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Ford is offering its new crash avoidance technologies on more of its 2010 models.with BLIS, the radar-based driver-awareness feature. For more details on this technology see the Ford page.
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Underscoring the global nature of multinationals, Ford, a on September 25th announced its plans for new production facilities in China.(Also see the announcement from Honda, below, for plans for producing the Honda Civic for sale outside the USA, produced in Indiana.
- Ford Motor Company’s successful joint venture in China –
Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) – is building a new,
state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chongqing, scheduled for
completion in 2012
- The significant investment, valued at $490 million (RMB
3.34 billion), underscores Ford’s commitment to aggressively expand in
the Asia Pacific and Africa region
- The highly flexible 1-million-square-meter manufacturing
facility begins production of Ford’s next-generation Ford Focus in 2012
and will be capable of producing a diversified range of products in the
future
- The new plant initially will be capable of manufacturing
150,000 vehicles per year, increasing annual capacity at CFMA
operations to 600,000 units by 2012. Over the next three years, Ford
will be introducing four new vehicles for the Chinese market
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Since
launching in 2007, the Lexus Eco Challenge has inspired and empowered
more than 8,500 middle and high school students to learn about the
environment and take a stand to improve it. From educating the
community about the benefits of solar ovens to producing bio-fuel from
used fast food oil, students across the country have tackled a wide
range of topics and issues. Students are once again invited to
participate in the third annual Lexus Eco Challenge for a chance to win
part of $500,000 in grants and scholarships.
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The Honda Greensburg, Indiana plant will build vehicles for
sale throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. territories
of Puerto Rico, Guam and Saipan.
In May, Honda announced that the Greensburg plant had become the
sole production source of the near-zero emissions, natural gas-powered
Honda Civic GX Sedan.
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) produces the popular and
fuel-efficient Honda Civic Sedan and Honda Civic GX. HMIN is Honda's
seventh auto assembly plant in North America and one of 16 major Honda
manufacturing facilities in North America, including two under
construction in North Carolina.
Honda began US. operations in 1959 with the establishment of
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., as the company's first overseas
subsidiary. Honda began U.S. manufacturing in 1979 with motorcycle
production, followed by car production in 1982, in Marysville, Ohio.
Cumulative output of Honda and Acura automobiles in North America
surpassed the 20 million mark in February 2009 and the 15 million mark
in the U.S. alone in May.
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The following is a an excerpt from a statement from Sue Cischke, Group Vice President for Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering: Ford supports a ban on
hand-held text messaging while driving – and we endorse the legislation
introduced by Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Carolyn
McCarthy (D-NY) that would encourage a more rapid transition to
hands-free and voice activated technologies.(You can see the rest of the statement on our Ford page.)
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An American made electric vehicle will be made in Riverside,Cal. A Korean company has set up a subsidiary to produce the cars bringing much needed jobs to California, now burdened by a 14.9% unemployment rate. The first cars, capable of doing up to 35 mph, could be available in early 2010 according to Brad Williams, newly named president of the subsidiary, MPV-EV. Initially, two models could be rolling off the production, C-Zone and E-Zone.
GM is also working on their version, the Volt. You can see it on the road, below.
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Ford tops the list with American Made (USA/Canada) Cars: Ford has three models rated 90%, Taurus, Taurus X, and Sable.
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| Ford Taurus X |
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| Mercury Sable |
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| Ford Taurus |
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For 2009, the top five American/Canadian assembled vehicles according to the government agency for National Highway Safety are:
GM Saab 9-7x, 85%
Toyota Sienna, 85%;
Ford has three models rated 90%, Taurus, Taurus X, and Sable. If you would like to receive an email copy of the complete report (32kb), use our contact page for your request.
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| GM Trailblazer |
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| GM Impala |
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| Toyota Sienna |
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| In answer to queries about the Lexus, this Toyota model is produced in Canada. It offers luxury and reliability, some parts coming from the US.
The Lexus IS F is exclusively powered by a performance-tuned
5.0-liter V8 engine teamed to an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift
transmission. The IS F engine produces 416 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and
371 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 5,200 rpm. The engine's high specific
output (83.2 hp/liter) and high operating range (6,800 RPM redline)
reflect the thorough attention to detail underlying the core
engineering. The resulting performance character, while quite
responsive in low-speed situations, provides a rush of power at higher
engine speeds.
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Chrysler Group LLC Reports July 2009 U.S. Sales Increases
PRESS RELEASE:
Chrysler Group LLC total sales up 30 percent compared with previous month
Five vehicles set new monthly sales records for July
Jeep® Patriot sales increase 134 percent compared with previous year
Dodge Caliber sales up 63 percent versus July 2008
Chrysler PT Cruiser sales up 24 percent compared with previous year
Mopar® posted a U.S. sales increase of 9 percent compared with June 2009
U.S. Government "CARS" program and Chrysler Group incentive program drives consumers to Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers
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DEARBORN, Mich., With regard to the Cash for Clunkers program from Uncle Sam, Ford has dedicated a section on its Web site to take out all the guesswork on the program,
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An American company that is 100% owned by American investors doesn't
exist anymore. No matter how much you might like to be sure that the
purchase of an American made car is going to benefit Americans, it just
isn't possible. The best you could hope for in any given year is to
decide which factories employ the most Americans and buy one of the
those cars. Scroll down for the Wall street Journal excerpt that provides more detail.
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For 2009, the top five American/Canadian assembled vehicles according to the government agency for National Highway Safety are:
GM Saab 9-7x, 85%
Toyota Sienna, 85%;
Ford has three models rated 90%, Taurus, Taurus X, and Sable. If you would like to receive an email copy of the complete report (32kb), use our contact page for your request.
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June 9-Forward looking Ford and Hydro-Québec announced tlast week that Hydro-Québec has joined a North America wide demonstration and research program on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Ford, in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is undertaking a three-year test program on the Ford Escape PHEV designed to develop and evaluate technical approaches for integrating PHEVs into the electric grid. EPRI has identified nine utilities across North America to test drive the vehicles and collect data on battery technology, vehicle systems, customer use and grid infrastructure. In total, Ford will provide 21 vehicles for the real-world trials. Hydro-Québec is the only Canadian company participating in the North American Ford PHEV Program.
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Information about Ford Fiesta test drive stops, including monthly calendars, is
available on www.fiestamovement.com under the “Ride & Drive”
section. Visitors to the site can also sign up to receive test drive
updates, as they become available.
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ApRIL 30 Bankruptsy announced today for Chrysler.
Ford announced its selection of 100 drivers to drive the Ford Fiesta for six months before its introduction in 2010.
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April 16- GM president Henderson will announce tomorrow, Friday, restructuring plans for the troubled company. Although it is unconfirmed, it is widely expected that Hummer will be sold to a Chinese company.
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In Memphis Tennessee early in April, Toyota announced a grant to a national family literacy program for three Memphis elementary schools. The program - funded by a $600,000 grant from Toyota - is coordinated by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). It is the only initiative of its kind to focus on the needs of Hispanic and other immigrant families on a nationwide basis.
The Toyota Family Literacy Program (TFLP) is now up-and-running at Berclair Elementary, Egypt Elementary and South Park Elementary in Memphis. The three schools average 31 percent Hispanic enrollment.
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| Toyota Camry |
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| Toyota Camry and the Camry Hybrid are manufactured in Kentucky. Some parts and components may be outsourced.
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Ford is planning to have its Fiesta tried out by 100 young drivers, before making the car available to the public. Great idea. Remember, you want to buy American.
April 6, Toyota is now the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.New GM CEO Henderson said March 31, that three models including Hummer would have to go. American car makers are using their great design, engineering and tooling expertise to work with reality and produce the quality you want and good looks here on American shores. They will emerge ever stronger, providing American jobs despite competition from cheap labor overseas.
Lordstown, Ohio, the GM assembly plant is gearing up for a new model, the Chevy Cruz, expecting an eventual employment figure of 2,380.
Ford plans to discontinue assembly operations at its Wayne, MI, facility, where it presently builds the Focus compact car.
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The American light truck, utility vehicle, and automobile industry suffered mass layoffs in January. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the largest layoffs in the American light truck and utility vehicle sector with 11,404 people filing for unemployment claims in January. For American automobile manufacturing, the unemployment claims in January were 21,093. And for all other motor vehicle parts manufacturing, the unemployment claims in January were 5,397.
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| Cars Made in the USA- Top Ten |
This list is taken from the data published by the National Highway Safety Administration in April of 2008. We'll try to add ten each week in descending order down to 65%. The top ten are listed going from 90%, the Ford Crown Victoria, the highest, to 85% made in the USA and Canada.
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- Ford Crown Victoria is 90% made in the USA/Canada
- Ford Taurus X is 85% made in the USA/Canada
- Ford Mercury Grand Marquis, 85% made in the USA/Canada
- General Motors Chevrolet Malibu/Malibu Classic, 85% made in the USA/Canada
- General Motors Chevrolet Silverado, 85% made in the USA/Canada
- General Motors GMC Savana, 85% made in the USA/Canada
- General Motors GMC Sierra.85% made in the USA/Canada
- General Motors Pontiac G6, 85% made in the USA/Canada
- General Motors Cevroet Express, 85% made in the USA/Canada
- Toyota Sienna, 85% made in the USA/Canada
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An interesting article in the Wall Street Journal asks the question "What Really Makes An American Car?" (WSJ, January 27, 2009) The article goes on to tell us that several foreign companies making cars in the USA, make more of the car here than the American big Three. They reference The National Highway safety Administration as their source for the data: The Toyota Sequoia is 80 % American, while the Jeep Patriot is 60% American made. So for us, after reading the WSJ article which offers great insight into the whole complex problem, it is indeed, starting with the ownership of the car companies and the ownership of the satellite producers, ta very tangled web where the picture is changing constantly. An American company that is 100% owned by American investors doesn't exist anymore. No matter how much you might like to be sure that the purchase of an American made car is going to benefit Americans, it just isn't; 't possible. The best you could hope for in any given year is to decide which factories employ the most Americans and buy one of the those cars. Of course, you'll want to check the parts that come from the company's suppliers. Are those suppliers producing in the USA or are they outsourced. So far the best you can hope for is to check out the data offered by the National Highway Safety Administration and decide. Check out the Wall Street Journal's interactive page. And to make the matter even more diffiult from a human point of view, the investors and the supporters of American companies often come from other countries, which makes them, in fact, people who are helping, not hurting. British entities are now helping in this regard.
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CARS: This is a difficult category and we want it to be accurate, because parts and materials come from all over the world. The bottom line is this. Cars are assembled, not manufactured, as in our old understanding of the world. It's called globalization. What we've done is give the model and the city and state where the vehicle is coming from. Some are American companies. some are foreign companies. what is the distinction? Well, the profits gback over seas when it's a foreign company, into spendign in that country by the company itself where it chooses for research development, expansion anywhere in the world, and spending by their shareholder. If it's an American company, those dollar profits are spent here in a similar way. To tell the truth, it seems to us. some of both is probably the wisest model. To go forward into the future, countries everywhere need to prosper.
Hey, Big Guys
Special thanks to Chevrolet, Saturn,Toyota for taking the time to help us to build this page. Also here, are parts, such as American made truck grilles and car grilles, specialized parts from J&B, even windsheild washer fluid.. And for those of you interested in antique and classic cars, we've listed some racing events.
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