Very Interesting Statistics
3May 11, 2006 by Tyson Wynn
Update: I guess it would help if I actually linked to the article I referenced, duh! Here it is.
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I didn’t have time to read this whole article yet, but the info–and especially the graphic–are very telling. Did you ever think we’d see the day when the Toyota Sienna is more "American" than a Ford Mustang? Reminds me of my first real car purchase on my own. I specifically bought American. As I think back on it, buying based on a car’s nationality is utterly meaningless when buying used cars (which I always do) and would really only have an impact on a new car purchase (which I will never do unless I am filth rich–read: never). So anyway, I set our to buy American and was thrilled when I found a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo ("The Monte"). After scaring the salesman half to death on the test drive, I negotiated a good price, wrote the check, and took my American car purchase home. Only later, when cleaning the car up one day, did I notice the huge maple leaf sticker on the door with a "Made in Canada" declaration underneath. Let me just say, that cleared up my thinking a whole lot. I still tend toward "American" cars because I like large sedans, but I am no longer consider them American, and I find that sad.
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3 comments
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First off, we have to make a distinction between American made and
made from American materials. Made in the USA simply means final
assembly occured somewhere in the USA, it doesn’t imply that any of
the parts actually came from America. The US economy becomes more
of one global economy with each passing day – as it should, and the
products we purchase are made in fact by a mixture of materials and
labor from many countries. Globalization aside, when we look at
cars, consumers must decide whether they want to purchase quality
vehicles or simply “a” vehicle. It seems that increasingly consumers
are demanding higher quality cars, just take a look at the latest
results from Ford and GM. Sales of American car companies continue
to decline because they produce a lower quality product. I believe
that to be intentional and aimed at a certain market segment, a
segment that is ultimately in decline. I drove American made cars
since I turned 16 until I became frustrated with the quality and
service I received from those companies. Having purchased a Honda
several years ago I’m convinced that is the only brand of
car I will own going forward. There is no comparison when it comes to
the quality and service I have received with this car. I don’t care
where the car is ultimately made because I will only open my wallet
when the quality is deserving of my hard earend dollar. As soon as
the American car manufacturers produce a car that is equal to or
better than the foreign manufacturers I will continue to buy Japanese
cars. Another interesting fact I came across, the majority of vehicles
sold by Honda are actually made in the USA. In addition, many of their
new vehicle lines such as the Ridgeline are actually engineered in the USA.
You did reference the website, silly.
I put the link there when I posted the update.