'Foreign Carmakers More "Domestic" Than Detroit'

[Panthera Pardus Nigresco]

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/flowchart/2009/05/26/foreign-carmakers-more-domestic-than-detroit.html

[Mindwarp]

Nothing new, NASCAR fans have known for a while now that of the 4 manufacturers racing, Toyota is the only one built in the US.

[Hans Jaeger]

A leaner, meaner Big 3 might eventually mean that this trend will reverse itself over time, IF their production meets consumer demands for the kinds of vehicles they want, built to a high quality standard.

[Willy]

Heck, GM's already making noises about importing more cars manufactured overseas, including some made in China. The way I'm seeing it is that Toyota will be the new GM.

[Hans Jaeger]

Heck, GM's already making noises about importing more cars manufactured overseas, including some made in China.

Yes, that surprises me somewhat, but if the Chinese can build cars as well as the Koreans and Japanese, and build them cheaply, they will cost Americans (and Canadians) jobs. Right now I'm thinking a repeat of the Lada and the Yugo, but that may not be the case.

[Snuffy]

I know many disagree with this, but any American auto manufacturer that continues to allow a union to influence any muscle in its negotiations with its employees is going to suffer ... even if brought back from the dead with a bankruptcy.

The only reason the imports made in this country are flourishing is because the manufacturer does not put up with union bull****. The people who work for those plants are employees of the company, and not employees of the union.

And as far as Toyota becoming the new GM ... that's not going to happen either because ultimately, most of the money Toyota makes on its autos goes back to Japan ... only by cutting ties with the mother company off shore will any import manufacturer be considered a "true" American made automobile in my book.

[Hans Jaeger]

I know many disagree with this, but any American auto manufacturer that continues to allow a union to influence any muscle in its negotiations with its employees is going to suffer ... even if brought back from the dead with a bankruptcy.

GM Canada and Chrysler Canada have agreements in place now by which their workers are at the same labour costs as Toyota Canada and Honda Canada.


And as far as Toyota becoming the new GM ... that's not going to happen either because ultimately, most of the money Toyota makes on its autos goes back to Japan ... only by cutting ties with the mother company off shore will any import manufacturer be considered a "true" American made automobile in my book.

You're getting a taste of the Canadian experience, where millions of cars have been built in branch plants of American companies for more than half a century.

[Snuffy]

That may be true Hans ... but we're specifically speaking of American manufactured autos manufactured in America ... Are there really any?

My 1995 GMC was a Canadian build work ... still runs almost as good as the day I bought it new in 1995.