Why Is the Mayor Driven Around in a Canadian-built Car?
Many of us have seen Mayor Slay and other officials in the typical “American” car, the Mercury Grand Marquis or its near twin, the Ford Crown Victoria. We look at these cars and think, “oh a big American rear wheel drive car.” Well, think again. The Grand Marquis & Crown Vic are assembled in Canada, not the U.S.
And what about the trendy new Chrysler 300? Is that anymore American than a Toyota Camry? The 300, along with related vehicles the Dodge Charger and Magnum, are also assembled in Canada. And Chrysler is a division of the German firm, DaimlerChrysler AG. This makes Chrysler and Doge products no more American than Mercedes, Toyota or Honda — all of which are foreign companies with assembly plants in the U.S.
Honda, for example, recently announced plans to open its sixth plant here. A primary difference between foreign companies DaimlerChrysler and Honda is the latter is not unionized whereas the former employees members of the UAW, the United Auto Workers. Reports indicate the non-union assembly plants generally keep pace with prevailing wages & benefits from those represented by unions, if anything just to keep the employees happy and the unions out.
I am a strong believer in buying local yet I bought a car with 100% Japanese content. This was not on purpose, I have no problems with many cars assembled by American workers. The problem is what we are being offered in this country. If you want a small & efficient 4-door hatchback you will not find one assembled on these shores. The one new exception is the Dodge Caliber although it is a good 700lbs heavier than my Scion xA and less fuel efficient as a result.
General Motors is in big trouble. Their market capitalization this morning was just over $16 billion, a third the value of relatively small Apple Computer. Ford is not doing too much better. Both offer some great cars, in other countries. In Toronto this week I saw a great looking Chevy hatchback that is not available in the U.S. (Chevy Optra). Before I bought my Scion I considered a Chevy Aveo — a small car built in Korea.
I understand the mayor of Denver has a Ford Escape hybrid for transportation, a far cry from the former mayor’s Town Car. Perhaps Slay should look at getting something a bit more American (or locally assembled) and a bit more fuel efficient.
– Steve
So you just got back from a trip to Canada where you undoubtedly did some spending, and you are complaining that the mayor drives a Canadian built car?
Seems kinds silly to me. We live in a global economy. People need to start getting used to that idea.
[REPLY Geez, lighten up. I actually bought nothing in Canada other than food and a few postcards.
Politicians have certain vehicles to project a particular image — Mayor Slay would never be driven around in say a Toyota Avalon even though it is just as American. If he did, people would likely be all up in arms about him not driving an American car. Yes, we are in a global economy which is why I bought the best car for my money, regardless of where produced. – SLP]
In a world of globalized capitalism and manufacturing, it is hard to discern what is an American product and what is not. You can no longer identify with a local product on where it is built, but more accurately, where the company is headquartered. Not all AB products are brewed in St. Louis, but they still represent St. Louis, right?
On cars, I feel sorry for the folks who buy Saab and Volvo products thinking they are Swedish. They are indeed American cars as they are owned by GM and Ford, respectively. And if you buy a Mazda, it is an American too, designed, manufactured and owned by Ford. Jaguar is owned by Ford, not a British co. As for Daimler, they own Jeep and Mitsubishi as well…all German. I own a Saturn that was designed by Opel (GM), and built at a GM plant in New Hampshire.
Take a look at your Levi jeans. An American institution right? Not entirely, they are now made in Mexico of imported Indian cotton. Yet, the history is American and they are based in San Francisco. Still and “American” product I guess.
[REPLY Agreed! It is difficult to figure out the origin of many products. The UAW maintains a list of vehicles they assemble but that doesn’t include non-union vehicles assembled in the U.S.
I actually had three Volvos and two Saabs, all built in Sweden before Ford and GM took over each, respectively. The UK used to be a major player in the auto industry but I believe that none of the British car companies are under British control — Rolls, Bently, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and such are all owned by other interests in the US and Germany.
My fear is US companies are not well prepared to compete in the world economy. – SLP]
We do live in a global economy getting more global every day.
One of several thoughts this raises for me is how, if you are going to run for office in this town, you must buy what appears to be American made to get union support.
That being said, I do wish GM and Ford were as respectful of the consumer as they want the consumer to be of them. We have the technology in this country to build cars with as much high-quality and integrity as Toyota yet these American car makers choose not to. I believe this is the fault of the corporations and designers, NOT the people who put them together.
Assuming that United States consumers are saavy about how we spend our dollars, it would make sense to buy a car which cost less to own, eh?
Did you hear about the Chinese company that’s going to start building MG’s in Oklahoma?!
[REPLY I hadn’t heard this so I did a quick google and there it was. Wow! So the “English” MG will be built by a Chinese company in Oklahoma — who would have thought such a thing. The interesting part of this will be a return of the MG to the US! – SLP]
Years ago, Japanese and other foreign built cars posed a threat to the American car companies and we all know the line “What’s good for Ford is Good for America.” Unlike the Toyotas and Hondas of today, those cars were 100% foreign built and the only Americans that benefited financially were the dealers. As these cars posed threats to our American car dealers, unions, etc… many municipalities across the country created ordinances that required the automobiles and vehicles they purchased to be “manufactured by American companies” not built in America!
Toyota and Honda are making more of a commitment to the American workforce than GM, for example. But if it is in the City’s ordinance, the City of St. Louis may be bound to continue to purchase vehicles manufactured by American companies even if they are being shipped from the factory in Canada or Mexico and not Detroit or Fenton. Maybe one of our aldermen/women will read this blog and the light bulb will go off!
Steve, thank you again for noticing the details…not something all of do all of the time.
RL’E
Steve:
Check out the very stylish, affordable, and eco-friendly Saturn. Although they don’t make a hatch-back model, it does get 32 MPG and is easy to parallel park with its tight turning radius. They are all made in Tennessee, by the way.
This might have been an issue in the 1970’s, however this is 2006.
About everything we consume is no longer made in the United States, but might come from an US owned, or majority owned company.
It really does not matter.
If you want to complain about something, then pick the lack of labor laws in foreign countries.
This is nothing new.
Travis, wake up and smell the diesel friend, 32mpg SUCKS.
It’s 2006 man. Anything that isn’t a recreational, historic, or a farm vehicle that doesn’t get at least 45-50mpg and can run on a zero CO2 or at at least a zero-gain CO2 fuel aught to be taxed to oblivion. The technology and infrastructure to do this exists, today, right now. No “W” pie-in-the-sky distant future hydrogen rhetoric need apply.
As for the Mayor drivng a locally-made car, a friend of mine has a 1927 Moon on the showroom right now…
“Anything that isn’t a recreational, historic, or a farm vehicle that doesn’t get at least 45-50mpg and can run on a zero CO2 or at at least a zero-gain CO2 fuel aught to be taxed to oblivion.”
Well, a lot of people would consider driving “recreational.” And what is “historic” changes every day. Some people consider 1970s-era granny boats to be historic.
What about the incredible environmental waste of destroying thousands of older vehicles?
And what do those of us who can’t afford brand new cars do? Instead of punishing poor people with a tax, why not subsidize engine conversion instead?
Better yet, why not build up mass transit and make it easy to escape the libertarian logic of private vehicle ownership? I’m surprised at how many urbanists like private vehicle ownership.
For purposes of clarity:
Recreational = an RV, something only driven on weekends or occasionally, something that’s a hobby as well as car, but not yet qualified for historic tags, such as my 4wd VW camper.
Historic = while I would certainly argue what is “historic” for the purposes of my arguement we’ll define it as anything which is registered with Historic Vehicle license plates. which can be anything more than 25 years old.
older vehicles would be recycled as they were disposed of, and there will be plenty of “new used” cars to go around for quite some time.
And speaking as someone who HAS performed engine conversions before, I can tell you with certainty that it is FAR cheaper and easier and cheaper to just go get a new(er) car.
The new tax revenue would all go towards building up public transit and road maintenance, health costs, etc related to the priveledge of driving.
Why do you care what kind of car the mayor drives?
[REPLY I could care less what kind of personal vehicle(s) he may own. I was addressing the city-owned vehicle that he is driven around in for official business. I find it interesting that politicians get big “American” cars that are not, in fact, assembled in America even though other choices exist. – SLP]
Is there an actaul issue embedded in here somewhere? I’m pretty sure most people (that read this blog, anyway) know that just because a car is owned by a foreign company doesn’t mean it’s not assembled here and vice versa.
[REPLY Actually, many people I’ve talked with are pretty clueless about the country of origin of cars. In fact, it is a really challenge to find much info online — I think the car companies don’t really want this known or discussed. – SLP]
The City seems to mainly use Fords as its official vehicles, both for the mayor and for the general vehicle pool.
I think that’s partly because McMahon Ford is a large city business, and a significant political contributor as well. Makes sense to me.
No cars are manufactured in the City of St. Louis anymore, to the best of my knowledge.
Likewise, as of this spring, no Ford products are manufactured in metro St. Louis.
What would be the point of the mayor riding in a Chrysler minivan made in Fenton, or whatever it is that GM makes in Wentzville these days? The benefits to the city’s economy are negligible from those plants.
[REPLY I’ve seen a good number of Chevy products owned by the city as well, probably thanks to Don Brown Chevy (now King Chevy).
The Denver mayor having an Escape hybrid says something beyond just an official vehicle — a concern for the environment. The mayor’s Mercury says to me we are a car society and fuel should be plentiful. Although as long as the car runs good we should probably not be in a hurry to get a new one. I do wonder how that works? How often do we buy the mayor’s office a new car (regardless of who is in office?). Is this the same car Harmon used?
I’m guessing the last car made within the city limits was the Chevy Corvette, not exactly something you’d drive the mayor around in except during a parade. Had the mayor had a Ford Explorer for the last 4+ years that would have sent a nice message about buying locally, although it has the same image issues about driving and gas as the Grand Marquis. – SLP]
Stadtroller:
You’ve obviously been sniffing too much CO2, because 32 MPG is still very good. My Saturn is an ’03. I believe the ’06 gets 35 MPG. Most economy cars are in this neighborhood.
[REPLY Sorry Travis but Saturn’s 26/35 EPA rating sucks. My Scion gets 23% better mileage in the city and nearly 6% better on the highway. Honda & Toyota are the clear leaders in the US while others lag behind. But consider this, a 1985 Chevy Cavalier was rated at 26/35. How far has GM come? Their new Cobalt gets 25/34 and the 2007 model will require premium gas! Meanwhile Toyota’s new Yaris sedan/hatch gets 34/40.
European’s tax the hell out of cars based on mileage. This is why you get expensive Jaguar sedans in Europe with efficient 6-cylinder diesel engines rather than the big gas v-8s we have here. The technology is there but we have not been willing to embrace it. – SLP]
Travis, not all Saturns are made in Tennessee. That was before GM took over. Some of the LW1 full-size wagons designed by Opel are actually put together in New Hampshire.
“…it is FAR cheaper and easier and cheaper to just go get a new(er) car.”
And what is the ecological consequence of wasting perfectly good vehicles because of their fuel inefficiency? There is a bigger picture here.
One nasty side effect of the argument in favor of more fuel efficient cars is the implication that poor people will not get to have cars in the brave new world of urban correctness. Unless our economic system changes, introduction of new technology means that 95% of people won’t be able to afford it since innovation brings higher costs. The argument that after the introduction of new cars older ones should be heavily taxed, while ecologically sound, is profoundly classist.
How many of us reading this blog really can afford fancy new cars?
If we produce enough cultural wealth to get everyone a new fuel-efficient car, would a better application not be to use that wealth to build public transit that served all and tied communities together?
I’m reminded of an experience a few months ago, when a bloke at a gas station in a small southeast Missouri town made snide remarks about my “Jap” car, a Mazda6 sedan. I kindly pointed out the discreet sticker in my car’s right rear quarter window, with a small outline of Michigan and a small UAW logo. Yes, my “Jap” car was assembled by UAW workers in Flat Rock, Mich., outside Detroit. And yes, Ford Motor Company has a majority share of Mazda, along with Volvo, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Land Rover.
BTW, this gent was driving a Chevy Avalanche, made in Mexico.
In today’s global market, badges only mean something to those stuck in the past. I expect to see even more consolidation within the industry in the future, especially as the Chinese auto industry emerges onto the global scene.
IMHO, the biggest vehicular crime the mayor has committed is using a car that’s terminally boring. A Grand Marquis? Zzzzzz.