"Is fuel efficiency really what we need most desperately? I say that what we really need is a car that can be shot when it breaks down"

In this quote, Russell Baker is making a humorous declaration about the importance of fuel efficiency in vehicles. He is recommending that rather of concentrating on fuel performance, what we actually require is an automobile that can be shot when it breaks down. This is an amusing way of saying that cars ought to be more trusted and not break down as frequently. Baker is implying that fuel efficiency is not the most crucial factor when it comes to cars and trucks, and that reliability must be the top priority. He is also recommending that if cars were more reliable, then fuel effectiveness would end up being less of an issue. This quote is an amusing method of highlighting the importance of reliability in vehicles.