You might have noticed Toyota Motor Corp. ads recently proclaiming just how much the company's extensive U.S. manufacturing presence means to America. The ads mention 32,000 U.S. workers and claim the company has created 386,000 jobs nationwide.
Wrapping oneself in the U.S. flag is nothing new for large corporations, but when it comes to the automotive world, such claims do raise the question of what constitutes an American vehicle and an American company.
What's American?
If "buying American" is important to you, then you need to consider several points; is the car made in America, how much of it is made here, is it made by union, or non-union work force, and if the company concerned is American-owned.
Deeper questions could focus on how long a company has been manufacturing in the U.S., how many plants and workers does it have, what are its remuneration, benefits, retirement and charitable policies? In short, assessing the "American character" of a given company is far from simple.
You should be aware that just because a vehicle is branded with a domestic nameplate, it does not mean it is automatically made in the USA.
One of Ford's top sellers, the Fusion sedan, for example, is assembled in Mexico, as are a significant number of other mainstream models from Detroit brands. Adding to the confusion, some, but not all, Toyota Corollas are made by UAW workers in a U.S. plant.
More photos in our auto show photo galleries...
Auto Show photo galleries!!!! Click here
Read Article