Think of how many more people would have jobs, how nice our economy would be...

And here's the problem, business owners have been seeking for cheaper manufacturing because of rising labour costs, production costs, building costs, more rules etc over time, and the most logical reason is to go to low labor cost countries, also because they don't want to loose profits.

I suspect a 100% US car would be just as competitive now as it was in 1991 when I bought my 100% US-built Saturn SL2 (well, actually 95%, with a few parts from Canada and a Japanese stereo). The base model (SL1) at that time was selling at about $8500, if I recall correctly. With the nicer DOHC engine, more amenities, electric windows, airbag (driver's side), and ABS, my car rang in at about $14,000. This was in line with Japanese-made prices at the time.

People do consider quality when buying a car. After all, the Yugo was not a roaring success. I bought the Saturn because the price was reasonable and because I had confidence in the vastly improved American manufacturing standards of recent years. It was actually the service manager of the local dealership who "sold" me the car. He toured me of all the technical features discussing things the sales staff did not understand. I was VERY impressed with how the little car was engineered.

I own that car to this day, and it's almost an antique. It still runs great. The only time it ever refused to start and run was when the alternator died. Over its long life, I've had to replace an alternator, the A/C (the 134a retrofit now being kapoot again), a wheel hub, one electric window motor, lots of brake pads, a couple of brake calipers, and a few discs, an AACV, the severely corroded wheels (which slowly leaked), a couple of valve cover gaskets, the rotted headliner, oil, and filters, a catalytic converter (the rest of the SS exhaust being original to the car), and I think an EGR valve. It still looks reasonably good. Some kid yelled, "Nice Pontiac!" just the other day. You really can't ask much more than that from a car.

Would I pay more for a 100% domestic-built car today? Yes. I would have even paid slightly more for my Saturn at the time to support domestic labor. At that time (prior to that purchase), I was primarily a Datsun/Nissan person, with a couple of forays to Toyota and Mazda. However, I felt the American worker needed a boost, and American cars were again up to snuff.

Edited October 24, 201410 yr by FastWoman

In all industry and consumer measures, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Mazda vehicles of 1991 were orders of magnitude better quality then the Saturn SL2. Your own personal standards were different, which worked out well for you. But over a larger sample size the Japanese cars of 1991 were designed and built to a much higher quality standard.

The only reason GM could sell the Saturn at a competitive price to the Japanese was the increasing value of the yen due to the Plaza Accord in 1985. That forced the price of Japanese cars up in relation to the dollar. If the yen to dollar relationship remained as it was in 1985 that 1991 Saturn SL2 would have been $1,650 more expensive then a comparable Accord or Sentra.

"But boy, can they fold a shirt."

Andrew Dice Clay :>)

Edited October 25, 201410 yr by tlorber

If you think the Chevies made in Detroit had problems, what if they made those in China!?

The pushrod V6s in the small SUVs are made in their Shanghai plant. And they do have problems, do a little search on the internet, the 60degreeV6 people try to avoid those.

Mainland China factories can fake anything. Beware. It usually lasts only long enough for you to buy it and try once.

Mainland China factories can fake anything. Beware. It usually lasts only long enough for you to buy it and try once.

I learned about that with cell phones.  They 'clone' most of the better known phones but appearance is about the only thing they have in common with the real item. 

China can produce some good stuff... Just take a look at the back of your new phone, your suit, your shoes, and your toys. There's good and bad with everything.

Thank's for that side of the coin.  I'm about to get new bumpers for my 240 and they're CHEAP but look to be well made.  They're supposedly made in Taiwan.  

 

China, Taiwan.  Six for 1, half of a dozen for the other, kinda thing.

Taiwan and Mainland China are two different regions with respect to geography but more importantly with respect to cultural acceptance/apathy towards corruption and fake goods. Taiwan is very western and proactive where as mainland China is very communist and corrupt. Hong Kong is the last bastion of the western ways but is being swallowed.

There are online stores in mainland China that will sell you a 'clone' Samsung as well as other brand phone comlete with the logos on the phone, packaging, etc.  They do let you know up front that it's not the real thing plus they only cost a fraction of what the real phone costs.  I've often wondered how they can get away with that.

They even fake the air the citizens breath. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/10/unable-to-clean-air-completely-for-apec-china-resorts-to-blocking-data/