There are various ways to measure how American a given automobile or automaker is, which are typically an accounting of not only where the cars are assembled but also where their parts, engines, and transmissions are sourced, and how much of their manufacturing workforce is American. Cars.com, for example, produces an annual “American-made index,” which, last year, found the Tesla Model Y on top, with the Tesla Model 3 in second place, and the Lincoln Corsair in third, according to Cars.com’s metrics. Rounding out their top ten, in descending order: Honda Passport, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model S, Jeep Cherokee, Honda Ridgeline, Honda Odyssey, and Honda Pilot.
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But that is just one measure. Take American University’s Kogod School of Business, which does their own “Made in America Auto Index,” which indicates that, in fact, the Corsair is on top, followed by the Model 3, the Chevy Corvette Stingray, and the Chevy Colorado. The problem with these studies, though, is that methodologies are different and also that buyers don’t seem to give a shit, because we live in a globalized world, and the Inflation Reduction Act has prompted different standards anyway. Or at least ones that come with tax implications.
None of this stopped the Ford Motor Company from pushing out a press release on Monday declaring itself the “most American,” according to Bill Ford, Ford executive chair. That was according to data from a new analysis, Ford said, offering the following numbers to back this up:
In 2022, Ford assembled more than 1.8 million vehicles in the U.S.,130,000 more than the nearest auto manufacturer2. This includes the best-selling F-Series truck franchise, every single one of which is assembled in America at plants in Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio. The Illinois-assembled Explorer SUV and Kentucky-assembled Escape SUV remain two other popular models.
Overall, nearly 80 percent of the vehicles Ford sells in U.S. are assembled in the U.S.
In 2022, Ford exported 260,000 U.S.-assembled vehicles3 – including F-150, Explorer and Mustang – to other countries, 65,000 more than the next closest competitor. Approximately 1 in every 7 vehicles that Ford assembles in the U.S. is now exported to other markets.
Ford also touted all of the jobs it’s creating, including thousands in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and, especially Tennessee, where it is building BlueOval City and promising big things. The new data from S&P Global Mobility that underpins all of this was, the Detroit Free Press reports, asked for by one Ford Motor Company.
The news release details the results of an independent analysis from S&P Global Mobility, which the automaker requested, Ford spokesman Said Deep told the Detroit Free Press. The data provides confirmation of Ford’s status when discussing its commitment to U.S. production and exports, he said.
This is great for Ford, which probably had some idea that they might fare well according to S&P Global’s metrics, because Ford asked for it. And maybe Ford will sell a few more F-150s or something out of this? The full-size truck market seems like the only segment where “American-made” might still hold some appeal, dominated as it is by American trucks. Still, even those buyers are too busy making their case for Ford, Chevy, or Ram on aesthetic merits, or mere brand allegiance, and even then that is a conversation heavily concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area. Ford is very American, though.