Autoblog

In a move certain to generate both controversy and publicity, a new and used car dealer in Butler, Missouri, is offering his customers a choice between two sales incentives with their vehicle purchase: $250 in gasoline or a free semi-automatic handgun.

"We got high gas prices, theft, carjackings, innocent people getting hurt," Walter Moore, from Max Motors, told KMBC-TV. It seems the resourceful dealer is offering car buyers a solution for it all -- and the gun is proving to be the popular choice with 80 percent of his customers choosing the firearm over free fuel. As expected, not everyone is happy. Considering most of his customers already own guns, Moore doesn't understand why people's feathers are getting all ruffled. Customers who choose the semi-auto pistol over the gas are handed a certificate that must be redeemed, after the requisite forms and background check are complete, at a local gun shop. This, of course, keeps the local police much happier. Thanks for the tip, mccreery!

[Source: KMBC-TV]

We posted some conjecture about the Ranger not too long ago, with some Photochops to illustrate possible ways Ford could keep its smallest pickup alive. Automotive News has looked in to their crystal ball and determined that the future of the Ranger is murky, at best. The first bad sign is that the St. Paul, MN Ranger plant is slated to be closed in 2008. With no place to build the Ranger, it would seem to have one foot in the grave, along with the rest of the segment, not counting the evergreen Toyota Tacoma (which is not particularly small anymore). All is not lost, however. As we offered, there are existing platforms that would lend themselves to truckification, as well as actual trucks in different markets.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Missouri’s state House passed legislation last week that waived the state’s sales tax on vehicles built within its borders. Supporters hope the tax break will spurn residents to purchase more locally-assembled vehicles, ultimately encouraging automakers to build even more local facilities. Daimler-Chrysler's Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Company and General Motors already have plants in the "Show Me" state.

"This waiver would help car manufacturers and auto workers," said Rep. Michael Spreng. "Job retention and job creation is what this is all about." Ford’s St. Louis Assembly plant, which Ford plans to close, is in Spreng’s district.

Analysis of this first-of-its-kind legislation and its impact can be found at the link. While the legislation has its proponents, it remains unclear whether the move will hold any sway with manufacturers, or whether it will simply serve consumers. As Rep. Ed Robb (who opposed the waiver) said, "This is not going to cause any motor vehicle manufacturer to stay in Missouri... It just doesn't have a possibility of making a difference."

[Source: Detroit News]