The American University’s Kogod School of Business recently released its Made in America Auto Index that ranks vehicles sold in America as “Most American” by taking into account various criteria. The index was compiled by Associate Professor Frank DuBois, an (as described) expert in global supply chain management, and takes into account the following factors:
- Profit Margin: where the automaker’s global headquarters is located
- Labor: where the car is assembled
- Research and Development: where R&D of the car took place
- Inventory, Capital, and Other Expenses: location of assembly
- Engine and Transmission: location of production
- Body, Interior, Chassis, Electrical, and Other: location of production
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration AALA “Domestic Content” Score
The index contains 32 General Motors models in 12 spots in the following order:
1. GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse
5. Chevy Corvette, Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain
7. GMC Sierra, Chevy Silverado, Chevy Avalanche, Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevy Express, GMC Savana, Cadillac ATS, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac XTS, Chevy Malibu, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Regal
12. Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon
13. Chevy Cruze, GMC Verano
15. Chevy Sonic
23. Chevy Camaro
26. Chevy Volt
33. Chevy Impala
42. Chevy Captiva (fleet-only vehicle in the U.S.)
54. Cadillac SRX
58. Chevy Spark
The index contains 253 total vehicles and has a total of 72 positions, since there were multiple tie scores and similar models that varied on the basis of trim lines or engine and transmission options were combined for ease of comparison.
The GM Authority Take
GM’s overall performance on this index should sober up those who keep preaching that the automaker keeps moving production outside the U.S. of A; plus, the fact that GM took the number one spot with the trio of Lambda crossovers (with others not far behind) is music to our ears… unless you’re talking about the Mexican- and Korean-built SRX (or Captiva), and the Spark, respectively.
Nevertheless, it’s great to see an index that takes into account the location of R&D, as well as the automaker’s “home” nation where profits eventually flow. In fact, yours truly has been advocating the use of these two criteria in the ranking of vehicles of such studies since the inception of GM Authority.
So, go on and feast your eyes on the full list from the American University (in Washington, D.C.). And come 2015, we’re willing to bet that Michigan-made sixth-gen Camaro will be in the top five of the list.
Comments
You’re still going to have skeptics and won’t believe anything you put in front of them. On Bill Maher, it’s called the “bubble”. Too stupid and ignorant to understand facts.
Every thing except the encore and Caprice.
Yay…my 2012 Sonic Turbo is on there. Love that car !
Built in Orion Township Michigan.
I had looked at the Fiesta first , but the gutless motor , steel wheels , problematic auto trans , and the wires hanging from the trunk lid when opened turned me off.
Correct me if I am mistaken , but most Ford cars , including the Fiesta are also assembled in Mexico.
Not most, but some are, yes. Just like GM and Chrysler. They all have plants in Mexico. They all still mainly build in the US for the US market. Source- I’m from Detroit.
Unfortunately, Ford builds its bread-and-butter sedans in Mexico, including the Fiesta and Fusion, although the latter is kinda-sorta built in Flat Rock, MI as well. The Focus and Taurus are U.S.-built.
By contrast, all Chevrolet sedans are made in the U.S., including Sonic, Cruze, and Malibu; the Impala is split between U.S. and Canada.
Nice
Encouraging news, this is. And from my point of view if it is built in Canada consider it here as well. They are close enough to this country in the way they do things and believe to consider the both of us as one when it comes to things like this.
“And from my point of view if it is built in Canada consider it here as well. They are close enough to this country in the way they do things and believe to consider the both of us as one when it comes to things like this”
Oh you are soooooo wrong! A car built in Mexico or a car built in Canada are both 2 foreign countries. Also, there are notable political and social differences that keep us apart. We exist as neighbours, not as brothers…and certainly not in what was implied by “in the way they do things and believe”.
I can see the appeal in thinking as such; both Anglo countries tied to the UK in lengthy convoluted history. But we’re not the same, and what might be true in one country might not be in another.
I’ve seen American cars here described as “domestic” by some of the idiots around here. Toyota, Honda, Ford, and GM both have plants here, but I can’t call the products of one factory “domestic” and the other “import”; they are all foreign brands building foreign cars – effectively ALL imports.
As for our own domestic car industry, it’s a joke. It exists in such a small, tiny fragment of the automotive pie, hardly anyone knows of it. Campagna? They’ve never heard of it.
Well excuuuse me. When I speak of Canada I’m referring to the big three not all the other crack skipper manufacturers. if this doesn’t calm your nerves then I’m sorry.
Then don’t make up junk like this and expect not to rustle jimmies:
“They are close enough to this country in the way they do things and believe to consider the both of us as one when it comes to things like this.”
What I’m saying is “we’re aren’t.”
Strange ranking.
The Buick Regal and Lacrosse (mostly developed in Germany) … before such “all american” things like Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon
@Observer7 The LaCrosse wasn’t “mostly developed in Germany”. The Epsilon II is a global architecture, and had input from all of GM’s engineering centers. The long wheelbase variant (Super Epsilon) specifically was mostly engineered in the U.S.
I’m a true believer in buying american and consistently put my money where my mouth is. My last two vehicles (gm) have been assembled in the us and have had greater than 75% american content. That said, this report appears to have many inaccuracies which overstate how american some of the models actually are. while I have to give gm credit for assembling many of their vehicles in the usa, their has also been huge reductions in the parts content for many of their vehicles. For example, the last generation malibu averaged over 85% american content but the new one is in the 60s. For me this is one step forward, two steps back.