my car. my story. my life

The Forgotten Purpose of Vehicle Ownership Putting humanity back in the spotlight

Cars have changed the way we travel, live, and communicate. Since their inception, automobiles have connected people all over the world and changed the very concept of transportation. Today, almost everyone owns or has owned a car at some point and the amount of infrastructure, politics, education, and protocol that surrounds the automobile industry is truly remarkable. However, it is the time for change. As we have increasingly advanced our policies, vehicles, and manufacturing processes, we have forgotten the most essential piece of what a car is meant to do to serve the humans for whom the vehicles are made. Our rapid advancement has blinded us to the true purpose of vehicles; to serve the people who own them and to improve the lives of every person in the world. It is time to bring the spotlight back to the part of the car that really matters.

Its time to change the world.

The Fallen Ethos of Automobile Manufacturers

General Motors, the leader in vehicle sales globally for 77 consecutive years and the largest automaker in America, states the following:

The new General Motors has one clear vision: to design, build and sell the worlds best vehicles. A key priority is to sharpen our focus on engaging our

customers. Thats critical to ensuring that we have the right features and technologies in our vehicles to win in a competitive marketplace.

Lets take a quick trip to yet another continent to examine the vision of Japanese automakers:

Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and service that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders in alliance with

Renault. Nissan Motor company,8th largest automaker in the world

Maintaining a global viewpoint, we are dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality, yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer

satisfaction. Our success in the global marketplace is the result of our continued investment in America's future. Honda Motor Co, 5th largest

automaker in the world

"To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America. To be the most successful and respected car company in America." Toyota Motor

Corporation, the largest automaker in the world

Finally, to round out our analysis, let us examine the leaders of the European Automobile industry:

At Volkswagen it is our mission to build long term strategic partnerships with our customers. To assist them in making the right choices for their

business needs, by minimizing fleet costs and providing world class customer service. Volkswagen Group, 2nd largest automaker in the world

To be profitable and to enhance long-term value in times of change in keeping with our strategys four pillars: Growth, Shaping the Future,

Profitability and Access to Technologies and Customers. BMW Group, 4th largest automaker in the world

The Global Consensus Spanning three continents, six diverse and enormous corporations, and encompassing a large chunk of total human resources, the quotes above point to one astoundingly similar and Global viewpoint on automobiles; they have become an influential economic tool rather than a valuable servant to humanity. The ideals of making money and gaining influence are clear from their statements: the worlds best vehicles, win in a competitive marketplace, superior measurable values to all stakeholders, continued investment, to be the most successful and respected car company, minimizing fleet costs, to be profitable and to enhance long-term value, and Profitability.

Who has taken lead in bringing back the focus on the consumer, providing a valuable service to humanity, connecting individuals around the world, and easing the way of life for as many people as possible? Was this not the purpose for which automobiles were created? Today, the worlds largest companies have failed to utilize this incredible technology to the proper ends for which it was created and have instead subjugated it under the corrupt and greed-filled values of economic control, political influence, and competition for power.

History has warned us again and again of the now evident flood of dissipation surrounding the true purpose of technology as seen in the wise words of Jacque Fresco:

Today we have access to highly advanced technologies. But our social and economic system has not kept up with our technological capabilities that could easily create a

world of abundance, free of servitude and debt.

This message of taking heed to social advancement and keeping our sights focused on humanity reverberate yet again in the words of the famed democratic socialist Michael Harrington and Korean-American artist Nam June Paik:

If there is technological advance without social advance, there is, almost automatically, an increase in human misery. Michael Harrington

You cannot deny that high-tech is progress. We need it for jobs. Yet if you make only high-tech, you make war. So we must have a strong human element to keep modesty

and natural life. Nam June Paik

We must be vigilant in not allowing our technological progress to interfere with the essence of our human purpose for unity and compassion; a purpose that seems to have been skewed in the current state of automaker mentality and motivation. Keeping this in mind, let us set out to change the world of Vehicle Ownership and bring humanity back into the spotlight, always remembering the words of the great Robert F. Kennedy

The Purpose of Life is to contribute in some way to making things better.

My Car. My Story. My Life. A New Chapter in Vehicle Ownership

Chapter One: The Beginning The quality of the first steps in purchasing your new vehicle dictate just how well your entire life with the vehicle will go. The goal of the future vehicle ownership experience is to change the way consumers feel when they walk into a showroom. The process of getting a loan, looking around for a vehicle, and selecting one that is right for you should be an enjoyable experience. Showroom salesmen should act as trusted and compassionate guides making the process of purchasing a vehicle as smooth as possible for the consumer. A dealership, which is best suited to treat all the major obstacles during the purchase of a new vehicle, would effectively communicate with manufacturers and financial institutions to make the initial purchase of a vehicle an efficient and worry-free process from start to finish. Buying a new vehicle should be one of the best experiences in life; an adoption of a new member into your family for years to come. By encompassing the entire experience in empathy and hospitality towards the consumer, the purchase of a new car can be one the most looked forward to experiences in life.

The Old: Acquisition of a loan requires visiting a variety of banks

until you find one that will provide you with one - often driving up interest rates for those with less than perfect credit

A sudden increase in insurance premium due to the purchase of a new car introduces a new and burdensome financial toll on a new buyer

Instant and aggressive depreciation in cars value as

soon as it is driven off the lot may seem to matter only on paper, but in the occasion of totaling a car a short time after purchase, the consumer may be responsible for the difference between loan value and street value

Dealers often use sneaky tactics and lack of consumer

knowledge to their advantage in making as much profit as possible on each car purchase

Dealers may try to push a certain vehicle on a consumer

that would not actually be the best to serve the needs of the customer

Car financing terminology is sometimes not within the

common knowledge base of a consumer and thus the buying process is often complicated and sometimes even daunting to a novice car buyer

The New: Dealerships would partner with financial institutions to

offer competitively priced car loans right at the dealership less trips for the consumer to make and better interest rates for the car buyer

Hospitality Premium Coverage offered by dealerships on the purchase of new vehicles would cover the increase in insurance premium cost for the first year

Gap Insurance coverage provided at a competitive rate

directly from the dealer removes the burden of depreciation where it really matters and gives the consumer peace of mind in the rare case of a collision right after their purchase

Rewriting the reputation of car salesmen as empathetic

and compassionate servants of the people, committed to making the experience of buying a car a great one

Advanced car selection surveys offered at dealership to

narrow down which vehicle would fit the consumer best based on their specific needs

Dealerships would offer a quick crash course in car

financing educates the consumers with the knowledge they need to understand and take charge of their car buying experience and negotiations

Chapter Two: The Love Story Ones life with a vehicle after they have driven it off the lot should be akin to a great love story one that is full of joyous adventures with your new vehicle. For the most part, after the vehicle is purchased, the dealer-consumer relationship is all but severed and the consumer loses the most influential source of guidance in the maintenance of their new vehicle. This