Why I ditched the American Car Companies

My overall feeling about the American Auto Industry, not just Ford

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So I grew up in the Midwest where everyone drives Ford F-150s, GMC Yukons,Chrysler Minivans, and Buick sedans. It was practically a sin to drive a foreign car, especially a Japanese one. The traditional view out there was that if you didn't buy American, then you were a communist or something along those lines. My extended family on my dad's side, who mostly live in South Dakota, all agreed with this philosophy. I was told that when I got my driver's license, I must buy an American car (unfortunately I was forced into a crappy Saturn!)

Well, after my dad passed away, my mom started working at a Lexus dealership and I joined her not too long after. That is what changed my entire opinion of my choice of car preference. I began to realize how much more reliable and high-quality the Japanese makes were compared to Americans. All the sudden, drivers in the Sievers' household were allowed to buy foreign cars. Of course, I was stuck with the red death trap Saturn. My mom went ahead and bought a Lexus, and then when it was my sister's turn to drive 3 years later, she was allowed to get a Nissan Pathfinder! However, everyone in the household was not happy with the garages filled with foreign cars. My older brother, who drives a F-250 and belongs back in South Dakota, was furious and to this day, he will not even sit in my mom's or sister's car. I remember when we all had to go to the airport; he wanted the 4 of us to squeeze into my two door Saturn because he wouldn't be seen in a foreign car. My mom had to call a limo, a Lincoln Town Car of course, to pick us up because my brother was that stubborn!

The Beginnings of my Car Obsession

My dad's vette on a snowy day in Illinois

So I guess it all started back when my dad came home, to my mom's surprise, with a 1967 Stingray Corvette. I was probably only 10 years old and I remember thinking that it was so cool that my dad bought a Corvette like my Barbie had. The convertible was black with red leather interior and it even had an 8-trac! My dad cherished this thing and protected it like it was his fourth child. Immediately, he built a divider in the garage around the vette so no one could touch it. The Illinois license plate on the back read "NOT SUE 67". My dad thought this was hilarious because it meant not Sue's (my mom's name) car. Anyway, after my dad passed away in 1999, we were forced to sell the Corvette for college money. I was devastated because that was one thing that really reminded me of my dad. I don't think I realized it right away, but after that point, I started becoming more and more interested in cars because it was sort of a connection I had with my dad. In 2000, I finally got my driver's licence and also starting working at the local Lexus dealership as a receptionist. Five years down the road, I'm even more obsessed with cars and have had a lot of experience as a Product Specialist at the Lexus Dealership and an intern at Toyota Headquarters in Torrance, California. Throughout these years, I've written almost every assigned paper on Toyota or Lexus and have done many presentations on them as well. Whenever someone asked me what my dream job would be, I'd say to own a car dealership. Well, I hope this little bit of information will help you understand why I've chosen this topic and I hope you enjoy my blog.