Map of all vehicles built in USA, assembled in Canada and Mexico.

[HondaKid]

From The New York Times, an article on the USA-ness of vehicles manufactured today in North America. It shows a Malibu is really no more USA like than a Civic, etc.

Car companies names mean nothing anymore, I wonder if all on this map are duty-free at the border as they apply under the NA Free Trade Act?

Most shocking was the difficulty in finding a vehicle made in a traditional car town like Detroit. I knew it was a falling number but did not know it was this bad.

Interactive map:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/19/automobiles/20090619-auto-plants-4.html

[Tik-Tok]

It would be interesting to see it a step further, and know where most other components come from. I'm willing to bet 90% of individual parts come from Asia for almost all brands.

Kind of the same deal with Boeing VS Airbus. Airbus employees more Americans through parts manufacturing than Boeing does.

[HondaKid]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
It would be interesting to see it a step further, and know where most other components come from. I'm willing to bet 90% of individual parts come from Asia for almost all brands.

Kind of the same deal with Boeing VS Airbus. Airbus employees more Americans through parts manufacturing than Boeing does.

Very true, a parts maker is making many brands of car parts at the same time. I was once told by a VP at NHK (2nd largest parts company in the world) in Yokohama that basically all car parts are the same. He drove a Suzuki, not because of a frugal mindset (was making big money) but rather the knowledge that it was as good as anything else on the road all things considered.

The parts manufacturing company I worked at made car seats (USA), rear ends (India I think), brakes (India and Brazil), etc for all the Japanese car companies. Brazil has an enormous automotive parts industry. The executive company cars (with driver) were Mercedes and BMW to avoid a conflict with Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mits. Toyota was the "worst" client as they were so strong with squeezing the last yen out of each deal, the majority of the 25-35 year old engineers drove Subarus, beyond 35 years of age they drifted towards Toyotas and Nissans. They laughed at the USA makers, I recall an engineer saying the suspension on a Mustang was a joke, decades behind in engineering development. The Japanese car companies design the parts, the parts are made and improved if possible by the parts makers. Toyota for example makes nothing really, they design and place orders with the parts houses and assemble the cars. They are a design and assembly company, the best in the world at this from what I was told.

The auto parts business is global, plants are where they can make the most from the business. Could Henry Ford have ever thought this many locations are needed just to build a vehicle?:

http://www.nhkspg.co.jp/eng/gr/over.html

[core_upt]

Great info to have for bringing a duty-free vehicle up from the US.

[Eleanor]

Originally posted by HondaKid
Most shocking was the difficulty in finding a vehicle made in a traditional car town like Detroit. I knew it was a falling number but did not know it was this bad. They're all made in suburbs now, Dearborn, Sterling Heights, Warren, Hamtramck, Lansing, Pontiac etc.

[B20EF]

Ford Explorer

Engine- Germany
Transmission - France

Crazy:nut: