Now we're down to 2 US automakers

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That's probably true, but it brings up an interesting point. If Fiat has already owned the controlling interest in Chrysler for the past five years, what has changed? What will change? Will Chrysler start building Italian cars? Probably for the average car owner nothing will change at all. Perhaps construction techniques will improve. Perhaps the opposite. Perhaps more jobs will be sent overseas. Perhaps not.

That video on British manufacturing was startling, to say the least. I'm reminded of a conversation between my friend Rocky and a biker. The part of the talk involved the fact that, until found out, Harley-Davidson used Keihin carburetors, along with several other Japanese-made parts. Harley had to spend some money overcoming that embarrassment. The point of the argument was that when the biker proudly said "My Harley was made in America!", Rocky replied "So was my Kawasaki."

And it's true. In 1974 Kawasaki became the first foreign company to manufacture motor vehicles in the United States with their plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. They save time and money not having to ship products from the home country to the point-of-sale, and employ local workers and management. Only the ownership is actually overseas. So what is the difference between that and Chrysler now being owned by a foreign company? I don't know.

I find it rather embarrassing they can buy our companies and run them for profit in the same country we couldn't. It's not just car manufacturing either power and water companies as well a host of others are joining an ever lengthening list.

Pretty soon there'll only be the crown jewels left...or have we already sold them?