Mixed Results from Political Survey of Buyers

[Blue_Tires]

personally, i think polls like this are pure bullshit (epsecially since there's no such thing as a truly american-made car anymore), but it is food for thought...


http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?n=156,173&sid=173&article=8145



CNW Marketing Research, Inc., a West Coast firm headed by old Detroit hand Art Spinella, has published a curious report on the political leanings of new car buyers. Basically, the overall results from some 150,000 respondents over a year's time are hardly surprising:

-The split between Republicans and Democrats is virtually the same as the popular vote outcome of the November 2004 presidential election, 29.7 percent vs. 28.7 percent.

-Generally, Republicans favor domestic brands and Democrats like the imports but this reflects the Red Republican (center and south) geographical division versus the West Coast and New England Blue Democratic states, and the fact imports have always been more popular on the coasts.

-The research firm reports the proportion of car buyers classifying themselves "independent" has nearly doubled since first asked in the late 1980s, from about 22 percent up to nearly 42 percent.
(more at the link)

[LTR]

1. Do 'imports' and 'domestics' really exist anymore?

Here's an example: Which car is more American? A Honda Accord or a new Pontiac GTO? Well, the Accord, owned by Japanese company Honda, is made in Ohio. The GTO, made by GM, is an Australian import. These are just two examples of the blurred lines between 'imports' and 'domestics'.

There isn't even such thing as a truly 'American' car, since at least 30-40% of the parts in your so-called 'American' car are imported from other countries.

Do they consider domestic cars ones that come off American assembly lines, or the Chevys and Fords coming out of Mexico to be 'domestics'? How about the Chrysler/Dodge product from Canada? Or Suzuki cars with Chevy badges on them (Tracker, Aveo)? Or the BMWs produced here? How about the Toyota Matrix, Corolla and Tundra, made in the GM/Toyota plant in Fremont, CA? The lines are really blurred nowadays, to the point where it's time to redefine the terms 'domestic' and 'import'.

[Blue_Tires]

2. pretty soon you won't have to redefine them

because the line will become WAY too blurred...soon enough, there will just be car companies