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Do you Really drive an American Car?
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Even without reading this I know that alot of American vehicles are not considered American made. One of many examles is the Ford Crown Vic, which I have seen stamped with ASSEMBLED IN MEXICO. Other vehicles have parts that are made out of country and built here in the US. Now the definintion of American made is like politics. Its hard to define with all sorts of legalalities and mumbo jumbo.
I thought Crown Victorias were built in Canada.oskerb said:
I have a list back at home, but here's what I can remember off the top of my head regarding POA (point of assembly)
Fiesta - Mexico
Fusion/Milan/MKZ - Mexico
Escape/Mariner/Tribute - USA
Mustang - USA
F-series - USA
Focus - USA
Edge/MKX - Canada
Explorer/Taurus/Flex - USA
E-series - not sure
Mazda6 - USA (built alongside Mustangs)
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Good article. Only one point that I can pick at is that the Union only lets American cars park in the lot, those marked with 1 or 2 in the vin, but then down further is stated that 2 is for vehicles made in Canada, America, or Mexico and 1 is for American made. So do they let both kind of makes park in there lot?
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The easiest way to quickly identify the country of final assembly is (mainly) the first digit of the VIN, as the article mentioned, but there are exceptions. Technically, the first two characters are really needed, since some contries share the first digit.
Right off the top, 1, 4, or 5 is USA, 2 is Canada, 3 is usually Mexico, J is Japan.
Here's the entire list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_Id ... ntry_codes
Of course, final assembly doesn't mean that the content is related to the country of final assembly.
Right off the top, 1, 4, or 5 is USA, 2 is Canada, 3 is usually Mexico, J is Japan.
Here's the entire list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_Id ... ntry_codes
Of course, final assembly doesn't mean that the content is related to the country of final assembly.
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I think we have to live with the reality that the auto industry has globalised to the point where no vehicle is completely made in one country.
I try to buy Canadian when I can but the reality is that when I bought a Ford I was still supporting a company that contributes a lot into the canadian economy, I don't mind that someone in Claycomo, MO did the final assembly.
If I choose to buy canadian next time or support my home province there certainly is no shortage of options ...
Chrysler - Brampton, Ontario
Chrysler 300 series
Dodge Charger
Dodge Challenger
Ford - St. Thomas, Ontario
Ford Crown Victoria (fleet sales)
Lincoln Town Car (fleet sales)
Mercury Grand Marquis (for USA)
General Motors - Oshawa, Ontario
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Camaro
Honda - Alliston, Ontario plant 1
Acura CSX
Honda Civic sedan/coupe
Honda - Alliston, Ontario plant 2
Honda Civic sedan
Toyota - Cambridge, Ontario
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Matrix
CAMI (GM/Suzuki) - Ingersoll, Ontario
Chevrolet Equinox
GMC Terrain
Chrysler - Windsor, Ontario
Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Grand Caravan
Volkswagen Routan
Ford - Oakville, Ontario
Ford Edge
Lincoln MKX
Lincoln MKT
Ford Flex
General Motors - Oshawa
Chevrolet Silverado
GMC Sierra
Honda - Alliston, Ontario
Acura MDX
Acura ZDX
Toyota - Cambridge, Ontario
Lexus RX 350
Toyota - Woodstock, Ontario
Toyota RAV4
I try to buy Canadian when I can but the reality is that when I bought a Ford I was still supporting a company that contributes a lot into the canadian economy, I don't mind that someone in Claycomo, MO did the final assembly.
If I choose to buy canadian next time or support my home province there certainly is no shortage of options ...
Chrysler - Brampton, Ontario
Chrysler 300 series
Dodge Charger
Dodge Challenger
Ford - St. Thomas, Ontario
Ford Crown Victoria (fleet sales)
Lincoln Town Car (fleet sales)
Mercury Grand Marquis (for USA)
General Motors - Oshawa, Ontario
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Camaro
Honda - Alliston, Ontario plant 1
Acura CSX
Honda Civic sedan/coupe
Honda - Alliston, Ontario plant 2
Honda Civic sedan
Toyota - Cambridge, Ontario
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Matrix
CAMI (GM/Suzuki) - Ingersoll, Ontario
Chevrolet Equinox
GMC Terrain
Chrysler - Windsor, Ontario
Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Grand Caravan
Volkswagen Routan
Ford - Oakville, Ontario
Ford Edge
Lincoln MKX
Lincoln MKT
Ford Flex
General Motors - Oshawa
Chevrolet Silverado
GMC Sierra
Honda - Alliston, Ontario
Acura MDX
Acura ZDX
Toyota - Cambridge, Ontario
Lexus RX 350
Toyota - Woodstock, Ontario
Toyota RAV4
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BTW, Mexico is part of America.
North America that is!
Not Central America :stop: , not South America :stop: !
Insofar as I can recall, the Crown Victoria never was assembled in Mexico. Maybe a stereo component or some other electronic bit or piece.
Brake parts typically came from Spain for most of the Ford lineup. It's a Ford assembly plant that makes the pads. :shrug:
Transmissions come from all over the place. Tremec manuals are assembled in Mexico, but the CVT and the early five speed transaxle automatics came from a couple of different Japanese factories. Nissin (spelling is correct, it's not Nissan), and Aisin. Aisin manufactures the CVT transmissions used in the Ford Five Hundred, Escape, Mariner, Tribute and Fusion Hybrid vehicles. The infamous CD4E transmissions are/were manufactured at the Batavia assembly plant. Ford will builds the 6F at their Van **** Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and in the future at Sharonville Transmission in Sharonville, Ohio.
The GM twin to the Ford transmission is built at Warren Transmission in Warren, Michigan.
North America that is!
Not Central America :stop: , not South America :stop: !
Insofar as I can recall, the Crown Victoria never was assembled in Mexico. Maybe a stereo component or some other electronic bit or piece.
Brake parts typically came from Spain for most of the Ford lineup. It's a Ford assembly plant that makes the pads. :shrug:
Transmissions come from all over the place. Tremec manuals are assembled in Mexico, but the CVT and the early five speed transaxle automatics came from a couple of different Japanese factories. Nissin (spelling is correct, it's not Nissan), and Aisin. Aisin manufactures the CVT transmissions used in the Ford Five Hundred, Escape, Mariner, Tribute and Fusion Hybrid vehicles. The infamous CD4E transmissions are/were manufactured at the Batavia assembly plant. Ford will builds the 6F at their Van **** Transmission Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and in the future at Sharonville Transmission in Sharonville, Ohio.
The GM twin to the Ford transmission is built at Warren Transmission in Warren, Michigan.
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Here's an interesting Australian article about country of origin :thumb: ...
http://blogs.drive.com.au/2006/07/count ... rigin.html
http://blogs.drive.com.au/2006/07/count ... rigin.html
We took something out that was assembled in Mexico. Hopefuly he remembers when I talk to him. In any case I really dont care where it was made.
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This is a very hot subject that no one in the auto industry can or wishes to give a clear answer.
Indeed, there are VIN charts that one may look into but they don't tell the full story.
Take my Maverick for example, purchased brand new in March,2004.
According to its VIN number which starts with WO it is assembled in Germany.The fact is that Ford of Germany does not manufacture or assembles Mavericks.
And now, a very peculiar detail.
On the firewall, the German VIN has been embossed over a different scratched out VIN.
At some places on the car, like the windscreen it says that the vehicle was assembled at the Kansas assembly plant.
No matter where a Ford was made, be it Spain or Belgium or Tahiti, as long as it is marketed in Europe it carries the WO of the German "pimp".
On a different but very relative note, I always like to tease all Greeks feeling somewhat over-patriotic about their language, by asking them to decide whether Photograpy is a Greek or English word.The roots of the word may be Greek but since the word was first coined by a couple of English gentlemen in the 19th century, then...
Indeed, there are VIN charts that one may look into but they don't tell the full story.
Take my Maverick for example, purchased brand new in March,2004.
According to its VIN number which starts with WO it is assembled in Germany.The fact is that Ford of Germany does not manufacture or assembles Mavericks.
And now, a very peculiar detail.
On the firewall, the German VIN has been embossed over a different scratched out VIN.
At some places on the car, like the windscreen it says that the vehicle was assembled at the Kansas assembly plant.
No matter where a Ford was made, be it Spain or Belgium or Tahiti, as long as it is marketed in Europe it carries the WO of the German "pimp".
On a different but very relative note, I always like to tease all Greeks feeling somewhat over-patriotic about their language, by asking them to decide whether Photograpy is a Greek or English word.The roots of the word may be Greek but since the word was first coined by a couple of English gentlemen in the 19th century, then...
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What the auto industry calls a "knock down" model. The vehicle was most likely assembled at Claycomo like the rest of the E/M/Ts than shiped and reassembled in just enough peices to consider the vehicle as assembled in Germany. This usually happens in order to avoid import duties or restrictions caused by the origin of the vehicle.SUVord said:
When Ford Transit vans are shipped into north america they are equipped with seating for four then a plant in Ohio rips out the interior to create a cargo van and the matterials are recycled. All this work just to avoid a heavy import tarrif for foreign trucks.
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