We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American? - Jalopnik Comments

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

Packa — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 21:57:07 EDT

@Packa: "cars have a primary purpose, and that's to get people where they want to go. Get over it."

@dculberson: Uhh..... yeah.... what? I think you just made my head explode. This isn't Consumer Reports, this is Jalopnik.

Just because this is Jalopnik doesn't make the rest of the world Jalopnik. A vast number of people understand the primary purpose of a car and still buy them for that purpose... so to go on ranting about how boring Camry's are... well it's not exactly as... er... incisive... as it seems.

On top of that the argument is made despite the huge decency of most of the boring cars... how fabulously sufficient they are... how amazingly well-equipped, well-thought out and commodious they are.

So I still maintain that the whole 'bland' argument is just... well... bland.

Packa

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

abgwin — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:11:38 EDT

So I'm confused.. I have a Jeep Liberty, assembled in US, engine from US, transmission from US. How much more American can it be, or need it be to make the list?

Aren't most Toyota drivetrains imported? Granted, the bigger engines are built here (e.g. Tundra V8) but Sienna?? I thought all their trannies were Japanese still...

abgwin

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

GreenN_Gold — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:24:19 EDT

No Jeeps? That's an abomination. What says America like Jeep? The whole brand is manufactured in America.

GreenN_Gold

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

dculberson — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:13:40 EDT

@Packa: "cars have a primary purpose, and that's to get people where they want to go. Get over it."

Uhh..... yeah.... what? I think you just made my head explode. This isn't Consumer Reports, this is Jalopnik.

dculberson

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

Packa — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:30:03 EDT

This discussion is about American-osity... so I'm suprised to see the Focus on the list...aren't they build in two plans, mostly in Mexico?

I'd like to see the corollary list: the vehicles that have American nameplates that are LEAST American: ie, the Dodge Ram, Hecho in Mexico.

The whole BLAND argument is so bland: cars have a primary purpose, and that's to get people where they want to go. Get over it.

Packa

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

HeeeeyJake — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:19:56 EDT

Sales throws this off. Plenty of more exciting or at least unique cars probably have more American-sourced parts and are built in America. Viper and Corvette for example, I would bet.

HeeeeyJake

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

piththeelder — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:32:09 EDT

Just wait till Visteon and what remains of Delphi non-electronics divisions shut down...

piththeelder

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

danio3834 — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:19:52 EDT

It seems like the sole purpose of these articles is to purge the guilt of the yups who bought a Japanese Camry over an American Taurus.

Whatever makes you feel better...

danio3834

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

Turboner — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 05:05:37 EDT

Boy, them 'murrican cars sure do sound fun to drive... Yawn.

Turboner

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

endless — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 04:19:21 EDT

Kansas City takes the most spots on that list (2 in claycomo and 1 in KCK)

does that make us the most american city?

hurrah!

endless

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

Bad Juju — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:14:59 EDT

Soooo.. let's see, its bland, bland, bland, rental cars, Mom's van and Builder Bob's trucks. That's about right.

Bad Juju

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

ZeGerman — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:20:25 EDT

I thought most people liked their focuses. Partly because they're not terrible drivers, and partly because they're so much better than the Escorts they replaced in every other conceivable way.

I think they're okay. The SVT was cool for the short while it was around. I only wish we had the Euro version. But then again, we can just walk over to the Mazda dealership and get it there. Mazdaspeed3: yes, please!

ZeGerman

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

lovesponge — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:06:56 EDT

Well my focus hatch came with a bunch of pictures of amigos in Mexico around a car saying they built it. Plus the focus is european, americans couldn't think up a car like that. Just look what they've done to it now.

lovesponge

We're An American Brand...But Are Our Cars American?

stopcrazypp — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:02:53 EDT

Ha ha, now I have a rebuttal for that guy who keeps saying the Ford Focus is not American because it was designed and engineered in Germany. Something about how Americans are incapable of making good cars.

stopcrazypp