Quote :

"Few sports cars have captured the nation's imagination like the sleek Ford Mustang, a 21st-century reincarnation of an American classic. The Toyota Sienna minivan, by contrast, speaks to the utilitarian aesthetics of Japan: refined interiors, arm rests and lots and lots of cup holders. Yet, by a crucial measure, the Sienna is far more American than the Mustang. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that were publicized in "Auto Industry Update: 2006," a presentation by Farmington Hills, Mich., research company CSM Worldwide, show only 65% of the content of a Ford Mustang comes from the U.S. or Canada. Ford Motor Co. buys the rest of the Mustang's parts abroad. By contrast, the Sienna, sold by Japan's Toyota Motor Corp., is assembled in Indiana with 90% local components."

Notice a trend?


The US automakers are steadily investing in other countries while the "imports" are increasing their US investment.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB114731076341249773-HGAy7lJ09H_wFrUq6whlcBMUBXo_20060609.html

[Edited on May 11, 2006 at 12:23 PM. Reason : Wall Street Journal link (oops, forgot)]

5/11/2006 12:14:34 PM

SIENNA YO

5/11/2006 1:04:44 PM

i thought this had been pretty common knowledge for a while

in addition to this article, it's also funny that Ford/GM are dominant in many lines in Europe and Asia, while they struggle in the US. Most European manufacturers are exactly the opposite.

Good to see the world economy is really becoming just that.

5/11/2006 1:32:20 PM

for a lot of the japanese companies its cheaper to produce the parts here rather than produce them overseas and ship them here

5/11/2006 1:36:28 PM

this is common knowledge only to car nerds

5/11/2006 6:46:59 PM

For a second there, I thought that said India..

5/11/2006 11:22:38 PM

Quote :

"lots and lots of cup holders"

gg

cars always have cupholders in the front only. No love for the back seat

5/11/2006 11:50:33 PM

my car has a single cupholder in the rear, but you'd never want to put more than one person back there anyway.

5/11/2006 11:53:46 PM

Quote :

"i thought this had been pretty common knowledge for a while"

Quote :

"this is common knowledge only to car nerds"

I'm by no means a "car nerd" and I knew this

5/12/2006 10:09:21 AM

people with a car in their user name cannot claim to not be "car nerds"

sorry guy

just the way it goes

5/12/2006 10:16:02 AM

I think it is still pretty common knowledge, especially since they put it on the sticker.

5/12/2006 10:34:26 AM

^^lol, so does that make all the stupid chicks with "stang" in their user name car nerds?

5/12/2006 7:35:00 PM

the problem is, the profit for your domesticated imports goes back to fat slant eyes.

5/13/2006 12:47:48 AM

^As opposed to fat, greedy US CEO's and the upper corporate echelon?

Face it, Matt, US automakers are long overdue for some serious corporate restructuring. Unfortunately, they've band-aided everything for so long that now drastic measures have to be taken and the little men suffer as a result.

5/13/2006 2:57:32 AM

I'm pleased with my third captive import

5/13/2006 3:07:55 AM