Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: LTVibe
Originally Posted By: kkspeed
I am impressed with the Fiesta, Focus, Cruze and Grand Cherokee, but they were not designed by the American side of their companies.
Maybe not, but possibly they were the result of international teamwork like the Buick LaCrosse:
It used to be that "engineered" or "designed" in the United States was a big reason to buy a domestic brand. Sure, a Toyota or Honda might have been built here, but a good part of their engineering was probably somewhere else, and those engineering white collar jobs are the ones that make a big impact on the economy.
So is that argument any different now that domestic cars are highly globalized, and are indeed partly designed and engineered off-shore?
I'm not saying it is or it isn't...just curious how folks feel about that.
From the perspective of the whole picture, I disagree with your premise that "domestic cars are highly globalized", a t least as far as engineering and design are concerned....I would agree that a few of their models clearly are as you describe them, but by a wide margin Ford and GM both have lines that are designed and engineered here. Things in Warren and West Dearborn are very busy lately, they aren't slowing down at all.
Also, it is a valid point to point out that these cars, the Focus and Fiesta in particular are not imported wholesale. What I mean is there is a lot of engineering and design that does get done on a vehicle for each market. Things like styling, interior design differences...heck even the EPA/NHTSA regs and testing processes require a team of engineers to meet. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to design/engineer a EU model so it can be legally sold in the States.
I think the biggest change is that broad statements about companies in general now hold no water. What it really takes it to delve into each individual model...the lines are still there, they just are harder to find and can often be very different from model to model within a particular manufacturers complete line up.