My first yank....
Discussion
300bhp/ton said:
Many people in the UK own a "Yank". Where do you think Ford or even Vauxhall hail from? 
Ford are certainly American.Vauxhall was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer who began manufacturing cars in 1903. It was acquired by GM in 1925.
Opel is similarly German, being a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862 (hence the Opel Adam being a sewing machine....). The company made bicycles in 1886 and its first car in 1899.
Opel became a share-limited company (German: Aktiengesellschaft) in 1929 with General Motors taking a majority stake and taking full control in 1931
300bhp/ton said:
Yep, so Vauxhall have been American owned for pushing on for 100 years. And all of the vehicles hail from GM in one way or another.
Ownership is different to nationality though as TATA/Jag and LR underline.The fact is that the cars are designed in Europe and even those that make it to the US are Amerianised European cars rather than the other way round. They also make their own unique cars for the US market which can truly be said to eb American.
However, with increased globalisation, this will become less true but the cars will still be "global" rather than American and will still retain a particular national identity.
Audis are made in Czechoslovakia but aren't Czech. many Honda motorcycles are made in thailand but aren't Thai etc etc...
But the thing is, it's not as if Vauxhall were only just bought by GM and still make their own unique product range, alla JLR.
Vauxhall is just branding. The cars, the money and everything else hail from GM in some form or another. And most of the cars and platforms are used, either across the globe and/or in America. And it's not a new thing either. Chevettes where sold in the USA for years under multiple brands, for example.
Only we in Blighty tend not to realise just how many vehicles we deem as British or European were actually sold in the US as part of their normal model and product placement and development.
Vauxhall may well have been a British car maker - note the past tense. But today they are just an assembler of cars for an American car maker.
For instance, does badging a Daewoo as a Chevrolet really make it any more American?
Vauxhall is just branding. The cars, the money and everything else hail from GM in some form or another. And most of the cars and platforms are used, either across the globe and/or in America. And it's not a new thing either. Chevettes where sold in the USA for years under multiple brands, for example.
Only we in Blighty tend not to realise just how many vehicles we deem as British or European were actually sold in the US as part of their normal model and product placement and development.
Vauxhall may well have been a British car maker - note the past tense. But today they are just an assembler of cars for an American car maker.
For instance, does badging a Daewoo as a Chevrolet really make it any more American?
Maybe but the car they assemble is German, not American. The Chevette came from the Kadett.
The current Chevrolets will always be Korean and, that's the point, whatever badge you apply doesn't affect the car's origins, it's literally "just a badge".
The last Z4 was built in America - is it American? No.
The Beetle was built in Mexico - is it Mexican? No.
Ia a Monaro/VXR8 anything other than Australian?
The current Chevrolets will always be Korean and, that's the point, whatever badge you apply doesn't affect the car's origins, it's literally "just a badge".
The last Z4 was built in America - is it American? No.
The Beetle was built in Mexico - is it Mexican? No.
Ia a Monaro/VXR8 anything other than Australian?
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