| A few decades ago it was easy to spot an | | | | & Development centers in the United States |
| import car. They were small, mostly 4- | | | | (mostly in California). Many also have |
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| cylinder econo-boxes that were made in Japan | | | | design studios there as well. So can a car |
| or Germany. However, over the last 2 | | | | still be labeled an import if it's designed |
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| decades, more and more foreign manufacturers | | | | and built and sold in The United States? The |
| have built plants here in North | | | | reality is that there are no longer |
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| America. Honda built the first Japanese | | | | imports and domestics. Ford builds cars in |
| manufacturing facility in Ohio in 1979. | | | | Europe, Asia and North America. As does |
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| Today, Honda builds the Accord, Civic, | | | | General Motors. What about Chrysler? Is it |
| Odyssey, and Acura MDX in plants in Canada | | | | still a domestic? Daimler-Benz (a German |
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| and The United States. Toyota builds the | | | | company) owns it. Is Bentley an English car |
| Camry, Avalon, Corolla, Solara, Tacoma, | | | | company? Volkswagen AG owns it and |
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| Tundra, Matrix, Sienna, and Lexus RX350 in | | | | most of the major components come from Audi. |
| plants across Canada and the United | | | | BMW owns Rolls Royce and the |
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| States as well. Nissan builds virtually all | | | | quintessential English car, the MINI. I |
| of their vehicles in The United States | | | | wonder if people in England think of those |
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| including the Maxima, Altima, Titan, Armada, | | | | cars as imports or domestics?Unions here in |
| Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra. | | | | North America want consumers to "buy |
| | | | American". At the Detroit |
| Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW, Hyundai and | | | | |
| Mercedes-Benz also build cars throughout | | | | auto show in January the UAW handed out bags |
| | | | at the Ford booth that said "Buy |
| The United States. So do you still label a | | | | |
| car an import if it's made in your own | | | | American" in big letters. Needless to say, |
| | | | it caused confusion, as I didn't know if |
| country? Are the Crown Victoria and | | | | |
| Chevrolet Impala imports because they're made | | | | they meant buy the Toyota Camry that is |
| | | | built in Kentucky or the Ford Fusion that is |
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| in Canada? What about the new Ford Fusion? | | | | built in Mexico, or the Dodge Charger that |
| Is that an import car? It's made in | | | | is built in Canada and uses many |
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| Mexico.Okay, perhaps an import is a vehicle | | | | components from the previous generation |
| that is designed somewhere else regardless of | | | | Mercedes E-Class.Let's face it. Consumers |
| | | | should pick a car based on what's best, not |
| | | | on the location |
| where it is built. Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, | | | | |
| Nissan, Subaru and others have Research | | | | of a company's mailbox. |
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