At the risk of starting some kind of war, the lines between who owns what seem to be a little blurry. There are so many "arrangements" between automakers that it's hard to tell who's who. For instance, many Honda's are made in America, many GM's in either Canada or Mexico. Take a look at the Pontiac Vibe - it's really a Toyota Matrix. Back few years ago, my brother-in-law was so proud he bought American, a Pontiac LeMans - the one that was actually produced by Mitsubishi.
I can't argue who donated what to the Sept 11 victims, I have no idea. But I think with today's global markets it is a little simplistic to define a product solely by some historic geographic association. In 2001, wasn't Chrysler actually a German company anyway?
I believe in the American capitalist system. People are free to buy what they want, and demand drives the success of a company. The last manuafacturer of buggy whips must have felt pretty bad when his business went under. But his product didn't compete. People should buy what they think is the best car they can get for their money, regardless of where it was designed or manufactured. That alone will force companies to either create reliable, affordable cars, or go under. And that to me is the answer. I don't want to be broken down on the road somewhere in a car that has a brand I bought because I was loyal to a manufacturer.
I don't like to see people lose their jobs, and I thought it was awful a few years back when Ford closed a plant in Edison NJ and shifted assembly elsewhere. How many of these jobs went to Canada or Mexico?
So I thnk you should do your research, and buy smart. The laws of supply and demand will eventually work.
Sorry for the ramble.....
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