“Foreign” Cars Top American-Made List

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Written By:
Rob Port

Jul 5, 2012
12:17pm

Via Mark Perry, here is the top ten from Cars.com’s annual American-Made index. The methodology they use doesn’t just assume that cars made by American-based companies like Ford and General Motors are actually American-made. They account for where the car parts are made and where the cars are assembled. And by that measure 4 out of the top 5 cars – and 6 out of the top 10 – that are “American-made” are manufactured by companies based out of the United States.

You’ll notice that neither of the two bailed out domestic auto companies – General Motors or Chrysler – have much of a presence in the top 10.

What this proves is that a lot of the old political tropes about American-made vs. foreign made goods aren’t really all that valid in our modern economy. A lot of “foreign” cars are far more American than supposedly “domestic” cars.

Not that it really matters. If a car made in Korea or Japan or Mexico meets what Americans are looking for in terms of whatever combination of features, price and quality they value, then so be it. That’s how free markets work.

The only reason Americans buy foreign made goods is because those goods have some advantage over American-made goods. Denying or inhibiting access to foreign-made goods or services in order to protect American-made goods or services only serves to take better quality/priced products out of the market.