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[QUOTE=f6fhellcat13;866429]I agree for most of that. Acura and Lexus stick out to me. Are they American or Japanese? Is a Ford Euro Focus American?
I would agree with you that Jaguar is British and Saab is Swedish, but many on this site would not.[/QUOTE]
Lexus and Acura are Americans in my mind. besides being owned and developed by Japaneses, the aim is to sell the car to the American market, mainly. that said, the Japanese soul is more evident in Lexus, I never met an Acura in the flesh, but I find it similar to Infiniti, and it seems to me quite American, more than Lexus at least, still less than Cadillac, [I]that's American[/I].
I think the market identifies a car quite strongly.
even considering Ford of the States, how many Japanese designers work in it? that could bias the nationality of the brand.
I go like this: the nationality of a brand is where it started, and as long as Jaguar is keeping on that british style of thinking, it's British to me.
Ford EU is...it's just european, even if, mainly based in German, but the distance from the mother land is evident, and I couldn't baptize Ford as German or others.
what about Seat? it's Spanish, but it doesn't really exists anymore as a company, rather as the name of a group of offices and plants. still they try to infuse a sort of spanish sauce in their cars, so they are still Spanish cars.
the list is long.
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Exactly. But if a car company is from where it started, is McLaren (maybe not the best of examples) still a Kiwi company? No. When they win a race in F1 they wave the Union Jack and play God Save the Queen.
...anyway, back to the original point, this is why I think Pieter's idea might be hard to implement.
[SIZE="1"]Sorry for hijacking the thread, Kitdy.[/SIZE]
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[QUOTE=LeonOfTheDead;866431]Lexus and Acura are Americans in my mind. besides being owned and developed by Japaneses, the aim is to sell the car to the American market, mainly. that said, the Japanese soul is more evident in Lexus, I never met an Acura in the flesh, but I find it similar to Infiniti, and it seems to me quite American, more than Lexus at least, still less than Cadillac, [I]that's American[/I].[/QUOTE]
thats funny... i dont know any americans that consider lexus, infiniti and acura american brands. a lot of people dont even realize they are owned by their respective parent companies.
acuras and infinitis are all just rebadges of either JDM cars or european spec cars. the G35/37 is just a skyline with different badges. the TL is an Accord. so i dont see how that makes them american. i cant think of an american specific car for any of the japanese luxury brands, just america specific branding.
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[QUOTE=cmcpokey;866440]thats funny... i dont know any americans that consider lexus, infiniti and acura american brands. a lot of people dont even realize they are owned by their respective parent companies.
acuras and infinitis are all just rebadges of either JDM cars or european spec cars. the G35/37 is just a skyline with different badges. the TL is an Accord. so i dont see how that makes them american. i cant think of an american specific car for any of the japanese luxury brands, just america specific branding.[/QUOTE]
I'm aware the relationships between for example the TL and the Accord, I'm just referring to the idea the marketing and the product itself give me, that's to say [I]it's an american car[/I]. just a matter of image. as Ford EU lacking, in my book, of a nationality because of its undefined image.
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[QUOTE=cmcpokey;866440]thats funny... i dont know any americans that consider lexus, infiniti and acura american brands. a lot of people dont even realize they are owned by their respective parent companies.
acuras and infinitis are all just rebadges of either JDM cars or european spec cars. the G35/37 is just a skyline with different badges. the TL is an Accord. so i dont see how that makes them american. i cant think of an american specific car for any of the japanese luxury brands, just america specific branding.[/QUOTE]
I can't think of any American only Japanese cars, but I think the Nissan Titan may only be sold in America. Yes, that is a truck though.
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[QUOTE=f6fhellcat13;866435][SIZE="1"]Sorry for hijacking the thread, Kitdy.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
I care not. This is interesting anyways.
McLaren's Britishness always got me - did Bruce start the company in Britain or New Zealand? Now it is British, but was it always? The original logo and a freaking Kiwi on it.
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[QUOTE=f6fhellcat13;866429]I agree for most of that. Acura and Lexus stick out to me. Are they American or Japanese? Is a Ford Euro Focus American?
I would agree with you that Jaguar is British and Saab is Swedish, but many on this site would not.[/QUOTE]
In Europe the Ford cars are predominantly considered German, (apart the Brits, who may may consider the Opel a British product). Nobody considers Jaguar Indian.....
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[QUOTE=cmcpokey;866440] i cant think of an american specific car for any of the japanese luxury brands, just america specific branding.[/QUOTE]
I drove an Acura Vigor once, which had a very interesting 5 cylinder engine, and afaik was only sold in North America.
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[QUOTE=henk4;866561]I drove an Acura Vigor once, which had a very interesting 5 cylinder engine, and afaik was only sold in North America.[/QUOTE]
It was the Honda Inspire with slithgly different detailing.
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I believe the Vigor was sold in RHD in the Japanese market, also.
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[QUOTE=Kitdy;866458]McLaren's Britishness always got me - did Bruce start the company in Britain or New Zealand? Now it is British, but was it always? The original logo and a freaking Kiwi on it.[/QUOTE]
The company originated in the UK as McLaren was already a GP driver by the time he established the company.
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[QUOTE=Ferrer;866574]It was the Honda Inspire with slithgly different detailing.[/QUOTE]
anyway, I think for the "average Joe" it is clear what the "domestic producers" are, and Acura is not one of them.
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The finalists have been announced.
[url=http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/11/2009-world-car-of-the-year-finalists-announced/]2009 World Car of the Year finalists announced[/url]
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Apparently, Ferrer has major sway with the World Car of the Year panelists as the iQ is in the final three.
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I like the Fiesta. It's front is arse ugly. But that's my choice:D.