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American made?

3K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  CANTED 
#1 ·
BUY AMERICAN!! Ok, how?

Consumer Reports has a gripe (April issue) about car ads from Ford as "Red, White & Bold" and Chevrolet as "An American Revolution". According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Ford and GM used a lower % of US and Canadian parts in 2005 than in 1997, while the "Imports" are dramatically increasing their American percentages.

Their ex: Ford Mustang - 65% North American parts, Toyota Sienna 90% North American parts.

Another consideration is that anyone in Japan can own GM or Ford stock just like you can buy Honda stock. In other words, you can't simply say that only Japanese own Honda or only Americans own GM.

46 "Import" models are made in the US.
31 "US" models are made in Mexico and Canada.

This "Be American - Buy American" thing is getting reeal fuzzy.

Just a little FYI.

Take care.
 
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#2 ·
Those figures are only a fraction of the story. Look at what the domestics do in terms of employment of Americans and the money spent here on R&D. When you do that, the differences are stark and obvious. Not to mention that the domestic profits stay here to be re-invested in our economy rather than that of Japan.

Not so fuzzy when you look at the whole picture.
 
#3 ·
Camino LS6 said:
Those figures are only a fraction of the story. Look at what the domestics do in terms of employment of Americans and the money spent here on R&D. When you do that, the differences are stark and obvious. Not to mention that the domestic profits stay here to be re-invested in our economy rather than that of Japan.

Not so fuzzy when you look at the whole picture.
there are not nearly as many R&D jobs available as there are factory jobs. Not to mention the R&D is either using old Mercedes hand-me-downs or Holden platforms.

Toyota has been building numerous plants for their increased sales in North America, and its not like these jobs are minimum wage. from this article it states that the average pay will be $20 dollars and hour. 2,000 workers at $20/hr is a lot of money going into local economies that would not be here if the jobs were back in japan.
 
#4 ·
I've heard a radio ad here in Calgary that goes

my grandad drove a domestic

my dad drove a domestic

and I drive a domestic....(it's an ad for a toyota truck)


a bit strange that Toyota would use more american made parts then Ford would. Does that suggest that it's cheaper for ford to buy elswhere and ship home what they need? sounds like shenanagins to me.
 
#5 ·
Camino LS6 said:
Not to mention that the domestic profits stay here to be re-invested in our economy rather than that of Japan. Not so fuzzy when you look at the whole picture.
Last I heard, wasn't Chrysler owned by a certain German car company? Where are those profits going? 8O When you look at the WHOLE picture, in my opinion, it is VERY fuzzy. Corporate globalization....
 
#6 ·
highwaysignpost said:
I've heard a radio ad here in Calgary that goes

my grandad drove a domestic

my dad drove a domestic

and I drive a domestic....(it's an ad for a toyota truck)


a bit strange that Toyota would use more american made parts then Ford would. Does that suggest that it's cheaper for ford to buy elswhere and ship home what they need? sounds like shenanagins to me.
Well for Ford, they get to use cheap labor and cheap parts to save costs, while toyota doesnt have to pay a tariff on vehicles built in the us.
 
#7 ·
Let me expand on this a little more and vent my frustration. The wife and I were out looking for hardwood flooring today, average price about $5/sq ft for pre-finished flooring from American and Canadian companies. Okay this is what I was prepared to pay. Now I turn around and sitting in the main isle of the store is a skid of pre-finished solid oak flooring-$2.25/sq ft. Product of China! Another skid next to it, similar quality at $3.99/sq ft-Product of Germany. Now what's wrong with this picture?Today in the news Hershey Chocolate announced they are closing a plant in the small town of Smiths Falls, Ontario, Population 9000 people-plant has been there since 1962 and is the backbone of their economy, almost 500,000 people tour the factory every year, 500 people loosing thier jobs-Reason given is they are building a new plant in Mexico and moving production there! Next another large company in a nearby town will be announcing they are transferring the production of printed paper products to China and will be closing their North American production facilities-Another 380 jobs lost. Where we live there are few if any manufacturing plants left, in the past 5-10 years they have all closed and moved off shore. All of the younger people have to leave this area due to the lack of work.
So lets look at the reproduction auto parts business.Have you bought any re-pop bumpers, trim, alternators, body panels that didn't come from China or Taiwan.
The slogan when I was in the auto industry was "Buy the product your neighbor helps build" I don't think you can any longer :(
 
#9 ·
Like I said, reeal fuzzy, and getting fuzzier.

Try and tell a Honda worker and his buddies in Ohio that he's being unpatriotic and then count your teeth afterwards, or the owner of a Camry with 80% US parts.

Likewise, how do you tell the buyer of a new Ford Fusion his car is unAmerican with only 30% American parts and built in Mexico.

I'm actually not taking sides here. Just submitting that the lines are no longer clear. The untarnished fact is, our ability to buy and drive whatever we darn well please is the most American thing of all. Well, not including Fords of course.

http://www.dollysmixtures.com/fuzzydice/fuzzydice.jpg

Take care.
 
#10 ·
I suppose the upside to all this cross country investing is that we're all going to be a lot more alike. By that I mean if we want world peace we'll get it being so economicaly tied to other countries and them to North America. After all we're all in debt to each other anyways if we fail to get along the whole global economy could stand to come down and no CEO wants that to happen.

Finally we'll all be one big happy family
 
#12 ·
'78 thru '84's were actually built in Arlington, Tex. 1985 thru '87 were built south of the border. Interestingly also, from comments made by GM execs at the time after the switch over to Mexican production, the vehicles were actually more carefully put together by the new Mexican assembly line in an effort to impress GM into building more cars in Mexico !
 
#13 ·
Don't forget Fremont CA! Thats where the smog CA models came from :D

Im from a different generation I guess. Im proud of my country in all. But it doesnt bite me in the ass that much that FORD and GM are building else where. Also that toyota and honda build here. Hell theres a toyota plant off the coast in cali where the town it self runs for toyota. They control the lights on the streets for the workers to get to the plant and to leave for work and set up for each crew. I see it all as doing business.

-Anduh
 
#16 ·
Doraville

Doraville, touch a country in the city, Doraville, it aint much but it's home. Sorry I kinda like ARS. I toured that plant back in the 70's, was working at a Honda dealer and our training center was nearby. I saw them assembling Cutlasses and Montes, what suprised me was almost everything was put together with a 1/2" impact, reguardless of size. I was back in Doraville recently, found a pickup on line that I bought for my son. It may be in America but If you are an American in Doraville, you are in the minority. The population there is predominantly Asian or Mexican. So what does that say for being made in America? I would hope that these people have become members of our great land, however it is a little hard to swallow.
 
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