Thread: Who here supports the US car makers?

I just want to know who here supports the country and our workers by buying American cars?

I would like to say I have ONLY owned American cars from Ford, Jeep, Pontiac, and Chevy... I drive a Chevy Malibu now and I love it! I got to used car dealers or dealers that deal both types of cars but try to push the foreign cars on me! (because I'm a kid I guess?) I use my car to commute and get around nothing more! I don't dump $5,000 in a car that is already $18,000+!

I owned alot of cars but hey they were cheap cars until I was able to afford a nice "newer" car I have today! Though I miss my Jeep Grand Cherokee! I was great in the winter!

The only vehicles i've ever owned has been an American Made Vehicle. (General Motors, Ford, or Dodge vehicles that is.) Sure, the imports are cheap, but why shouldn't they be, they don't have the overhead they do in the USA, and we don't or haven't had slave labor building them.

Either buy American built items, or sell out to Imported labor.

Have always bought American. I came from the Detroit area originally so that was drummed into us by our families who were mostly auto workers.

Happy to hear that Americans are proudly buying American cars!
I am saddened in a way to look around me on the road and see Honda's and Hyundai's surrounding my American car! I understand a competitive market but lets not destroy the American market!!! It seems like the late that all this outsourcing and overseas manufacturing is biting us in the rear!!!


I am also so heated to see American Flags on this foreign cars!!! Lets not get me on foreign flags!!! Thats a rant with in its self!!!

Originally Posted by BorderLegionnaire

I just want to know who here supports the country and our workers by buying American cars?

I would like to say I have ONLY owned American cars from Ford, Jeep, Pontiac, and Chevy... I drive a Chevy Malibu now and I love it! I got to used car dealers or dealers that deal both types of cars but try to push the foreign cars on me! (because I'm a kid I guess?) I use my car to commute and get around nothing more! I don't dump $5,000 in a car that is already $18,000+!

I owned alot of cars but hey they were cheap cars until I was able to afford a nice "newer" car I have today! Though I miss my Jeep Grand Cherokee! I was great in the winter!

You are kidding yourself. More Toyotas are made in the US today than are Chevies. Jeep is owned by a German company, the same one that owns Chrysler.

There is no such thing as an "American car" unless you buy something made prior to about 1985.

I don't recommend, by the way, buying just about any American car made between about 1970 and 1985. They are pure junk.

Tokie

Originally Posted by Shadow

The only vehicles i've ever owned has been an American Made Vehicle. (General Motors, Ford, or Dodge vehicles that is.) Sure, the imports are cheap, but why shouldn't they be, they don't have the overhead they do in the USA, and we don't or haven't had slave labor building them.

Either buy American built items, or sell out to Imported labor.

What year does your calendar say?

My wife's BMW was not "cheap." I'd like to find a "cheap" Lexus.

I have a "Ford" Focus. It was cheap. It's a good little car, but if anybody told me it rolled off an assembly line in Detroit, I'd have to laugh in their face. This thing has "Korea" written all over it.

Tokie

All my life I have owned Buick Rivieras. I now own a Toyota Avalon MADE IN THE USA BY AMERICAN WORKERS.

Originally Posted by Tokenconservative

Originally Posted by BorderLegionnaire

I just want to know who here supports the country and our workers by buying American cars?

I would like to say I have ONLY owned American cars from Ford, Jeep, Pontiac, and Chevy... I drive a Chevy Malibu now and I love it! I got to used car dealers or dealers that deal both types of cars but try to push the foreign cars on me! (because I'm a kid I guess?) I use my car to commute and get around nothing more! I don't dump $5,000 in a car that is already $18,000+!

I owned alot of cars but hey they were cheap cars until I was able to afford a nice "newer" car I have today! Though I miss my Jeep Grand Cherokee! I was great in the winter!

You are kidding yourself. More Toyotas are made in the US today than are Chevies. Jeep is owned by a German company, the same one that owns Chrysler.

There is no such thing as an "American car" unless you buy something made prior to about 1985.

I don't recommend, by the way, buying just about any American car made between about 1970 and 1985. They are pure junk.

Tokie

I understand the point about Toyotas made here, but aren't Ford Mustangs and T-Birds still made here? Kinda like Harley's, certain consumer bases will not buy outsourced products, so they stay put.

And my first car was a '77 Oldsemobile Cutlass Supreme. A gas guzzler for sure, but certainly NOT "pure junk."

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/biz-topheadlines/196178

Michelin to Build $740 Million Tire Plant in Mexico
By Adriana Arai
Bloomberg News
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.13.2007
advertisementMichelin & Cie., the world's second- largest tiremaker, plans to invest $740 million during the next four years in a new plant in Mexico as auto manufacturers expand in the country.
The company will hire 1,300 workers for the car-tire factory in Silao in the central state of Guanajuato, Jim Micali, chairman and president of Michelin's North America unit, said today in Mexico City. Production will start in 2010, he said.

Michelin joins automakers such as Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler in using Mexico as a manufacturing base for exports to the U.S. to reduce labor costs and meet growing domestic demand. Chrysler in July announced a $570 million investment for an engine plant in the northern city of Saltillo.

"This is one of the most dynamic automotive and tire markets in the world," Micali said in a ceremony with Mexican President Felipe Calderón at the Los Pinos presidential residence.
Michelin, based in Clermont Ferrand, France, said in a statement that the Guanajuato plant is part of a $1.2 billion investment plan for North America.
"Mexico isn't the country with the lowest salary in the world, but it's the best place to invest," Calderón said.
Michelin in 2002 opened a plant that makes car and truck tires in the central state of Queretaro and employs 540 people. In July, the company started up a factory that makes tire retreads in Queretaro and will employ 120 workers.
Bridgestone Corp. is the world's biggest tiremaker.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/ ... 1403.shtml

Ford craves Mexico

Disgruntled employee reveals plans for multibillion dollar Mexico investment

By JOSEPH SZCZESNY
Press Automotive Editor

Ford Motor Co. is preparing to make a major multibillion dollar investment in Mexico as part of the company's sweeping Way Forward restructuring that started last year.
The investment is included in a confidential, 28-page document turned over to The Oakland Press by a disgruntled Ford employee. The fax included a note saying: "Governors and others who want to get work in their states are courting us. We have no intention or plans of give (sic) them work."

"The Way Forward - Mexico (offers an) opportunity to further leverage Ford of Mexico cost advantage and location to reduce corporate fixed costs," the confidential document said. "Mexico is ready - fast and reliable solution and an established organization with proven capabilities to build from. "We will leverage our global scale like never before and Mexico is a key partner as we're targeting lower fixed costs, better quality and speed to deliver our Way Forward plans," the documents said.

A second source familiar with Ford operations vouched for the authenticity of the documents, which suggest the automaker's new investment could potentially create as many as 150,000 new jobs in Mexico within the next decade.

Ford spokesman Said Deep said Tuesday he could not confirm or deny the substance of the documents. "I haven't seen them," he said.

As part of the Way Forward restructuring initiative, Ford announced plans to close six plants by the end of 2008. In addition, Ford also announced that nine more plants in the United States and Canada could close by 2012 and the effort to pare the company's capacity will lead to the elimination of between 25,000 and 30,000 jobs by 2012.

Mark Fields, the executive vice president in charge of the North American restructuring effort at Ford, also said in January the company was prepared to build a new assembly plant in North America.

The building blocks for the Way Forward plan include expanding Ford's manufacturing footprint in Mexico by revamping an old assembly plant in Cuautitlan, near Mexico City, which last year some analysts suggested Ford might be prepared to close.

In addition, Ford also would construct a new greenfi eld plant and substantially increase the company's production of engines and transmissions in Mexico, where it now operates a powertrain plant.

Ford has been criticized for not providing more details of its turnaround plan and the pressure has increased after the company disclosed it lost $1.2 billion in the fi rst quarter. Meanwhile, the company's stock has languished, and rating services are threatening to cut Ford's credit rating again.

The Way Forward document, part of which was prepared for a presentation in early April to offi cials from the Mexican government, also states Ford's investment in Mexico could total $9.2 billion over a six-year period stretching from 2006 to 2012.

Other parts of the document, which was apparently prepared for senior Ford executives such as Anne Stevens, Ford's chief deputy, are stamped with the notation "For Ford Only."

The investment for this initiative would represent between 7 percent and 9 percent of the total foreign direct investment in Mexico. The projected employment driven by the investment would reduce unemployment in Mexico by as much as 15 percent. It would also generate exports valued at $18 billion.

The documents also indicated that Ford expects to increase its purchases of Mexican-made components by 300 percent, while suppliers could increase their investment by $3.6 billion.

Ford, which is hoping to attract incentives from the Mexican government, also said it was prepared to shift some professional engineering and purchasing jobs to Ford of Mexico as part of the expansion plan.

The confi dential documents also noted the political sensitivities involved in the announcement of any expansion. Any announcement would have to come after the United Auto Workers convention, which is being held this week in Las Vegas.

Ford officials, according to one timeline included in the package, also were considering making the announcement before Mexican voters pick a new president on July 2, because it might help boost Feipe Calderon, who is backed by Vincente Fox, Mexico's outgoing president.

Calderon is locked in a very tight race with Manuel Lopez Obrador, the mayor of Mexico City. The documents suggest postponing any announcement would reduce risk of confrontation with the new government should Calderon lose in July.

The documents also note that other automakers are betting heavily on Mexico. DaimlerChrysler is preparing to invest up to $1 billion in its operations around Toluca and General Motors is sinking $820 million in San Luis Potos.

Nissan also is investing $1.3 billion in Aguascalientes, Mexico and Toyota also has recently expanded its operations in Mexico.