The death knell has been sounding for the big American V8. Now too thirsty to be allowed to live in the (so-called) dwindling oil environment, both Ford and General Motors have reacted with plans to reduce America’s love affair with V8 engines.
It has been a very long love affair, with the first American V8 engine being an improvement of the European V8 of the CL model De Dion Bouton (put into series production in 1910) and manufactured by Cadillac in 1914. Lincoln and Ford followed closely behind. De Dion may be no longer with us, but GM and Ford have endured.
The automakers hands were partly forced by the American CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Consumption) legislation insisting on even tougher standards as far as fuel consumption was concerned. The V8 had to go. What with the American President’s decree and green being painted all over the world, anyone who uses more than their “fair share” of gasoline is being made to feel a heinous criminal. What other stand could the American manufacturers take?
Now personally, I am not convinced that the world’s supply of oil is about to dry up. I see no evidence of Exxon pulling up stakes, and my local Caltex station has just been refurbished. With crude oil knocking on $100 a barrel, why would they cease production? They can (and do) charge more for the final product, and even if the percentage profit is the same as before, that still translates into an increased gross profit. I also read that OPEC have been considering lowering their output, to make sure the price of crude remains high. Such a wonderful charitable stance, if ever I heard of one. However, my take in all this is that if you want to pay for a gas guzzler, then the choice is yours. US Presidents, OPEC and all who rode in on her can butt out!
