[jazz77]

2016, most likely produced in Mexico so that it can also be exported to South America and rebadged as a Fiat.

 

[jazz77]

Had they said, "would you buy a car made in XYZ if it had the same quality and costed 20% less", then probably the answers could have been very different

I think so, everything being equal patriotism can play a role for some consumers but it is the very last thing to be be factored in.

Even though when you think about how protectionist is the automotive sector in China...

 

[jazz77]

And sadly, consumer ignorance about how harmful that is for homegrown industry and jobs, runs rampant.
If one is worried about the general economy and indeed their own job, point of origin should be the number one thing to be factored in.
If we aren't worried about our fellow citizens jobs, why can we expect them to be worried about our jobs?
It would be less important if there was true fair trade, but there isn't. As long as countries like Japan and China are allowed to manipulate currently, there will be trade imbalance.
The poll was a weak effort to justify exporting jobs.
Henry Ford, wasn't exactly a role model, but even Henry knew that he had to pay his workers a fair enough wage to allow them to buy his products.

It is a complex issue: the risk it so create an environment where domestic companies have less incentives to improve and rely mostly on their own markets. And of course in the end companies who have to survive in a more competitive environment ake over the others.

 

[jazz77]

Thanks, I'll check them out when these wear
Except that if you dig down, you find that's marketing. The number of people who got that "fair wage" was miniscule; and they had to subject themselves to regular inspections to make sure they were going to the “right” church every Sunday, living in accordance with Henry’s religious beliefs, etc.

The main reason for giving that wage was the same as over-posting ads for migrant workers in California during the Dust Bowl: so he’d have fifty applicants per position, and if you wanted more money or had your hand chopped off by the machinery, you could be kicked out and replaced instantly.

The “living wage” myth is almost as bad as the “invented the car” myth (Cugnot beat him to it), the “first car assembly line” myth (Ransom Olds and Oldsmobile), the “first cheap car” myth (Brush among others) ...

Wasn't Benz who invented the car? I guess it'a a matter of defining what a car is

But yeah in any case it wasn't Ford.