Talking Cars 513: The State of the American Auto Industry

Main theme: Just in time to celebrate our nation’s 250^th anniversary, the podcast panel takes a deep dive into the state of the American auto industry. The discussion kicks off with a look at what exactly an American car is. Is it simply one that has one of the Detroit Three labels on its flanks? Or is it an American car if it’s built here? The panel takes on that complex question, looking back as far as the mid-1970s, when Volkswagen opened the first foreign-owned automotive plant in New Stanton, Pa., to build the Rabbit. Now almost every automaker in the world builds vehicles here. (See who owns which car brands.)

The panelists also reveal that not all models from the Detroit brands are built in the U.S.; Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis each operate factories in Canada and Mexico. (Some Buicks are even built in China and South Korea.)

The panel also discusses Detroit’s near-constant struggles to achieve greater reliability, whether more EVs are coming in the future, and why the retail side of buying cars is still such a dreadful process for most consumers.

See the best cars made in the U.S. and the best new-car deals for July Fourth. 

Audience question: Are there any aspects of American vehicles that are superior to foreign vehicles? (See which brands make the best cars.)