One of the best things Ford ever did was not go bankrupt. This sounds like damning with faint praise, but it isn’t. By leveraging every asset he could get his hands on, then-CEO Alan Mulally was able to just survive the global financial crisis without having to declare bankruptcy. This had the advantage of saving the company and, as an added perk, of giving Ford something to quietly crow about. They’re being a little less quiet about it now.
The Morning Dump today is all about America, or, more specifically, all about Americaness. Ford’s newest ad will air during the NBA Finals and correctly points out that by some measures, Ford is the most American car company. Looked at another way, Honda is pretty darn American, as is Hyundai, and certainly Tesla.
A lot of this pro-American-ness has to do with tariffs on various countries and a general spirit of current politics. It’s not only patriotic to be American, it’s also financially a better position to be in for many manufacturers. For British automakers, American-ness is going to be less of an issue as a recently signed trade deal points to reasonable trade terms. For Japanese automakers, it’s a little less certain.
The price to be paid for cars that are more American? Probably higher prices, at least in the medium term, but that might be a price worth paying.
Ford’s New ‘If They Were Like Us’ Ad Uses Bailout Against Detroit Competitors
First, there was Kendrick Lamar with “Not Like Us.” It’s probably the most devastating diss track in the history of devastating diss tracks, and Lamar’s performance of the song at the Super Bowl was like Kano ripping out Drake’s heart on national television. What’s another way of saying “Not Like Us” without being quite as explosive? “If They Were Like Us,” which is the name of the ad Ford will run during the NBA Finals.
You can see it above, but here’s a quote from Ford explaining what that means:
Ford employs 56,500 hourly autoworkers in America — more than anyone else — and you will meet four of them in our new Ford Motor Company: From America, For America ad that airs first during the NBA Finals.
Our employees assemble more vehicles in America than other automaker. And 80% of the vehicles we sell in America are assembled here.
Ford avoided bankruptcy and a taxpayer-funded bailout during the Great Recession. Since then, the company has added 13,000 American jobs and increased the percentage of our global production that we assemble in the U.S. Today, more than half of all vehicles Ford sells around the world are assembled in America.
That bit about the bailout also lands in the advertisement. Is it fair? Yeah, sort of. GM kept handing out dividends almost until the end, and I’m not sure what the Chrysler Corporation’s plan to avoid bankruptcy was, which means I have a lot in common with Chrysler execs at the time. Ford, though, took a lot of heat for borrowing as much money as it could to both finance the development of new cars and also to have enough money to survive the looming meltdown. While Mulally, by his own admission, was not a car guy, he was a shrewd financial mind. He realized that in the best case, Ford could have exciting new products, and in the worst case, Ford would survive. The worst happened, and GM and Chrysler had to be bailed out, while Ford didn’t.
Looking back, it’s important to remember that Mullaly argued that the government should bail out both Ford and Chrysler in Congressional testimony and has long stuck to his view that this was the right thing to do:
“If GM and Chrysler would’ve gone into free-fall they could’ve taken the entire supply base into free-fall also, and taken the U.S. from a recession into a depression,” Mulally says in the accompanying video, taped Friday at Ford’s world headquarters in Dearborn, MI. “That’s why we testified on behalf of our competitors even though we clearly did not need precious taxpayer money.”
Hmm… “precious taxpayer money.” The inter-Detroit competitiveness is always there. The company wants its neighbors to do well, but there’s always that Dorothy Parker-esque reminder that Ford didn’t need the help. Or, as Ford Chairman William C. Ford, Jr. said, “I don’t take any joy in watching GM and Chrysler struggle,” before adding, “I wish them well, but I wish us better. I want us to win.”
That’s fair! I sort of have the same feeling about our competitors. I don’t like seeing them struggle. I don’t like seeing them sold to AI-fueled digital sweatshops. I wish them well, but I wish us better and, yeah, I want us to win.
In this turbulent time, it’s not a bad thing to be an American car company focused on America, which Ford is. It also doesn’t hurt to make a lot of cars in America, which Ford does. But are they the most American?
Honda Has The Most Cars In The Top 20 Most American Cars List
Cars.com is out with its list of the “most American” cars from its American-Made Index, and your view of who is the most American will depend a lot on how you want to count things. The publication determines American-Made based on “location of final assembly; percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts; country of origin for available engines; country of origin for available transmissions; and U.S. manufacturing employees relative to the automaker’s footprint.”
Honda is out with a press release pointing out that, if you look at the list, no other automaker has as many cars in the top 20, starting with the Honda Ridgeline at #7.
A lot of these vehicles are made on the same platform, which helps spread the American-ness around. The top cars, though? The Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X are actually the four most American-made cars, followed by the Jeep Gladiator and Kia EV6. How does Tesla get the top spot even though there are plenty of other automakers also building cars almost entirely in the United States with parts sourced from Canada and the United States? Cars.com explains:
It’s not just that these vehicles feature a high percentage of U.S./Canadian parts content or major components assembled here in the U.S.; it’s also the fact that they have so many people building these cars. The manufacturing workforce component, explained in more detail below, always plays a major role in our rankings, but this year it was a decisive factor in Tesla’s dominance atop the index.
Tesla now makes almost all (if not all) of its cars for America in America, which is a bit of a departure from the past when more components might arrive from other places, specifically China. This puts companies that import a lot of cars from other places or have large workforces in Mexico or elsewhere at a disadvantage.
The UK Gets A Trade Deal, Japan Does Not
President Trump left the G7 gathering early as the Middle East makes its semi-annual tilt towards a conflict that spirals out of control. Before doing so, though, he finally got a signed trade deal with another country. Granted, he dropped the papers and called it a deal with “the EU” instead of “The UK,” but Prime Minister Starmer didn’t seem in the mood to correct the President. I get it! When you get the answer you want, just stop talking.
Assuming the details are similar to what was previously outlined, this seems like a huge win for the UK car industry with minimal benefits for American automakers, though it’s being touted as a win for American cattle producers. It also doesn’t appear to address steel imports. Why did the United States do this deal first? Per the AP:
Trump said “the U.K. is very well protected,” from tariffs. “You know why? Because I like them.”
That’s nice. You know who President Trump must not like enough? Japan’s new government, according to this Bloomberg report:
U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba failed to reach an agreement on a trade package on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, another setback for Japan’s automakers and an outcome that leaves the Asian nation inching closer to a possible recession as the pain of U.S. tariffs hits its economy.
“There are still some points on which the two sides are not on the same page, so we have not yet reached an agreement on the trade package,” Ishiba said to reporters on July 16 in Calgary in between G-7 meetings.
The failure to reach a concrete agreement will raise questions over Ishiba’s effectiveness as leader ahead of a crucial upper house election next month, after he touted the summit as a possible “milestone” opportunity in tariff negotiations that have continued for about two months.
Maybe they’ll work it out.
Vehicle Affordability Remains Stuck
As you can see from this Cox Automotive graphic, the improvement in vehicle affordability we’d all been waiting for has been hit by the Trade War and, while it’s better than the height of pandemic shortages, it’s still not great.
“The U.S. economy remains fundamentally strong, but the recent tariffs have had a swift and measurable impact on vehicle affordability,” said Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke. “After reaching the lowest affordability point of the year in April, the market essentially flatlined at that level in May. The forces that typically drive improvement – like incentives and income growth – have been neutralized by stubbornly high interest rates and stagnant prices. Without meaningful gains in wages and further easing of rates, we’re likely to see affordability limit demand as we move into the summer months.”
Something has to give, eventually, and there’s a way to look at all of this “Hey, look at how American we are” as both a patriotic boast and a way of preparing consumers for higher prices in the near-to-medium-term as carmakers realign production.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
This video for Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know The Better” came up in Slack yesterday, and I realized I’d never actually seen it (though I love the song and have listened to it hundreds of times). While the focus of it is teenage lust and heartache (therefore, it might not be work appropriate for everyone — NSFW), it approaches the subject in an increasingly surreal and hilarious way that involves a giant gorilla. It’s quite amusing and worth your time.
The Big Question
What makes a car American?
Top photo: Ford
The irony of Ford crowing about not being bailed out is that it only happened because they were in such dire financial straits before the financial crisis that they were able to obtain credit before the shit hit the fan. By the time GM and Chrysler came calling the banks were all like, “Nah, bro.” Enter the Bank of Uncle Sam, who, as a reminder, got most of the bailout money back in the form of loan repayments and stock sales.
None of the Big Three should feel good about what they were doing at that time and bragging about it is a very bad look, IMNSHO.
Panic early and avoid the rush. Sometimes it works.
“What makes a car American?”
Being far larger and taller than is needed for the given purpose.
Being in-efficent in fuel and electricity.
What makes our cars, is it the cups held inside?
Just ‘cuz we have big Slurpees?
Or is it the way we fight to the top?
No, it’s probably the Slurpees.
“Have you driven a Foooooooooooooooooooooooooord, lately?” *
*nope, mine is in the shop for yet another recall 🙁
If they were like Ford they would’ve also failed to successfully roll out a new product that isn’t an F-150 variant, would be mired in constant recalls, and would spend millions on a Nurburgring vanity project only to get steamrolled by a 15 year old Viper.
I think this was a typo, but this paragraph genuinely confused me. Was Mullaly advocating for a bailout that Ford wound up not receiving? Or was this supposed to read “GM and Chrysler?”
Regardless of this paragraph’s intent, Ford has done a stellar job of muddying the public perception of this time period. After 15+ years of crowing about “built without your tax dollars,” it’s easy to forget that they also came close to running of of cash at that time.
Mullaly went and sat before congress next to the CEOs from GM and Chrysler and told Congress they needed to bail out GM and Chrysler because if any of the Detroit 3 entered an unmanaged bankruptcy there would be a chain reaction that would bankrupt most of the automotive suppliers. That would mean Ford – who bought parts from the same companies, would then go bankrupt too.
Side note – All 3 were criticized for flying on private corporate jets to beg Congress for money.
“What makes a car American?”
The empty beer cans in the doors are not craft or imported.
I’m surprised it’s taken this long for Ford to really take a swing at the others over bailouts.
My personal opinion is that it is kind of a cheap shot and that obviously Ford would have gone under without them as well.
On the other hand, there aren’t enough ads taking the fight to direct competitors anymore! Ford and GM *should* act like rivals!
What makes a car American?
a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
Hot pink, with whale skin hubcaps
And all leather cow interior
And big brown baby seal eyes for head lights (yeah)
And I’m gonna drive in that baby at 115 miles per hour
Gettin’ 1 mile per gallon
Sucking down Quarter Pounder cheeseburgers from McDonald’s
In the old fashioned non-biodegradable styrofoam containers
And when I’m done sucking down those greaseball burgers
I’m gonna wipe my mouth with the American flag
And then I’m gonna toss the Styrofoam containers right out the side
And there ain’t a goddamn thing anybody can do about it.
Go take a cold shower with the Duke in Sidney Sweeny’s bath water…….
Does Ford employ that number in the United States, or in America?
America is a continent; it could just be clever market-speak to include numbers in CA and MX too.
Does Ford even make any affordable (or desirable) vehicles anymore? Broncos and F150’s are getting ridiculously expensive, I can’t think of any other desirable Fords other than the Mustang, which is also not cheap.
I believe it’s The United States.
“getting”?
In my eyes, especially the F150, it’s already ridiculously expensive and has been there a while.
Someone’ll chime back that the Maverick is their “affordable” vehicle, I’m sure, but it rises quick. Ford’s not really a car company.
A Ford colleague once distilled it neatly: “We make trucks and Mustangs.”
’bout right.
I can’t afford either of those things, so I have zero interest in Ford, no matter where they’re assembled.
Maybe “get more and more ridiculously expensive” would have been a better way to phrase it.
If you desire an affordable vehicle, you do not pile on the options. Otherwise, an affordable vehicle is not what you actually desired.
“America” isn’t a continent, “North America” and “South America” are continents, Central America is a region of North America, and the Americas is the entire Western Hemisphere, consisting of North America, South America, and associated islands
But, America is, by itself, technically the name of a country in North America, because the word that comes after “of” in the official, long form name of a country is typically used as the conventional short form name of that country. Eg, People’s Republic of China is called China, Federal Republic of Germany is called Germany, Federated States of Micronesia is called Micronesia, etc
Technically, United States refers to the form and organization of the country and its government
I mean yes you’re right, but it’s cooler to be edgy online, ya know
This is why I have started calling the large body of water in the middle “The Gulf of The Americas”
It should piss everyone off and also be technically correct.
That would certainly be more logical
Or, we could just keep calling it what it’s always been, considering Mexico has the most coastline on it and all
“America” is also shorthand for “United States of America”. There are continents called North America and South America, but not one called simply America.
Yes, but I would not put it past sneaky marketing teams to use it in the broader sense.
Sure, but they also needed the DOE to help fund programs because they were too broke to do it themselves. Also, Chrysler only entered their second bankruptcy because of Daimler, from a merger that shouldn’t have happened, and people should’ve been against and caused a stir over back in the mid 1990’s, but I digress.
Politicians hadn’t really learned about saying “national security” yet when referring to mergers of companies that weren’t both US yet. But then again we hadn’t decided that the paranoid “everyone is ripping us off” was a thing yet.
You are correct. Ford, Tesla, and I don’t remember which other automotive companies, received massive federal loan guarantees from the DOE for mobile renewable energy (vehicles). I believe Ford Wayne Assembly received $4(?) billion to retool for EV and/or hybrid production. The loans were going out until the Solyndra solar panel (stationary renewable energy) scandal hit the fan and the DOE shut off all the remaining/in-process loan applications in 2011.
I completely agree that Ford did not take a “bailout” and did not go into bankruptcy, but didnt Ford take a bunch of zero or near zero interest loans from the Govt? Its a bit of splitting hairs as Ford definitely did take tax payer money, just not in quite the same way. Again, Ford did win that round, by just being slightly less awful than GM and the other one.
On a related note, crazy enough, as GM was handing out dividends right until they declared bankruptcy, they also thought it was a good idea to buy Chrysler. Yes, GM got extremely close to buying Chrysler in like 2008 only months before GM itself went under. I have contacts that retired from GM that where there in 08 that confirmed that GM and Chrysler were working through the “synergies” of individual engineering teams and more. What a clusterF**k that would have been, GM would buy Chrysler then both would instantly go under and be just an even bigger mess to untangle.
What makes a car American? Perhaps enough payload for 4-5 morbidly obese passengers? Industrial strength grab handles to help said passengers get in and out (or maybe a built in crane)? Bonus points if it cannot physically fit in a standard European parking garage, and is practically unusable in most other parts of the world?
What makes a car American?
Fast food wrappers and empty nips in the back seat footwells, 2 vape batteries always being charged, and a Casey’s cup that isn’t finished but all the ice is melted in the cup holder.
Ford: “If they were like us…”
They’d have AAA on speed dial
They’d have massive service bays and loaner fleets (for the recalls)
They’d be Number 1 (in recall rates)
They’d be built Proud too (no longer Ford tough, because, ya know, recalls)
They’d be making quality job number #1 (we can’t count)
Speaking of diss tracks…
As far as what makes a car American? Cup holders of course. All the cup holders.
I’d be more impressed if Ford still made more than one actual car in the US, and also if they hadn’t replaced basically it’s entire dashboard and instrument panel with TV screens
DO NOT watch that Tame Impala video at work, for the love of god and all that is holy. It’s a great song though, believe it or not I actually think Kevin Parker is underrated in the grand scheme of things. While he does huge numbers he quickly fell out of favor with music critics and tastemakers around this era and has never really recovered. He kind of gets criticized as making indie slop with no deeper meaning but I genuinely don’t agree.
I think his songs are always really complex and interesting from a musical standpoint. There’s a lot going on and he’s one of those artists that you don’t fully appreciate until you listen with headphones. He can also write a damn hook. I think people get stuck on the lyrics not saying a whole lot but that’s missing the forest for the trees. Michael Stipe never once wrote lyrics that make any sense at all and yet no one debates REM’s place in alternative music history.
I think Tame Impala will be remembered more fondly down the road. ANYWAY…I don’t need any more convincing that a Honda Passport should be my next vehicle. In fact please stop saying good things about them. My neighbor bought one and I’ve become absolutely smitten…and it’s such a useful package that it’ll be an instant approval from the wife.
The only minus is the fuel economy sucks ass. That’s really the only thing I’m hung up on…and Honda has already said that they’re finishing up a hybrid powertrain for their big family haulers that should be unveiled in the next year. If they can get that vehicle within spitting distance of 30 MPG combined while retaining the cool all wheel drive system I’m done for…
I’ve always cared far less about lyrics than the actual music they’re sung to, a great example is one of my favorite albums, Raw Data Feel by Everything Everything. The Lyrics are super random at times (They used early LLMs to have some slight influence over the lyrics) but I absolutely adore the album musically, and the strangeness of the lyrics add to it more than you’d think. I thoroughly enjoy Kevin Parker’s music, and really have never cared for criticism over lyrics. That said, my Spotify library is fairly out there, and I can’t play my “for me” playlists in any group setting without drawing some criticism. Apparently experimental jazz fusion is “the wrong vibe” for a cookout.
I also dig the Passport especially in that orange. I wouldn’t hold out hope for a hybrid on it. If they were really considering that as an option why wouldn’t they have done it at launch for the all new model?
Because it wasn’t ready yet. I don’t think they thought they’d need a hybrid in their bigger cars because people had always just accepted that they’re worse on gas….not to mention back when it could’ve started development EVs were all the rage and a lot of companies were ditching further hybrid development.
Now everyone wants hybrids and a lot of Honda’s direct competitors offer hybrid family haulers that they can’t make enough of. Hell if you live in a major metropolitan area and want a hybrid Sienna, Highlander, or Grand Highlander your options are paying over MSRP for a mid trim one, paying $60,000 for a Platinum trim, or getting on a waitlist.
Honda sees that and wants a slice. Whether or not they put that powertrain in the Passport does remain to be seen though. The vast majority of their target buyers (folks who want off roaders) do not care about fuel economy even in this day and age. For that reason I’m not holding my breath…because they’ll have a finite quantity of those engines and want to prioritize the Pilot and Odyssey.
We have a music video night for the whole family every once awhile and I chose this video on my turn as I really like Tame Impala’s music and had seen their dragonfly video, so I thought it would be fine. Boy I was wrong. I had to scramble for the remote.
Granted we just drove the Pilot Trailsport not the Passport but it is a very good tool for the job of hauling a family around. It almost made me toss aside the CX90 without giving that a proper look.
YOU’RE NOT HELPING! Although I should know better than to ask a bunch of enthusiasts to talk me out of a car…anyway, the Passport is absolutely perfect for me. My wife is going to find her way into a hybrid hauler of some sort in the next year or two, but the plan is to add another kiddo and we already have a 1 year old and still young dog.
Unfortunately I’ll need more space too and the Kona N is already too small for us to roadtrip with. Basically I want something that’s big enough to double as a family car when needed but still has some semblance of character and won’t cost me an arm and a leg to buy or own because I’m cheap.
I don’t think there’s a better option than the Passport unless I want to pay for a luxury brand (I don’t). It looks fantastic (I’ve seen a few in person and pictures don’t do it justice), it has a metric fuck ton of space, the all wheel drive system is as good as it gets with a crossover (which also means more driving verve), the powertrain is absolutely bombproof, etc. It’s also a crossover so it’s going to be more pleasant to live with than something like a 4Runner.
It’s a car I could drive into the ground for 10+ years with nothing but routine maintenance then feel okay about handing the keys over to my son when he’s learning to drive. They’re already being discounted too, you can get a regular Trailsport in the mid 40s or an Elite in the low 50s.
My only hang up is the fuel economy. 18/23/20 is just totally unacceptable in 2025. There are V8s that get better gas mileage than that. I get that mileage wasn’t even vaguely a priority and that most of the buyers they’re trying to lure don’t care but I do. I live in DC and am lucky to hit EPA city estimates long term. I just don’t think I could drive something that’s that much of a gas hog in this day and age…especially when so many competitors offer hybrids.
Could I get over it? Definitely, but there’s time until I have to buy and Honda is finishing up a hybrid powertrain for their bigger vehicles so I’m holding on to a sliver of hope.
What makes a car American?
That’s the most succinct I’ve got. Item #2 is the far more important one.
“Ohio, we wish you well.” –Alabama
/let the pointless infighting begin
Ford CEO Jim Farley should join the Autopian “Pictured Here” club. Instead of a picture of Jon Lovitz, show a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie “Total Recall”
Unfortunately I think that was done heavily on The Old Site under the tag “Toyotal Recall” but no reason we can’t reboot it 🙂
Ahh yes, Geopolitical and economic maneuvering based on vibes. Good times!
Makes you wonder what numbers would’ve been mentioned if Ford had extended the “If they were like us” to recalls.
Not recalls, “Freedom Fixes”.
“Unlike our competitors, we appreciate our customers so much we require they return their newly purchased Ford or Lincoln to their friendly local Ford or Lincoln dealer for complimentary Freedom Fixes 4-6 times per year! This program allows our customers to enjoy a choice of burned coffee and midday broadcast TV, or a hard upsell on their next Ford or Lincoln from one of our
desperatemotivated sales associates.”Totally Super Bulletins!
Boy, Trump’s handlers hustled him out of the G7 quick, huh?
As he should. Would you rather him sitting about with like 15 suits and 500 bodyguards, sipping tea and eating caviar, or finagling a war like every president since Woodrow Wilson?
The G7 is just another one of those pinky swear conferences that only serve as propaganda photo-ops anyway.
As far as the TMD, Ford can talk all the shit they want, the brand is so seared and sealed that no one is going to be swayed away from the fact they are were/are/and will always be Ford. Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to the individual, but they are Ford ’til the end of time.
I’d love to see Trump’s face if they tried to give him tea instead of Diet Coke. I’d rather he be doddering around a propaganda photo-op mixing up the EU and the UK than anywhere he can do (even more) substantial damage.
Would you “love” it, though? That would be quite odd. It’s nice that you acknowledge that the G7 is bullshit, but as I am sure you are well aware, no president can act unilaterally in global matters. This hasn’t changed in a long, long time.
The only thing the US really controls is who gets the contracts for supplying the weapons, and who gets the contracts to clean up the mess. As a result, it massively affects the global economy. So, in that respect, it’s vitally important to get it right. This means Zoom meetings won’t cut it. He should be sitting in the same room as his “handlers” and not fucking about in Alberta or wherever.
I thought this was common knowledge, but I guess not.
“Finagling a war” like he has the faintest clue what’s going on and didn’t just immediately go golfing because he was getting his fat ass handed to him by Canada lmao.
I mean, yeah. I do think it would be nice to have the leader of my country be on decent terms with the leaders of the other most economically powerful countries in the world.
That would be nice, I agree.
However, it seems more than it’s been for quite a while, anyway, that the individual pressures on each of those leaders, dealing with their own shit shows, is taking precedent rather than forming a unified front and making s’mores by a campfire.
It’s quite apparent that since Covid, the world got upended. I’m not sure any semblance of a kumbaya is possible anymore. Not to be too grim, but we are never going back to 2019, for better or for worse.
The world has learned to be more selfish and less empathetic, and that is a lesson/skill that can’t be untaught.
Just like in Algebra II, I don’t have a clue to the answer but, I can see the problem. lol
His emergency evacuation word was “Hustler,” as it is in most situations.
Ford: Where Recalls Are Job #1.