American Made Index

[pow]

http://www.ktrv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5100193

What are the top American-made cars?

Cars.com's American Made Index rates vehicles put together and purchased in the U.S. Factors include where the cars' parts are made, where the cars are assembled and how many were sold in the U.S. from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2006. Eligible models must have a domestic-parts-content rating of 75 percent or more, the minimum federal standard for a car to be labeled domestic.

Rank Make/Model U.S. Assembly Location(s)

1. Ford F-Series* Dearborn, Mich.;

Kansas City, Mo.;

Louisville, Ky.;

Norfolk, Va.

2. Chevrolet Silverado Fort Wayne, Ind.;

Pontiac, Mich.

3. Toyota Camry**, Camry Solara Georgetown, Ky.

4. Ford E-Series Lorain, Ohio

5. Chevrolet Cobalt Lordstown, Ohio

6.  Ford Explorer,

Explorer Sport Trac Louisville, Ky.;

St. Louis

7. Chevrolet Malibu, Malibu Maxx Kansas City, Kan.

8. Ford Escape** Kansas City, Mo.

9. Toyota Sienna Princeton, Ind.

10. Chevrolet TrailBlazer*** Moraine, Ohio

*Excludes Ford F-650, F-750

**Excludes hybrid

***Excludes discontinued TrailBlazer EXT

(American = U.S. and Canada)

I saw something on this while watching Faux News (Cavuto) a few nights ago. They said that according to the US government, the Mustang and Suburban, two distinctly American-looking vehicles (original pony car and full-size SUV), are actually not American (65% and 68%, respectively; 75% and up qualifies as "American"), while the Toyota Camry, something traditionally viewed as an import, is (80%). Of course, they had to mention that the Prius, "something very popular in California", has zero American content.

[76ChevyTrucker]

Yeah, but I don't think that anyone is going to chastize the Suburban because most of the parts don't come from, or are assembled in the US.

[Flybrian]

how many were sold in the U.S. from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2006

The rhetoric in the article implies that these ares are the 'most American,' yet factors in sales, which has no bearing on a car's content/assembly, making this 'list' spurrious. The Buick Lucerne, Lincoln Town Car, and most of Cadillac's lineup should rightfully be on this list as well, among others.

As is, this it not much more than a list of the top-selling cars in the U.S., minus one or two models. Nice job, Cars.com.

[pow]

Yeah, but I don't think that anyone is going to chastize the Suburban because most of the parts don't come from, or are assembled in the US.

165442[/snapback]

Yep... it's a brilliant truck regardless of where it's built.

[pow]

The rhetoric in the article implies that these ares are the 'most American,' yet factors in sales, which has no bearing on a car's content/assembly, making this 'list' spurrious. The Buick Lucerne, Lincoln Town Car, and most of Cadillac's lineup should rightfully be on this list as well, among others.

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Their explanation:

Szakaly said buyers should also be mindful that a car's sales affect the number of manufacturing jobs it creates — and therefore play a key role in determining a car's domestic impact.

"If one car is out there with 90 percent parts (from the U.S. or Canada) and they're selling five of them, we don't care," he said.

[Flybrian]

Their explanation:

Szakaly said buyers should also be mindful that a car's sales affect the number of manufacturing jobs it creates — and therefore play a key role in determining a car's domestic impact.

"If one car is out there with 90 percent parts (from the U.S. or Canada) and they're selling five of them, we don't care," he said.

165451[/snapback]

That's a pretty stupid statement in itself, too. If you want to go into that deeper and murkier 'domestic impact' route, you have to take into account dozens and dozens of other variables, such as taxes paid to various levels of government, local community, benefits, etc and those are near impossible to quantify.

Note also the cars I mentioned are pretty decent volume sellers for their class, but, you know...no one cares. Maybe Mr. Szkakaldfisfiafsiafasfhsaly doesn't, but I do.

[balthazar]

Excellent point, Fly. List is disposable fluff.

And regardless of what a government employee may have declared determines an 'American' car is, for me it all boils down to where the parent corporation is headquartered & legally declared.

[AAS]

I agree with balthazar, that it matters "...where the parent corporation is headquartered & legally declared."

Also... why count Canada and not Mexico, it is all technically (North) America.

Edited July 11, 2006 by AAS