Best comment of the year
For some reason ZH published a short feature on car brands that didn't last. The author listed several brands and companies, didn't really distinguish between brands and companies, got most facts wrong, and didn't draw any ECONOMIC conclusions. ZH is supposed to be about ECONOMICS above all.

There are plenty of economic lessons available. I've written about some of them, especially Nash and Willys.

Nash lesson: Nash lasted longer than other small companies because it followed Natural Law econ. Live within your means. Belt and suspenders. Save, don't borrow or gamble. Nash prospered by selling to people who had the same philosophy. The product and the corporation and the customers harmonized.

Willys lesson: Willys is still alive after several changes of ownership because it followed the basic rules of sales. Offer something distinct and useful, and keep your brand meaningful. The product should be instantly recognizable by its style AND by its basic characteristics.

Kaiser lesson: Henry Kaiser was the BEST at running government contracts. First he built dams, then boats. Both were excellent. After the war he thought he could dominate non-governmental commerce as well. Didn't work. He didn't understand the Willys lesson. His cars faded quickly, but the company was saved in '55 by purchasing Willys. For some reason Kaiser didn't force Willys to do things the government way, so Willys rescued the company. (Later Willys rescued AMC, then Chrysler.) The Kaiser story should be educational for those who think Tesla will dominate the world. Tesla's remake** of the Kaiser saga is already starting to unravel as Euro countries remove their government tax subsidies.

ZH commenters filled in many of the missing points, but one said it all:

Yeah reading this article was like eating a cheeseless cheese doodle.

Got it.


= = = = =

** Tesla's product is a remake of a different movie. Tesla manufactures autonomous weapons containing a spineless toxic worm-like creature with a brain of distilled perfect infinite evil, preprogrammed to EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE all Deplorables. It's easy to see why the spineless toxic worm-like creatures enjoy the experience of being carried in an EXTERMINATOR, and it's easy to see why US/UK/EU governments want to subsidize such a weapon. Fortunately those spineless toxic worm-like creatures aren't common enough to support the company without the government contract.
  ¶ 12:47 AM