What defines an American car?

[dd74]

I read with great interest a small write up on the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. All said, the car is very nice. But of particular interest was where the car is made - Indiana, according to Motor Trend magazine.

Now I know quite a few non-American-named cars (Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc.) are built here in the states (Honda, Mercedes, now Subaru), so my question is can these "foreign" cars which are assembled to an extent in The States, be regarded as American cars? They are, at least, built by Americans - which is a good thing.

[IROC]

The local UAW defines an American car by the location of where the profits made from selling the car go. Horrible sentence I just wrote there, but essentially a Subaru is a Japanese car regardless of where it is built since Subaru is based in Japan.

[M.D. Holloway]

Where is the company incorporated? Where are the profits banked?

[TerryH]

The homogenization of autos began decades ago and has only got worse as time passes. Not only do different makes of American cars look similar, but they blend right in with their foreign counterparts.

Remember back in the good old days, like pre 1975? I prided myself in telling the make/model/year from hundreds of feet away. Even a headlight or a tail lamp would suffice. Now I have to read it off the car most times.

It's also impossible to guess the year, since they make the identical car now for 10 years running.

I feel Dodge has at least tried to reverse this trend. Their current lineup has some muscle and aggressive body styling.

[Jim Richards]

Originally posted by dd74
Re: What defines an American car?

A strong probability of being butt-ugly?

[Moneyguy1]

That's an over-generalization. I posit that there are a LOT of butt-ugly models from the ROW as well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[Jims5543]

Nascar has deemed Toyota an American car.

[Jim Richards]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
That's an over-generalization. I posit that there are a LOT of butt-ugly models from the ROW as well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Now that you mention it, I think you're right, Bob. Have we, as a nation, suddenly become a net exporter of Detroit automobile designers?

[dd74]

Ugly?

[therotman]

Originally posted by IROC
The local UAW defines an American car by the location of where the profits made from selling the car go. Horrible sentence I just wrote there, but essentially a Subaru is a Japanese car regardless of where it is built since Subaru is based in Japan.

Where does that leave Chrysler? Built in Mexico and owned by the Germans?

[the]

How about Mazda?

Jaguar?

[Overpaid Slacker]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
A strong probability of being butt-ugly?

I wouldn't agree with that, exactly. But I will say that a bland, playskool-inspired, insipid-gray, soulless interior is definitely a quality.

You could probably add:

1) designed and built without regard for cornering or aggressive braking.

2) unsuitable for use in smaller "European" towns.

3) the high likelihood of purchase by someone who views a car as a "transportation appliance".

Technically, I believe it has to do with the % of source of parts and value-added processes. If, for example, all fabrication and most assembly is done elsewhere and the major pieces are just put together here, it's not "American." I touched on this in the Int'l Business Law course I taught, and, especially for automobiles, it can be mind-warping how to get to a definitive % of "Americanness".

JP

[Zeke]

Another viewpoint on this is to determine where the parts to make the car come from. Sometime ago, someone said that if over 50% of the parts were made in the US and the product was assembled in the US, it had the right to say "Made in the USA." If not, then it could say "Assembled in the USA."

By those standards, maybe some foreign cars are "Made in the USA," but it will be loooooong time before I will call any Toyota an American car.

One of my favorite expressions is, "If you buy a foreign car, your American Uncle is ashamed of you." Not really appropriate on a Porsche site, I know, but I've NEVER bought a foreign car new. Any money I have spent on a foreign car went to an American resident. Since the car was already here, I guess I have to grant myself an exception.

But wait, there's more: I buy a lot of tools. Over the years I have bought many Makita tools. Most others have been ostensibly American made. But that's the rub, Makita has been making tools in the US for a couple of decades. They definitely qualify as being "Made in the US."

Still more: I wanted to buy an American made television at one time, some 20 years ago. There was one TV assembled in the US but owned by a Japanese company and one American company who made their TV's in Japan. I bought a Sony. What can you do in a situation like that?

And that's the way things are going to be for a long time to come, if not forever. We've plain screwed ourselves into a 2nd rate country.

[azasadny]

Originally posted by TerryH
The homogenization of autos began decades ago and has only got worse as time passes. Not only do different makes of American cars look similar, but they blend right in with their foreign counterparts.

Remember back in the good old days, like pre 1975? I prided myself in telling the make/model/year from hundreds of feet away. Even a headlight or a tail lamp would suffice. Now I have to read it off the car most times.

It's also impossible to guess the year, since they make the identical car now for 10 years running.

I feel Dodge has at least tried to reverse this trend. Their current lineup has some muscle and aggressive body styling.

Yep! I just bought a Mazdaspeed3 and leased a Mazda CX-7 because I get a Ford employee discount (Ford own 33% of Mazda) and I'm a Ford employee until 2/28. It's very difficult to define an "American car" since you can also factor in where the parts/components are made, who the labor force was, etc... I simply buy what I like and that's it. I've driven Ford lease vehicles since 1994 and haven't liked any of them enough to buy them... or lease them again... that says something.

[Rob Channell]

I had trouble deciding what to buy the last time I purchased.

Which is more "American?"
A. The Honda assembled in the USA
B. The Chevy Suburban assembled in Mexico

Just buy what you want.......life is too short.

[tabascobobcat]

87% of the parts that make up the Honda Accord sold in the US are produced in America by 99% Americans. No opinion. Just a fact. 100% of my profit sharing check is paid by Honda. There are 13,500 of us. That's quite a bit of payroll for the US Gov to tax. The profit margin on a new car is alot less than you think. The bulk of the cash is staying here in operating costs.

[pwd72s]

Here's a pic of an american car...

[dd74]

Originally posted by Overpaid Slacker
I wouldn't agree with that, exactly. But I will say that a bland, playskool-inspired, insipid-gray, soulless interior is definitely a quality.

You could probably add:

1) designed and built without regard for cornering or aggressive braking.

2) unsuitable for use in smaller "European" towns.

3) the high likelihood of purchase by someone who views a car as a "transportation appliance".

Technically, I believe it has to do with the % of source of parts and value-added processes. If, for example, all fabrication and most assembly is done elsewhere and the major pieces are just put together here, it's not "American." I touched on this in the Int'l Business Law course I taught, and, especially for automobiles, it can be mind-warping how to get to a definitive % of "Americanness".

JP

I think you need to drive the red car pictured above, or its predecessor. Mercedes can't touch it, and what's saving BMW from the car's threat is simply BMW's highly-touted sport sedan history.

[pwd72s]

trying again on the pic...

[CJFusco]

Originally posted by dd74
Ugly?

To my eyes? Yes. It looks like it was designed by a mathematician.