So what is an "American car"?

Started by 300bhp per ton, December 13, 2006, 11:28:55 AM

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300bhp per ton

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

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

55starchief

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

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

Quoting: Titsy

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



noas it was made in north america all be it canada

Roadkill

What about any Camaro ?

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

Roadkill

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

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

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

Roadkill

So what is an "American car"?

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

55starchief

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

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

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

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

Titsy

I did say car, not parts.....  I bet half the GM workforce in the US are Beaners though....

Roadkill

Quoting: Titsy
I did say car, not parts.....


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

F Body

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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