22 Nov 2011, 21:02
Mr. America walks into the local Ehlem auto dealership in downtown Washington DC. The sales rep walks up to him and the following conversation ensues:
Mr. America: “Hey, I’m interested in buying one of those new Lightning cars you’re building down in Texas. I hear you’re selling them for $60,000 each.”
Ehlem rep: “We’d be happy to sell one to you, but they’re actually $200,000 each.”
Mr. America: “Whoa! $200,000 versus $60,000! Isn’t that false advertising?”
Ehlem rep: “Not at all. Right now we have to recoup our investment. After we sell about 100,000 Lightnings the price will be down to about $90,000 each, and in twenty years after we’ve sold 200,000 of them, the price will be down to about $60,000 each. Of course, that’s in inflation adjusted 2002 dollars reflecting the MGCY price versus the AQUP price, and it doesn’t actually include an engine. So come back in twenty years and we’ll sell you a Lightning for $60,000.”
Mr. America: “I don’t know. My old Viper is falling apart, so is my wife’s Hornet, and that piece of junk Harrier that my daughter keeps crashing needs to be replaced. I kind of need the replacements now, but my credit cards are maxed out and the Bank of China won’t lend me any more money. I’m also supporting my retired folks, we’ve got huge medical bills, and the interest payments on my debt are killing me.”
Ehlem rep: “Sounds like we’ve got you over a barrel, since we know you won’t go to the foreign dealership down the street. That’ll be $200,000, or we’ll make you a deal and sell you five of them for a million bucks.”
Mr. America: “Yeah, guess so. I guess I’ll take one of the sporty XA models. My wife wanted one of those big XB models, because she keeps driving through salt water and needs to carry a lot of groceries, but maybe I’ll buy her a late model Hornet instead. My daughter can’t park worth a damn, so she wanted one of those XCs with the neat little automatic parking gizmo which lets her park in small spaces, but she’s already on probation for overspending, so she’ll have to wait for a couple of years.”
Ehlem rep: “So we’ve got a deal?”
Mr America: “Yeah, I don’t have any choice. I guess I’ll go home and just print up some money to pay for it.”
The customer leaves, and another customer with a strong foreign accent walks up to the sales rep.
Foreigner: “I vant to buyee a Lightyning forrr $60,000.”
Ehlem rep: “Sorry, we’ve got to sell 200,000 Lightnings over the next twenty years to be able to give you that price.”
Foreigner: “Hokay! You call me after you selly that many, and vee talk again!”
The foreigner walks out the door. The sales rep notices an Indian diplomat walking down the sidewalk holding brochures from the French and British dealerships down the street.
Ehlem rep: “Hey, instead of buying one of those pieces of junk, why not buy a Lightning? It’s got a great paint job that will make you invisible to police radar traps.”
Indian diplomat: “Indeed? And how much would this aircraft cost?”
Ehlem rep: “Only $60,000!”
F-4C/D, F-16A/B/C/D, 727, DC-10, MD-80, A321