Author Topic: So what is an "American car"? (Read 1367 times)

300bhp per ton · « **on:** December 13, 2006, 04:28:55 pm »

This follows a discussion I once had with an insurance company where they stated they would not insure American cars.

Can you define what constitues an American car?

Titsy · « **Reply #1 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:35:10 pm »

I would say a car originally built and exported from North America....

55starchief · « **Reply #2 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:37:22 pm »

Quoting: Titsy

I would say a car originally built and exported from North America....

yup i wouls add anything first registered as well to cover european and japanese cars specific to the US market place

Titsy · « **Reply #3 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:39:43 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

yup i wouls add anything first registered as well to cover european and japanese cars specific to the US market place

Hmmm... Does that make Martin's 'maro a european?

55starchief · « **Reply #4 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:42:30 pm »

Quoting: Titsy

Hmmm... Does that make Martin's 'maro a european?

noas it was made in north america all be it canada

Roadkill · « **Reply #5 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:42:56 pm »

What about any Camaro ?

They were built in Canada . . . . so . .

Roadkill · « **Reply #6 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:44:06 pm »

Quoting: 55starchief

noas it was made in north america all be it canada

If you told a Canadian he was North American he's liable to slap you.

They're very funny about that up there . . .

55starchief · « **Reply #7 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:44:59 pm »

Quoting: Roadkill

If you told a Canadian he was North American he's liable to slap you.

Their very funny about that up there . . .

same as the australians and new zealanders even though they are both antipodeans

Titsy · « **Reply #8 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:46:34 pm »

Errrr... North America is a continent which includes the United States of America, and Canada....

Roadkill · « **Reply #9 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:48:09 pm »

So what is an "American car"?

So you're saying that a Canadian car is American ?

55starchief · « **Reply #10 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:48:55 pm »

Quoting: Roadkill

So you're saying that a Canadian car is American ?

yup cant see why not, i would class a candian pontiac as american

Roadkill · « **Reply #11 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:51:22 pm »

I would say that only older Yanks were truely "American".

Nowadays it's "how much of a percentage is American . . . "

I wouldn't say a Fourth Gen is 100% American . . . but close enough for this discussion.

On the other hand I'd be happy to state that my Cadillac is about as American as it gets in Styling and build.

Titsy · « **Reply #12 on:** December 13, 2006, 04:54:18 pm »

Quoting: Titsy

Errrr... North America is a continent which includes the United States of America, and Canada....

Oh and the Beaners of course, but when was the last time they produced a marketable car....

Roadkill · « **Reply #13 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:10:25 pm »

Alot of stuff on "American" cars I'll bet comes from Sunny MEH-EE-CO, though.

Titsy · « **Reply #14 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:12:36 pm »

I did say car, not parts.....

I bet half the GM workforce in the US are Beaners though....

Roadkill · « **Reply #15 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:13:22 pm »

Quoting: Titsy

I did say car, not parts.....

I know but a car is only the sum of its parts !!!

F Body · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:13:54 pm »

Plenty of the MB's, Toyota's & Honda's sold in America have more actual made in America content than some domestic products

Suppose the prime example being the Daewoo Chevrolets

Roadkill · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:19:13 pm »

Exactly.

I think if you asked yourself the "What is American" question thirty years ago it would result in some fairly accurate and simple answers . . .

Now it's absolute rubbish - all cars are a mix of foreign and domestic parts hence no car is truely of one country.

300bhp per ton · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:29:21 pm »

Well it gets more complex.

As by definition a Ford Focus, nah ANY Ford is American as Ford Mo Co is an American Auto maker with European works/factories and distributors.

The insurance company didn't like this.

So I said how about a Mercedes Benz M Class, they are built in the US. And MB is know merged with Chrysler.

Again the insurance company didn't like this either.

Another take would be somthing like a Triumph TR8, this was only made for the US market in LHD and not sold over here (a few TR7 V8's where), so I guess it's as much American as any other American car.

It could get silly, A Vauxhall Vectra, after all GM is an American auto maker and owns Vauxhall.

The insurance company eventually decided they had no idea how to define an American car

Roadkill · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:45:26 pm »

Quoting: 300bhp per ton

The insurance company eventually decided they had no idea how to define an American car

They often go with the simple "LHD or RHD ?" question and white-wash everything else.

HardRockCamaro · « **Reply #20 on:** December 13, 2006, 05:54:09 pm »

For me:

Brand/company is originally American, regarldess of current parent company.
Car is built/assembled on the North American continent.
Base car is designed originally for the N American market but export derivatives are allowed, so RHD Jeeps etc to me are still American as are LHD Euro maros etc.

That's how I see it anyway.

philoldsmobile · « **Reply #21 on:** December 13, 2006, 06:23:00 pm »

Quoting: Titsy

Oh and the Beaners of course, but when was the last time they produced a marketable car....

all current chevy and GMC trucks are built by beaners...

the 2003 avalanche i had from sony was mexican...

philoldsmobile · « **Reply #22 on:** December 13, 2006, 06:25:52 pm »

some oddballs for you...

the BMW X5 is american

as is the merc ML

the US market toyota corolla is the ONLY 100% american made (rather than just built) car out there...

the focus built and sold in the Us has very few common parts with the euro focus, its also nothing like as good

most US brand cars have a large body of parts made in mexico.

Big Mouse · « **Reply #23 on:** December 13, 2006, 07:08:33 pm »

most of this boils down to lots of insurers having a very old list of available models - if it ain't on their list it either doesn't exist or they make up another excuse not to take it. Go to another insurer

Ponti · « **Reply #24 on:** December 14, 2006, 09:24:23 am »

Funny thread.

My Pontiac Would confuse the best of them then as

It was built in Antwerp

Never been to the States

And of course LHD