What constitutes the one nationality of a car?

"traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn" (el-peasant) 07/01/2016 at 11:54 • Filed to: None

0

36

This thing looks intimidating and unashamedly American right?

Well it was built in Canada - with an engine made in Mexico - with the underpinnings loosely related to a German sedan. One of the workers who produced it could’ve been 1/8th Israeli.

What if there was a car made in Norway, that had a German-built, Austrian designed transmission, a Serbian-designed and American-built engine, the leather came from cows in England, five of the factory workers had Nigerian descent, which in turn came distantly from tribes of Mesopotamia...

You see my point here? Is a car just an earth car?

EL_ULY > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 11:58

0

See THIS

I have a couple more to update as well.

CB > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 11:59

8

At this point, yes. We live in a global world. People who go “I’ll only buy American/Japanese/German” are kind of idiots at this point.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:03

0

And all of those places, under the design oversight and with likely local involvement from a US/Italian company. I’d suggest design origin/ownership and intended market are the most important factors, followed by assembly location, and only then parts origin - along which lines any BMWs with US design input and made in SC are actually really American, much more than people tend to think.

Sneaky Pete > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:04

0

Country of design? There isn’t a car on this earth produced today that I made entirely in 1 country.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:04

0

Yes, a car is an earth car. But people in general seem to associate country of origin as the car company’s HQ location still, which I find strange when I dig deep.

Take the example of the Honda Odyssey where the engine is made in Alabama, car is assembled there too by American workers. It was also styled and designed/developed in the USA. Yet, some people say it’s not American at all whereas the Challenger is?

Yeah no, it’s a false sense of nationalism.

Amoore100 > CB 07/01/2016 at 12:04

2

I only buy Dutch because Nedcar is best car.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:05

0

All cars are earth cars. The automotive industry, like essentially every industry, has been immensely globalized.

Good luck finding any car that can be said to have been manufactured, built, and assembled completely within one country.

I love arguing with the “I’ll only buy ‘Murican cars/trucks” people, especially when you point out that arguably the Toyota Camry is the most “American” car made and that the Tundra and F-150 are equally “American.”

djmt1 > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:05

0

Car: Where it’s built.

Brand: Where it was first created.

Company: Where the headquarters are.

So for the Challenger. It’s a Canadian car from an American brand from a Dutch company.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:05

3

The Saab 9-2x was a Japanese car with a European badge owned by an American corporation.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:12

0

Mostly by origin of the company... and speaking as a Canadian, for the most part when WE say “American” or “domestic” we mean “Made in North America”. “Imports” means Asia or Europe.

Cé hé sin > djmt1 07/01/2016 at 12:13

0

I thought FCA are headquartered in Amsterdam?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 07/01/2016 at 12:14

3

Nitpick—manufactured, built, and assembled are the same thing. Try designed, manufactured, and sold.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/01/2016 at 12:15

2

True. I knew I was using words that were too synonymous, but it’s casual (beach attire) day at the office so I’ve shut my brain off. lol

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:16

1

My 86 is quite JDM. Designed in Japan, built in Japan, Japanese engine, Japanese transmission, etc

djmt1 > Cé hé sin 07/01/2016 at 12:16

0

Oh you’re right. I got the wrong FCA.

Nibbles > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:16

0

My Volvo is a Swedish designed car, built in Belgium. At the time, Volvo was owned by an American company and shared its platform with other cars from other countries, such as the European MK II Ford Focus and the Mazda 3 and 5.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 07/01/2016 at 12:17

1

I’ve been mindlessly counting shit all day and this was a badly needed chance to turn mine back on :)

djmt1 > Cé hé sin 07/01/2016 at 12:21

0

That said, this is on their website. Not quite sure what a corporate office is though.

My speed3 is happy > CB 07/01/2016 at 12:22

1

Even the people who say “but the money goes to Japan” are idiots. Toyota is publicly traded with an ADR traded in New York. You can buy it and get your share of the profits.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 07/01/2016 at 12:22

1

Yeah, I’m also mindlessly toiling away on spreadsheets in the Excel mines today. It’s safe to say that my brain is operating at a maximum of 40%.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:31

1

Canada’s just America-lite.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 07/01/2016 at 12:32

0

Take the example of the Honda Odyssey where the engine is made in Alabama, car is assembled there too by American workers. It was also styled and designed/developed in the USA

Ironic that this is one of the few Honda products famous for relative unreliability?

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 07/01/2016 at 12:33

1

I’m curious about the Chinese cars. China’s famously protective with regards to their internal economy.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/01/2016 at 12:35

0

I could see that being the one country where it’s more likely. However, I’m certain that they’re still using foreign suppliers for components. I work for ZF and we have a pretty big presence in China. Even if the parts are made their, they still come from a foreign manufacturer/supplier.

450X_FTW > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 12:37

0

To add to what CB said, I worked at AM General for 6 years, we made Humvees and other prototype military trucks. Those are not 100% made in the USA because a normal engineer understands that some countries can do some things better than other countries can, even Murica. Now one stipulation is that military has to be ITAR compliant, meaning you are only allowed to buy parts from a small list of countries. Reason being, say we bought armor windshields from China. Well if we go to war with China, now we have no armor windshields.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 07/01/2016 at 12:39

1

Oh, India too. India was rabidly protectionist until Singh.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/01/2016 at 12:42

0

Not for a long time though

Shift24 > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/01/2016 at 13:02

0

Sigh.... Hondas made in the US since 1982 (of which Honda was the first japanese Manf. to put a plant on US soil.) Also might miss some but here goes

Honda Accord - since 82 and 95% US based parts

Civic

CRV

Pilot - US designed

Ridgeline - US designed

Element

Crosstour

-Acura

New NSX - US designed

TL

Tlx - us designed

Ilx

Mdx - US designed

CL

Under_Score > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 07/01/2016 at 13:50

0

They’re unreliable? I thought those things lasted forever. I still see a ton of 1999-2004 models.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > Under_Score 07/01/2016 at 14:16

1

Ironicallythose are the years with the worst quality transmissions *in the woorrlldd*

JRapp: now as good as new again > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 14:49

0

I like to think that one could come up with some sort of a percentages based math for that....

Brand country of origin: 30% (think Toyota - Japan, Ford - US, etc..)

Corporate owners country of origin: 10% (think Saab [GM time] - US)

Corporate Headquarters location: 10% (FCA Netherlands)

Designed in: 20% (Acura MDX - US, etc..)

Designed for market: 10% (Chinese marked Lacrosse Hybrid - China)

Engine Manufactured in: 10% (???)

Assembled in 10% (VW Bug - Mexico?)

So lets take the Challenger for example:

30% US

10% Italian (According to Wiki FCA is Italian controlled)

10% Netherlands

20% US (Pacifica Studios in LA)

10% US mostly

10% Mexico?

10% Canada (Brampton Assembly Plant)

TOTAL: 60% US...

Cé hé sin > djmt1 07/01/2016 at 16:23

0

It’s complicated.

Their headquarters for tax purposes is in Amsterdam, they’re quoted in the US and Italy, are Italian controlled, the top level management is based in Turin and Michigan and they have an address in London.

No, me neither.

Amoore100 > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 20:25

0

I think the best way to gauge it is how well the car is designed for its market. The Challenger is American because its gross power and consumption just wouldn’t be right in Europe or Asia. Likewise, the Fit is Japanese only because that’s its target market, regardless of if it’s built in the UK. By my reckoning, the Kia Cee’d is European and the Honda Odyssey is all American.

ranwhenparked > traderQAMobileTestAutomationMobileBoostOn 07/01/2016 at 21:20

0

Place of final assembly. I have a Challenger, I have a Canadian car, and I’m good with that, just like I was good with my Canadian Grand Marquis.

Under_Score > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 07/01/2016 at 22:22

0

I’ve heard about the transmissions, but I still see those, and A TON of sixth gen Accords, all with terrible paint fade.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Under_Score 07/02/2016 at 15:19

0

Hence specifying relative. The transmissions go like clockwork, but that’s about it. In Honda terms, that’s unreliable.