them to use as stunt cars.
All Mazda had to do was somehow deem them not legal for sale.
What a waste!
#3
05-04-2008, 06:44 PM
RE: Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
this is the same premmis that i hate with the cars on mos tof the sunday morrning shows .
Trucks actually came out and had a show that followed up on thier projects they did.
and Stacy david came out and said it then he would not do another junker car.
they would build them get all those bad azz parts on them take them out and run them to show you what they can do then take them back and the facotry would take the cars to the crushers they were caled crush cars.
most of the school do the same thing. G.M. will give abrand new corvett to a school and they will do wha tthey need to do and when done they will destroy the cars and they go back to G.M. or get proof being destroyed some how then they wrote them off as learnign aids.
IT is a shame to knwo tha thtis happens but it is to much of a law suit if someone gets otu in one of those cars and gets killed. they can say well it was a school car and therfore it was done wrong becuse a student didnt know what is was or how to fix it.
same deal on this.
but i agree there are uses for those cars besides just becoming junk yard clutter or shreadded.
for as far as that gose take the motors or trannies out and use the rest as a parts car for folks that need parts for thier cars even .
just give them a lower rate on them and also give a notice of origion for them so folks know where they come from and disclosed info.
Trucks actually came out and had a show that followed up on thier projects they did.
and Stacy david came out and said it then he would not do another junker car.
they would build them get all those bad azz parts on them take them out and run them to show you what they can do then take them back and the facotry would take the cars to the crushers they were caled crush cars.
most of the school do the same thing. G.M. will give abrand new corvett to a school and they will do wha tthey need to do and when done they will destroy the cars and they go back to G.M. or get proof being destroyed some how then they wrote them off as learnign aids.
IT is a shame to knwo tha thtis happens but it is to much of a law suit if someone gets otu in one of those cars and gets killed. they can say well it was a school car and therfore it was done wrong becuse a student didnt know what is was or how to fix it.
same deal on this.
but i agree there are uses for those cars besides just becoming junk yard clutter or shreadded.
for as far as that gose take the motors or trannies out and use the rest as a parts car for folks that need parts for thier cars even .
just give them a lower rate on them and also give a notice of origion for them so folks know where they come from and disclosed info.
#4
05-04-2008, 07:15 PM
RE: Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
Yeah, I was disappointed when I found out what goes on at those Spike TV Powerblock shows.
The project vehicles (like "project blue-hair" -- the Chevy Nova)once done with,they park in a huge storage shed and pick them over for parts for new projects. Once picked over enough, they get sent off to the junk yard.
Thanks for the info Mickey. I wondered what happens to all those brand new vehicles that show up on those shows, fresh from the factory. I just assumed that what ever mods they did had to be reversable once the show was over.
The project vehicles (like "project blue-hair" -- the Chevy Nova)once done with,they park in a huge storage shed and pick them over for parts for new projects. Once picked over enough, they get sent off to the junk yard.
Thanks for the info Mickey. I wondered what happens to all those brand new vehicles that show up on those shows, fresh from the factory. I just assumed that what ever mods they did had to be reversable once the show was over.
#5
05-04-2008, 07:18 PM
RE: Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
what damage would a car incur just by being tilted by that? i dunno. and yeah powerblock pissed me off when they announced they toss everything they work on. buncha wasteful tards
#6
05-04-2008, 07:32 PM
RE: Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
The only damage I can see would be possible fluid leaks. The report said the ship was tilted completely on it's side for a week before being righted. But still. I think at the very least, they should have disassembled them and used them for parts.
Sounds like an insurance job to me. They wouldn't be able to sell them at their full sticker price. So they crush the cars, and collect the insurance money.
Sounds like an insurance job to me. They wouldn't be able to sell them at their full sticker price. So they crush the cars, and collect the insurance money.
#7
05-04-2008, 07:49 PM
RE: Mazda Sends 4,703 New Cars to the Scrap Heap
They could have sold the whole lot to an Agent. The Agent could have sold the whole lot as "Salvaged Merchandise. As is. No warranty's either expressed or implied. Legal papers could have exempted The Company of any responsibility. They could have at least given a few away to young girls with no cars who need rides to shelters where they cuddle and hug vibrating crack babies. But, NO!
They shred the whole lot.
Oh, well ... they weren't Monte's ... so, ... I don't care.
They shred the whole lot.
Oh, well ... they weren't Monte's ... so, ... I don't care.
