The nearly-blanket news coverage that Toyota and its unraveling have received from all media, but especially NPR, is an indicator of much more than a slow news time, which it is not. The massive recalls seem to be a faith crisis for an entire segment of our population.
Who made up Toyota’s most loyal following? The baby boom. Why did the baby boom generation choose Toyota? That story sounds very much like a faith conversion. Our parents were solidly committed to The Major Brands. There was a lot of rivalry, but also great respect among those who pledged competing allegiances. I can remember an uncle goading my father every time something would break or even squeak on our Oldsmobile, because his Dodge was a paragon of beauty and reliability in his eyes. But I also remember the respect with which he uttered the “he was an Olds man all his life,” at my father’s early funeral. It was a sort of ecumenical cordiality.