• E-Edition
• Home
• News
• Sports
• AP
• Obituaries
• Classifieds
• Jobs
• Autos
• Homes
• Garage Sales
• Coupons
• Subscribe
• Archive
• Services
• Contribute
• Blogs

Jack Palmer - Patriotism and buying an 'American' car

Share Story:     E-mail Story    |    Print Story    |    Comments    |   

Patriotism is a term regularly used and misused, particularly by many politicians and news commentators.

The latest mantra, this time offered by U.S.-based auto companies and many of their dealers and workers, is that it's patriotic to buy an American car.

Here's the problem: How does one define "American car?"

Does it mean it was manufactured by a domestic company such as General Motors, Ford or Chrysler?

Does it mean the vehicle was assembled in the United States, which would include Hondas made in Marysville and Toyotas made in Princeton, Ind.?

Or does it mean a vehicle with a high percentage of American-made parts?

Even with a set definition, sometimes it's difficult to determine whether a certain vehicle is more foreign or domestic.

For example, the Chevy Equinox is made by General Motors but assembled in Canada. The vehicle's engine is produced in China and the transmission comes from Japan.

Toyota's Sienna minivan, supposedly a foreign car, has an engine built in West Virginia and final assembly in Indiana.

See what I mean?

Another method is to determine where the ultimate profit goes, according to senior automotive analyst John Wolkonowicz of IHS Global Insight, a international economic forecasting firm.

"You buy a Toyota and the profit accrues in Tokyo," he told ForbesAutos.com last year. "You buy a GM (vehicle) made in Canada and the profit still accrues to Detroit.

"Buyers of foreign-branded cars take delight in knowing that their cars are assembled in the U.S.," added Wolkonowicz. "But the value added in the assembly process is not all that great. At the end of the day, it's where the profits accrue that really matters."

On the other hand, some people believe that patriotism means simply buying the best car in their price range. Personally, I think that's a stretch. That sounds more self-centered than patriotic.

Maybe it was the way I was brought up, but I feel strongly that it is patriotic to buy a vehicle made by GM, Ford or Chrysler.

Especially in today's difficult economic times.

That's not to say that I believe people who buy foreign company cars are unpatriotic. I just think buying from the Big Three benefits our country and our economy better.

Unlike many area GM workers and retirees, I concede that there were several years when Honda and Toyota, in general, made higher quality cars.

But I firmly believe those days are over. American car companies are again making great vehicles (repeat and loyal Japanese car buyers, many of whom are Baby Boomers, probably disagree).

Patriotism aside, perhaps a related question that should be pondered is whether to spend our money locally or in larger cities such as Fort Wayne, Toledo and Lima.

Here again, I have an opinion.

I think people should buy local whenever possible, whether it's a new or used vehicle, a trip to the hardware store or going out for dinner.

One family story that I will always remember involves my parents shopping for a new car. They went to four or five dealers, including a couple out of town. The first place they headed was Derrow Motor Sales in Defiance, where the car they liked best was a 1964 Tempest station wagon.

After negotiating for the dealership's "best offer," I'll never forget my father's words to Herman "Shorty" Derrow.

"If you are within $50 of my lowest offer (elsewhere), we'll buy the car from you," he told Derrow.

Fifty bucks may not seem like much today, but back then it was a lot of money. Probably the equivalent of $500 today, when the prices of new vehicles are roughly 10 times more than the mid-1960s.

As it turned out, another dealer came in $35 less for a new station wagon.

But true to dad's word, we bought the car from Shorty.