US Rekindling Love Affair with American Cars
For decades now, car buyers in the United States have been less than enthused by their native auto makers, widely choosing alternatives from Asian auto makers and leaving the US car manufacturing business struggling to wage a long war to catch up. It appears that these days may be coming to an end as Americans have returned to their roots in the nation where the first mass produced automobile was developed and popularized by innovator Henry Ford. According to a recent poll by the Associated Press and GfK, the percentage of US drivers who feel that American companies are building better cars than their Asian rivals is stands at 38% with 33% of those polled saying that they prefer Asian made cars. According to the poll providers, the analysts with the AP feel that the change in opinion is most likely largely due to the fact that Toyota’s formerly spotless reputation has been damaged recently while public perception of auto maker Ford has shot up.
The March 2010 poll took place not long after Toyota found itself in a hellish situation that meant it needed to recall nearly 10 million vehicles not just in the US, but many other nations around the world. The reason for the recall was based on accusations that Toyota was being slow to respond to safety issues with its vehicles. Ford still endures plenty of challenge from Toyota and many other manufacturers, but the fact that it is no longer contending with strong competition from GM and Chrysler has given it a definite edge of Honda, Nissan and other car makers.