If buying American is your preference, check the first digit of the VIN

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

As we witness automotive history being made via corporate bankruptcies and government bailouts, the nation is polarized over whether to be supportive or critical of American car brands. We at Up to Speed see it in your comments, and results from a recent study by Gallup show a substantial jump in consumer interest for American car brands.

This is all well and good while the crisis continues, but the truth is that there are fewer American car brands in existence than ever before. History has recorded nearly 2,000 American brands since the industry’s inception, but the recent loss of Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer leave only 10 truly American brands in the mix: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC trucks.

So, if we purchase American cars, are we helping our own countrymen? What about foreign cars built in the U.S.? How do we know the difference? Kelley Blue Book’s Classic Car Guide Editor Phil Skinner helped us ponder these questions and said that the answer lies right on your car’s dashboard in the 17-digit number called the Vehicle Identification Number (or VIN). Actually, the truth lies in the very first number (or letter) of the VIN.

Phil explains, ‘A #1 represents the USA, but the #4 and #5 usually mean the car was made in another country. A #2 represents Canada, while #3 is from Mexico. Letters are also used to identify where the car is from, such as ‘J’ for Japan, ‘K’ for Korea, ‘W’ for Germany, ‘S’ for England and ‘Y’ for Sweden.’

‘Many cars that you think were built in the USA might have come from our great northern neighbor, Canada, or down south in Mexico. While it might wear a badge that says Ford or Chevrolet, there is a chance the car came out of a USA-based assembly plant owned by a foreign company,’ Skinner says. ‘While the Ford Crown Victoria has been discontinued, its brother, the Mercury Grand Marquis, is still being produced, but not from a factory in Detroit -- it’s made in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.’

Other current models with American brand names have actually been assembled in other countries:

Buick Lacrosse, Canada
Chevrolet HHR, Mexico
Chevrolet Aveo, Korea
Chevrolet Impala, Canada
Chrysler PT Cruiser, Mexico
Chrysler 300, Canada
Dodge Charger and Challenger, Canada
Ford Fusion, Mexico
Ford Flex, Canada
Lincoln MKX and Town Car, Canada
Mercury Grand Marquis, Canada
Mercury Milan, Mexico

As for cars with “foreign” brand names, Phil says many are actually built in the United States, including the Toyota Camry and Avalon, built in Georgetown, Ky.; BMW’s Z4, built in Spartanburg, S.C.; and the Honda Element and Accord, built in East Liberty, Ill. (Odyssey is built in an assembly plant in Troy, Ohio).

‘President Obama recently challenged the American public that if they were thinking ‘about buying a new car, I hope it will be an American car,’ ” Skinner says. ‘But sometimes we might think we are supporting our homeland when in fact we are contributing to the coffers of companies abroad.’

-- Joni Gray