"International" Cars

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SuperShouden

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SuperShouden
What I mean is:

Spyker - A dutch car with a German engine and built in Britain.

DeLorean - An American car with an Italian design (designed by ItaliDesign), a French engine (Peugeot), and a German drivetrain (Rear Engine, Rear Wheel Drive)

Then you the semi - Internationals:

Chrysler Crossfire and ME412: German body, German engine, American badging. Nothing really international about them except the badging.

Jeeps - Now they have German suspension and a bunch of other German parts

I know there are more cars that are like this with parts and things from all over the world. I think it'd be fun to talk about them 'cause sometimes it works, like the Spyker. Beautiful car with an awesome engine note. And Sometimes it doesn't quite work like the DeLorean. But only because of that crappy Peugeot engine) And it's just pretty funny to think about.
 
SuperShouden
I know there are more cars that are like this with parts and things from all over the world. I think it'd be fun to talk about them 'cause sometimes it works, like the Spyker. Beautiful car with an awesome engine note. And Sometimes it doesn't quite work like the DeLorean. But only because of that crappy Peugeot engine) And it's just pretty funny to think about.
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Oh there's plenty.

Taking mine as an example...

  1. American manufacturer
  2. Developed in Essex
  3. Various electronic bits made by Visteon in Northern Ireland (or South London)
  4. Engine developed in England/Brazil, then manufactured in South Africa
  5. Whole thing then assembled in Spain


Similarly, buy a new Focus Diesel and the chances are it'll be a car from an American company, developed and assembled in Germany, with a French-designed engine that was built in Dagenham.
 
stumpydino
delorean wasn't american made
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I didn't say the DeLorean was American made, I said it was an American CAR

But you're right:

The DeLorean was:

1. Built in Ireland
2. Designed by the Italians
3. Had a French Engine (Apparently they hired James May to pick the engine)
4. Sold in America
5. With a German drivetrain ('cause they're the only ones that actually USED the RR layout)
 
Ah but now they are built in America! Houston, Texas to be exact! I've never been to the place where they build then, since it's an hour's drive across town!
 
Off, the top of my head, I can only think of the Chrysler TC by Maserati.

1. Hand-built in Italy.
2. Had a Japanese engine (at one point).
3. Sat on an American platform (and had a couple of American engines).
4. The drivetrain was largely the work of Germans.


SuperShouden
5. With a German drivetrain ('cause they're the only ones that actually USED the RR layout)
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You can't really say that. Renault made several sports cars with the RR layout, and Tatra made RR sedans and coupes for over 60 years (the Tatra T87 was in fact the car that Porsche copied large swaths of ideas from when he made the Beetle).
 
astrosdude91
Ah but now they are built in America! Houston, Texas to be exact! I've never been to the place where they build then, since it's an hour's drive across town!
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This is true. And DeLorean is officially a car company again and has been for 3 years thanks to demands for the car. Thankfully, also, the Texans were smart enough to take out the French engine for most of them and replace it with a Chevy engine that has a bit more power to it. (like the Turbo charged version in GT4)

So, other than the fact that it's still an Italian design and still has the Non-American style Rear Engine, it's nearly fully American now.

And, what's more, DMC is trying to expand their line up, even purposing a Solstice style Concept car that they're looking to develop as a 2011 model.
 
Practially all cars are International then, very few cars on the market today are sourced entirely within one country.
 
Paulie
Practially all cars are International then, very few cars on the market today are sourced entirely within one country.
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Indeed, it's staggeringly rare to find a purely "homebuilt" car.

That said, mine was designed and built wholly in Japan (Hiroshima for all but the electrics and Kariya). Same thing goes for homeforsummer's car - though the Mk3 MX-5 is all over the place and uses American-funded, German built gearboxes.
 
My car was designed by Italians using mostly French parts, and put together by Italians, using those French parts.

Its amazing that it's still in one relatively large piece.
 
My 1998 Ford Escort ZX2... Ford is American Company.... Engine is German... Transaxle is Japanese, parts are American, Mexican, British, and Japanese.... But the kicker... Assembled in wonderful Hermosillo, Mexico. :D
 
astrosdude91
I'd think that American trucks are wholy American.
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I believe most of the Heavy Duty trucks are built almost entirely in the US, but it really does depend on the truck for anything else. There aren't many American vehicles built entirely in the US anymore, although I think the two that come closest are the Corvette and Mustang.


The previous generation (E53) BMW X5 comes to mind for me...

1. Designed in Germany
2. Off-Road systems done by Land Rover in the UK
3. Transmissions made by GM in France
4. Assembled in South Carolina
 
SuperShouden
Me likey...I might have to steal that and change the Prius to the Insight.
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Be careful. the first-gen Insight was pretty neat...

((especially with a K-series swap...))

Nissan 200SX
designed in Japan primarily for the US market, sold by a Japanese company
Built in Tennessee
 
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Jim Prower
Be careful. the first-gen Insight was pretty neat...
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Yeha, but the second and third-gen Insights suck....you should read Jeremy Clarkson's review of the new Insight, it's pretty funny and explains why you never hear the Insight or see it moving on any of the commercials. The only reason why you don't hear the Prius...it's because you can't. That car is almost as quiet as the Tesla.


Wasn't there a European car that used the Viper's V10?

Yes, there was:

The Bristol Fighter is a British car powered by an American V10 from the Viper
 
In before homeforsummer complains about Top Gear Insight review.




What would the Chrysler Crossfire be? I wanna say German chassis, engine, suspension and transmission with American body, but I can't find a shred of evidence that even the body was American. German car, American name, like the old DSM cars?
 
Famine
Indeed, it's staggeringly rare to find a purely "homebuilt" car.

That said, mine was designed and built wholly in Japan (Hiroshima for all but the electrics and Kariya). Same thing goes for homeforsummer's car - though the Mk3 MX-5 is all over the place and uses American-funded, German built gearboxes.
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That said, the concept of the first-gen MX-5 was that of an American (Bob Hall), as was the design, and prototypes were built in the UK...

Jim Prower
Be careful. the first-gen Insight was pretty neat...
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Actually, that car may well have been entirely designed, developed and produced in Japan. In fact, I suspect a great deal of Japanese cars are wholly home-grown.

SuperShouden
Yeha, but the second and third-gen Insights suck...
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There are three generations of Insight? That's news to me...

Honda Insight Wiki...

Toronado
In before homeforsummer complains about Top Gear Insight review.
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:lol:

I've already read it, just after it first hit the net. I have no complaints, mainly because Clarkson isn't really known for being right about anything. His review, like all his other reviews, is purely entertainment. Good fun to read, but you shouldn't actually choose or not choose to buy a car based on it...

EDIT: I'm not saying the Insight is a good car, nor would I buy one - but I also suspect it's not quite the Hitler-on-wheels Clarkson makes it out to be...
 
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And it was a copy of the original Elan, tuned to sound like an MGB - and voted "The Best British Sports Car" by Top Gear :lol:
 
What about large Japanese trucks, like the Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan? Japanese brand, American conceived and built for an American market. Uses some Japanese parts and some American parts.

I know the Tundra is built in San Antonio. I'm not sure where the Titan is built, probably America.
 
Toronado
What would the Chrysler Crossfire be? I wanna say German chassis, engine, suspension and transmission with American body, but I can't find a shred of evidence that even the body was American. German car, American name, like the old DSM cars?
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The Crossfire's completely German. it and the Mercedes SLK are pretty much the same car. But, the body was built by AMG, I believe. the same people t hat built the ME412 body. I think the only thing "American" about the Crossfire is the badge...then again, Mr. Chrysler was German...and used to work with Benz and Mercedes a lot back in the day. I mean, like, Benz and Merc had their horseless carriages in Europe and I believe Chrysler had one, as well...or at least he had a hand in the other two cars.
 
Keef
The Mercedes SLS uses an American-developed chassis to great effect.
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When I read that story last week, my heart sank. Poor Team Viper...
 

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